'Baby' remake: Babil's departure delays Yashvardhan Ahuja's Bollywood debut
What's the story
The Bollywood debut of Yashvardhan Ahuja, son of actor Govinda, now hangs in the balance after Babil Khan's sudden exit from the Hindi remake of the Telugu drama Baby.
The 28-year-old was to share screen space with Khan, son of the late actor Irrfan Khan.
However, Khan's recent departure from the project has led to an indefinite delay, casting doubt over Ahuja's debut, per Peeping Moon.
Production challenges
'Baby' remake production has been put on hold
Producers are now on the lookout for someone to step in for Khan. While the film itself is on, the production has been pushed indefinitely.
"The makers spent nearly six months finalizing the female lead, a debutante, and now face the daunting task of recasting the male lead. It's going to take a lot of time," a source told the portal.
"As of now, the production is on hold, with no confirmed timeline for resuming," the source added.
Production halt
Tensions led to Khan's exit from 'Baby' remake
The Hindi remake of Baby was slated to start filming on May 5 under the direction of Sai Rajesh, who also helmed the original Telugu version.
However, the shoot was abruptly called off after Khan's recent emotional outburst on Instagram Stories, where he called Bollywood the "fakest."
The public display of distress triggered a backlash from the director, leading to a heated online exchange between Rajesh and Khan.
Departure
Khan bid adieu to the film earlier this month
Soon after, Khan decided to step away from the project.
He wrote on Instagram, "Since I will be taking some time off currently, I wish the best to Sai Rajesh sir and the film team on their future journey."
"We will meet soon in the future and create magic together."
Rajesh responded by saying, "I respect his decision of self-care first, and wish him all the best and send him all the love in the future!"