The Bollywood debut of Govinda’s son Yashvardhan Ahuja has suffered a significant setback even before cameras could roll. The 28-year-old aspiring actor was slated to star alongside Babil Khan, son of the late Irrfan Khan, in a Hindi remake of the 2023 Telugu romantic drama ‘Baby’. But Babil’s sudden exit from the project has led to an indefinite delay, casting uncertainty over Yashvardhan’s debut vehicle.

Directed by the National Award-winning filmmaker Sai Rajesh, who also helmed the original Telugu version, the Hindi remake was scheduled to commence filming on May 5. However, the shooting was abruptly cancelled following an emotional outburst by Babil on Instagram Stories the night before the start. His public display of distress triggered a backlash from director Rajesh, who responded critically on social media, sparking a heated online exchange between the two. Tensions quickly escalated, leading the actor to step away from the film two weeks later.

With Babil out of the project, producers are now back at the drawing board, searching for a replacement to fill his role. Although the film is said to be very much on, the production has been indefinitely postponed. “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. As of now, the production is on hold, with no confirmed timeline for resuming,” a source close to the development told us.

Produced by Madhu Mantena in association with Allu Aravind’s Geetha Arts and the original Telugu producer, Sreenivasa Kumar Naidu, the ‘Baby’ remake was supposed to feature Babil in the role of Anand Deverakonda, while Yashvardhan Ahuja was to reprise Viraj Ashwin’s character. The Hindi adaptation aimed to retain the emotional core of the original Telugu version, telling the story of two high school sweethearts whose relationship is tested by diverging life paths, temptation, and personal growth, delivering an emotional narrative about the complexities of love and self-discovery. However, with a lead actor missing and timelines uncertain, the project now faces an uphill climb.