Akshay Kumar and Rajesh Sharma have shared screen space in a number of films, including Neeraj Pandey’s 2013 hit heist thriller Special 26, Shree Narayan Singh’s 2017 romantic comedy Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Raghava Lawrence’s 2020 horror comedy Laxmii, Tinu Suresh Desai’s 2023 disaster thriller Mission Raniganj, and most recently, Priyadarshan’s horror comedy Bhooth Bangla earlier this year. So, it was quite natural for Akshay to feel “very concerned” about Rajesh’s slow recovery after he was hospitalised following a poisonous insect bite on the set of Hanu Raghavapudi’s period war drama Fauzi, headlined by Prabhas.Rajesh Sharma, who was hospitalised on Wednesday morning, is still not “out of danger”.Akshay Kumar on Rajesh Sharma’s slow recovery“Very concerned to hear about my dear friend Rajesh’s health condition after an insect bite while shooting. Hope Mahadev blesses him with fast and complete recovery. Jaldi theek ho ja yaar, abhi saath baith ke bhot hansna hai (Get well soon, friend! We’re yet to sit and laugh together a lot more),” Akshay Kumar wrote on his X handle on Thursday, along with a picture of him and Rajesh Sharma laughing out loud during a film shoot.Very concerned to hear about my dear friend Rajesh’s health condition after an insect bite while shooting. Hope Mahadev blesses him with fast and complete recovery. Jaldi theek ho ja yaar, abhi saath baith ke bhot hansna hai. pic.twitter.com/n8yH6IYxKH— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) July 9, 2026Film body demands enquiryFilm body All India Western Cine Workers Association (AICWA) issued a statement on Thursday, signed by its president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta. “The circumstances that led to such a serious medical emergency remain unclear and demand an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation,” it stated.It claimed that the incident “raises several critical questions” — Why was Rajesh Sharma not immediately admitted to “one of Hyderabad’s leading hospitals by the producer and production house” if his condition worsened so quickly? Secondly, “was adequate emergency medical assistance available on the set?” Thirdly, “were all mandatory health and workplace safety protocols being followed?”“The film industry has a legal and moral responsibility to provide a safe, hygienic and medically prepared working environment for every artist, technician and worker. Unfortunately, AICWA has repeatedly raised concerns regarding poor hygiene, inadequate sanitation, unsafe working conditions and the lack of proper emergency medical facilities at several shooting locations across the country,” it added.The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) urges the Honourable Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri Revanth Reddy, to order an immediate high-level investigation into the incident at the Fauji shooting set at Ramoji Film City. The investigation should determine the exact cause… pic.twitter.com/5itVMKpz3c— All Indian Cine Workers Association (@aicwaofficial) July 9, 2026“Thousands of workers spend long hours on film sets every day, and any negligence can have serious consequences,” read the statement. As recent as last month, a carpenter got electrocuted on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming period film Love & War in Mumbai. Rajesh Kumar’s hospitalisation has raised more concerns about the working conditions and safety standards on Indian film sets,“If any lapse or negligence is found during the investigation, strict legal action must be taken against all those responsible. No individual or production house, irrespective of the scale or budget of the film, should be exempt from accountability. AICWA further demands that the producer and production house bear the complete cost of Mr. Rajesh Sharma’s medical treatment and ensure that he receives the best possible medical care until his full recovery,” said the film body’s statement.What happened to Rajesh Sharma?According to a statement issued by actor Sudipa Chatterjee on behalf of Rajesh Sharma’s family, the actor was interacting with local technicians in a densely vegetated area in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad after the shoot of Fauzi when he felt what appeared to be an insect bite. As the discomfort initially seemed minor, Rajesh did not seek immediate medical attention.Story continues below this adBut about six hours later, he developed severe pain in his right leg and his condition began to worsen, the statement said. Despite the symptoms, Rajesh boarded a flight to Kolkata, during which he developed a high fever. He was admitted to Manipal Hospital in Dhakuria the following day, and remains under close medical supervision.The family said the actor is suffering from high fever, breathlessness, and a rapidly spreading infection in his right leg. The infection has reportedly spread from his toes to his knee, with large blisters forming over the affected area. “At this stage, it is too early to make any definite assessment. Mr Sharma remains under close observation, and is not yet out of danger,” a senior doctor treating the actor told PTI. The doctor said Rajesh’s condition is being monitored round the clock as there is a possibility of complications, including the formation of a blood clot that could become life-threatening if it travels to the lungs.Also Read — Rajesh Sharma hospitalised after suspected insect bite on Prabhas’ set: ‘Not out of danger’Rajesh Sharma, who made his debut with Gulzar’s 1996 seminal period political thriller Maachis, has appeared in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, like Dibakar Banerjee’s Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Abhishek Chaubey Ishqiya (2010), Raj Kumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica (2011), and Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), among others.