MUMBAI — Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh has issued an apology to Anjali Raghav after a recent incident on stage led the actress to announce her departure from the Bhojpuri film industry. The controversy erupted following a promotional event in Lucknow for their new song, “Saiya Seva Kare,” during which a video showed Singh repeatedly touching Raghav’s waist.
According to a video statement shared by Anjali on Instagram, she felt “very disturbed” by the incident. She explained that Singh had claimed something was stuck on her waist, and she, initially thinking it might be a tag on her new sari, smiled and did not react publicly. However, she later found out from a team member that nothing was there, which left her feeling “very bad,” angry, and tearful.
In her emotional video, Anjali Raghav stated, “I absolutely do not support touching any girl without her permission. To begin with, it is very wrong. And to touch someone in this manner is extremely wrong.” She went on to say that if the incident had occurred in her home state of Haryana, the public would have responded differently. In light of the event and the broader issues she has faced, she declared, “I will no longer work in the Bhojpuri industry.”
In response to the backlash, Pawan Singh took to his Instagram Stories to issue a brief apology. “Anjali ji, due to my busy schedule, I couldn’t watch your live. When I came to know about the matter, I felt very bad,” he wrote in Hindi. He continued, “I had no wrong intention towards you as we are artists. Even then, if you were hurt by my behaviour, then I apologize.”
The incident has also brought renewed attention to Pawan Singh’s personal life. Amid the public scrutiny, his second wife, Jyoti Singh, posted an emotional note on Instagram, accusing him of neglecting her for months and threatening “self-immolation.” In her post, Jyoti wrote that Singh’s behavior had left her with “no other choice” and questioned why he had given her “false hope” during the Lok Sabha elections.
Pawan Singh is a well-known actor in the Bhojpuri film industry, with a career spanning several popular films such as Pratigya (2008), Satya (2017), and Sher Singh (2019). He is also known for his singing, including the popular song “Lollypop Lagelu” and a track from the film Stree 2. The public apology and the ongoing turmoil with his wife have placed the actor at the center of a new and intense controversy.