Mumbai, May 5, 2025 – Babil Khan, the up-and-coming actor and son of the late Irrfan Khan, roared back onto Instagram late Sunday after a brief hiatus, firing back at netizens for twisting his viral video where he branded Bollywood “fake.” The clip, which sparked a firestorm across social media, had Khan in an emotional tirade, calling out the Hindi film industry’s glossy veneer and name-dropping peers like Ananya Panday and Siddhant Chaturvedi. The backlash was swift, pushing the 27-year-old to yank his account offline—only to return with a sharp rebuke for those who, he says, got it all wrong.
The original video, which first surfaced on Reddit on May 3, captured Khan in a raw moment, his voice cracking as he vented about Bollywood’s “rude” and “artificial” culture. Fans and critics alike pounced, some praising his candor, others slamming him for shading fellow actors. By Saturday night, his Instagram was gone, fueling speculation he’d buckled under the heat. But Khan wasn’t down for long. On May 4, he reactivated his account and dropped a new post, insisting the video—now deleted—wasn’t a diss but a plea for support among artists. “This video was extremely misinterpreted,” he wrote, his words laced with frustration. “I was trying to lift up my friends, not tear anyone down.”
The dust-up began when the Reddit clip spread like wildfire, racking up thousands of views before spilling onto other platforms. In it, Khan appeared visibly upset, railing against what he called a “fake” industry that churns out polished facades while ignoring real talent. His mentions of Panday and Chaturvedi, both rising stars, lit the fuse for debates about nepotism and authenticity in Bollywood. Some fans hailed him as a truth-teller; others accused him of hypocrisy, given his own industry lineage. The frenzy peaked when Khan’s Instagram vanished, with reports swirling that he’d retreated to dodge the blowback.
His comeback post didn’t mince words. Khan doubled down, calling out “clickbait” headlines and urging fans to see his intent: a call for unity, not division. He clarified that his comments about Panday and Chaturvedi were meant as examples of artists navigating the same cutthroat system, not as personal jabs. “I’m here to create, not to hate,” he wrote, signing off with a nod to his late father’s legacy of honest storytelling. The post, liked by thousands within hours, marked his defiant return to the platform.
Khan’s rollercoaster weekend underscores the high-stakes scrutiny young actors face in Bollywood’s digital age. The son of one of India’s most revered stars, he’s carved a niche with roles in films like Qala and The Railway Men, but his outspokenness has kept him in the headlines. This isn’t his first brush with controversy—last year, he sparked debate with comments on nepotism—but it’s his boldest clash yet with the online mob.
As of Monday morning, Khan’s Instagram remains active, with no further posts addressing the saga. The original video, wiped from his account, lives on in screenshots and fan reposts across the web. Panday and Chaturvedi have stayed mum, leaving the spotlight squarely on Khan. Whether his clarification cools the storm or stokes it further, one thing’s clear: Babil Khan isn’t backing down.