Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Ajay Devgn reveals eating-with-hands 'phobia' after Kajol challenge
A famous actor named Ajay Devgn once said he is scared of eating food with his hands.
He explained that he always uses a fork and knife because he worries his hands will smell like food all day.
His wife, Kajol, challenged him on a TV show with the British adventurer Bear Grylls.
She dared him to eat 'the smelliest, the grossest, slimiest thing' anyone could think of.
On the show, Devgn actually ate a raw fish.
Doctors said that not liking to eat with your hands is usually not a mental illness.
It can just be a personal choice, a worry about keeping clean, or a dislike of how food feels.
They said it becomes a problem only if the fear makes a person avoid eating or social events.
Doctors advise getting over such a fear slowly, and talking to a health expert if it causes serious anxiety.
Ajay Devgn admitted he has a 'phobia' of eating with his hands and said he always eats with a fork and knife.
Kajol challenged Devgn on Bear Grylls' show in 2021 to eat 'the smelliest, the grossest, slimiest thing.'
Devgn was later seen eating a raw fish on the show, telling Kajol, 'I'm eating!'
Dr Sundar Krishnan of KIMS Hospitals Thane said such discomfort is often a personal preference, hygiene concern, or sensory aversion, not a clinical phobia.
Experts advised gradual exposure to build comfort and seeking professional help if the fear causes serious anxiety or disrupts daily life.
- Who
- Actor Ajay Devgn, his wife Kajol, show host Bear Grylls, and physicians Dr Sundar Krishnan (KIMS Hospitals Thane) and Dr Manjusha Agarwal (Gleneagles Hospital Mumbai).
- What
- Ajay Devgn confessed to a 'phobia' of eating with his hands, and doctors discussed when such discomfort becomes a clinical concern.
- When
- The confession was made on Bear Grylls' show in 2021.
- Where
- The show segment was shared via discovery+ India; expert comments came from KIMS Hospitals Thane and Gleneagles Hospital Mumbai in India.
- Why
- Kajol challenged Devgn to eat a smelly, gross, slimy item, prompting his confession and a medical discussion of eating-with-hands fears.
Personal Preference
Clinical Phobia
Nature of the behavior
Personal Preference
Discomfort eating with hands is usually a personal preference, hygiene concern, or sensory aversion - not a disorder.
Clinical Phobia
An intense, persistent fear of eating with hands that causes active avoidance can be a genuine clinical phobia.
When to seek help
Personal Preference
If the habit does not affect diet, social life, or daily functioning, it is not a problem and no treatment is needed.
Clinical Phobia
If the fear becomes persistent, causes serious anxiety, or limits normal activities, consulting a healthcare professional is advised.
- Actor
- Ajay Devgn
- Show
- Bear Grylls' show (2021)
- Challenger
- Kajol
- Challenge
- Eating 'the smelliest, the grossest, slimiest thing'
- What he ate
- Raw fish
- Reason cited
- Fear that his hands would smell of food all day
- Experts quoted
- Dr Sundar Krishnan (KIMS Hospitals Thane); Dr Manjusha Agarwal (Gleneagles Hospital Mumbai)
- Medical verdict
- Discomfort eating with hands is not necessarily a clinical phobia