Babushaan in Trouble for Skipping MBC TV Show

MBC TV, a local television channel has threatened to sue actor Babushaan for a breach of contract.

The 25-year-old actor allegedly ratted out on his promise to perform at the television channel’s anniversary celebrations in Cuttack even after taking half of the contract amount of Rs 80,000 as advance.

“We heard that Babushaan had a serious asthma attack last morning and had to be hospitalised. But, neither he nor his family members have informed us anything about his health condition so far. It was a deliberate act to sabotage our show and we will sue him,” said general manager of the private television channel Biswajit Sahoo.

Sahoo alleged that Babushaan had signed the contract on May 1 for a 10-minute show, but since then he had been giving various excuses to skip the show and had also left for an outstation film shoot.

He said the actor had expressed his inability to perform only two days before the event, which also featured Bollywood actor Govinda, actress Shweta Tiwari and many others from Odisha’s tinsel town.

“When I asked him for reasons, he said he might fall sick on that day. Later, he confessed that director Ashok Pati had been pressurising him to miss the event and join the crew of Idiots, which is being shot in Vizag,” Sahoo said, adding that he had warned the actor of legal action if he violated the contract.

An official of the television channel said Babushaan had “faked” the asthma attack to skip the event. “If it was so serious, how was he discharged from the hospital in just two hours and is shooting in Vizag today? We even called up his father (veteran actor Uttam Mohanty) yesterday to enquire about his health but Uttam babu said he was not aware of anything,” said a channel official.

However, actress Riya, who is being cast opposite Babushaan in Idiots, attended the event as promised and left for Vizag this morning. “If she could, why couldn’t he? He did not even turn up for the stage rehearsals the previous day. His phone is switched off today. The hospitalisation episode was an out-and-out drama,” said an official.

Sources in the industry said such incidents, though not entirely unexpected, had never taken place before.

Admitting that this could bring a bad name to the industry, they said actors should think twice before making commitments. Others, however, put it down to star tantrums.

Babushaan found himself in the thick of a controversy last year for his alleged involvement in a brawl outside a posh hotel in the capital.

Nayapalli police had registered a case against him following a complaint by a teenager, Ankit Das, who alleged that he was beaten up by the actor and his three friends, who had also stolen his expensive cellphone. He was later let off on bail after both parties reached a compromise. The actor, however, had denied allegations of stealing and said he was provoked to slap the boy when he passed vulgar remarks about him. (Source – The Telegraph, Authors – SHILPI SAMPAD AND NAMITA PANDA)