Shah Rukh Khan’s elder son Aryan Khan sits on the creator and director’s chair to make his foray into the showbiz. His debut directorial series titled The Ba***ds of Bollywood is out on Netflix. When one’s father is arguably the biggest superstar of the country, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Aryan’s show is about all things Bollywood – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Does he manage to leave a mark in his first outing? Read The Movie Mail‘s review to find out…
Story:
Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya) is a Delhi-boy who wants to make it big at the movies. As fate would have it, his first film titled Revolver becomes a huge hit, propelling him to stardom overnight. Everyone soon wants to have a piece of this blue-eyed boy. Freddy Sodawallah (Manish Chaudhri) – a ruthless, power-hungry producer coerces Aasmaan to sign a three-film deal with his production house, while Karan Johar wants to sign him as the lead opposite Bollywood royalty Ajay Talvar’s (Bobby Deol) daughter Karishma Talvar (Sahher Bambba) in her debut film. For some reason Ajay doesn’t approve of him and his growing proximity with Karishma. There’s also Parvaiz (Raghav Juyal), and Sanya (Anya Singh), Aasmaan’s childhood bestie, and manager respectively, who try to help him navigate the big bad world of Bollywood that entails everything from the movie mafia to the underworld, exploitative contracts to secret deals, scandalous affairs to bruised egos, paid critics to cutthroat politics, and so much more. Will he be able to make it despite all the odds? That’s what the series is about.
Review:
For his debut, creator and director Aryan Khan chooses to tell a story about the stories from the industry he’s grown up in. But make no mistakes. The Ba***ds of Bollywood is no Om Shanti Om (2007) or Luck By Chance (2009). It falls somewhere in between, blurring the lines between fact and fiction, adapting a tonality that doesn’t take itself too seriously and allows the viewers to be in on the joke(s). So, topics like the lack of security for stunt doubles are brought up, but not delved deep into, because the pending shoot of a film must be wrapped on the designated day by hook or crook, a top filmmaker casually admits to calling the paps to click the stars of his upcoming film, and when an A-lister opts out of a film, the PR must make it seem like he was dropped by the filmmaker and not the other way around.
The series starts off pretty well and keeps you engaged for the most part, especially up until the fourth episode. Even when the pace begins to slacken a bit, it is made up by a plethora of cameos and special appearances that keep you thoroughly entertained. What works in the show’s favour is not just the numerous cameos, but also the way they have been integrated in the script and screenplay cowritten by Aryan, Bilal Siddiqi, and Manav Chauhan. The cleverly-written jokes do land and make you smile, if not laugh out loud, most of the times. Aryan doesn’t shy away from taking a jab at his arrest by the NCB, his no-smile rule for the paps and more, while also doffing a hat to some of the most iconic scenes from Bollywood films. So there’s a reference to Rahul and Anjali’s bench scene from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), the famous ‘Palat’ scene from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), the lighting of a funeral pyre by a trio from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), and then some. It’s a treat for every Bollywood buff to watch and decipher the easter eggs in every episode, whenever there’s no special appearance by a star on the screen.
It’s evident that Aryan is as much a fan of the movies, as most of us are, and his surroundings lend him a unique perspective that becomes the lens with which we view this world. The climax in the final episode comes as a pleasant surprise that also ends up justifying the title of the series. There are clever callbacks and meta references integrated seamlessly into the screenplay that speak volumes of his skills as a writer as well. The comic gags come as a breath of fresh air and land pretty well. At no point do the inside jokes, the starry cameos, the cheeky one-liners etc. appear to be gimmicks. They are all utilised well and work brilliantly within the overall narrative of the series, making it a full-blown masala entertainer.
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Lakshya capably leads the show as its protagonist. He brings style and substance to his portrayal of Aasmaan Singh and is particularly brilliant in the action sequences. He even gets a signature move with his jacket in the action choreography of his debut film, that comes in handy in his real-life situations as well. Sahher Bambba does a decent job as the nepo-daughter Karishma Talvar, torn between the baggage of his father’s stardom and carving her own path. Bobby Deol brings panache and gravitas to his character of the reigning superstar of the industry, Ajay Talvar, who can make or break the fate of big production houses just by his decision to sign (or not) an upcoming film. Anya Singh shines as the spunky manager to Aasmaan while Mona Singh brings sensitivity to the character of Aasmaan’s mother who was a former background dancer in the industry.
It is however, Raghav Juyal as Aasmaan’s best friend Parvaiz that deserves the maximum applauds for his scene stealing performance. His character seems to have been cut from the same cloth as Bhuvan Arora’s Firoz in Amazon Prime Video’s Farzi (2023) and Raghav completely hits it out of the park with his dialogue-delivery and comic-timing in the show. Watch out for his tear-shedding singing tribute to his favourite Bollywood actor in the series. It’s pure gold! Manoj Pahwa too has done a commendable job in the role of Aasmaan’s uncle Avtaar, who’s perpetually annoyed with the industry, but at the same time doesn’t bat an eyelid when it comes to supporting his nephew in his acting dreams. Manish Chaudhari as the conniving, ruthless, and power-hungy producer Freddy Sodawallah is entertaining and over-the-top. Karan Johar, playing a slightly exaggerated version of himself, is a delight to watch, while Rajat Bedi as a has-been-actor trying to stay relevant through various means, does a fair job as well.
The series, however, is not without flaws. The romance between Aasmaan and Karishma seems too superficial to be convincing. A few plot points seem to have been introduced and completely forgotten. For example, in one of the scenes a character is revealed to be a lesbian, which is followed by some cleverly written dialogue-exchange. However, this information doesn’t serve any larger purpose in the narrative and seem to have been incorporated just to add a couple of cheeky one-liners. The CGI and VFX in the car-chase sequence during the climax seem quite amateur. The visual effects in said sequence are done by Yash Raj Films, which came as quite a shocker, especially since Red Chillies VFX is itself capable of delivering far superior results in this department. We fail to understand why the makers outsourced it to YRF and settled for mediocrity here when the production value of the rest of the show is quite exceptional. The background score is impressive, however, apart from Badli Si Hawa Hai composed by Anirudh Ravichander, Tu Pehli Tu Aakhri and Re-vol-ver composed by Shashwat Sachdev, the rest of the songs don’t quite leave a mark and may not stand the test of time.
Verdict:
The Ba***ds of Bollywood isn’t all spoof and fun like Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, neither is it as incisive and thought-provoking as Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance. However, it isn’t trying to be either. Aryan Khan’s debut directorial touches upon both the schools of filmmaking while laughing at the jokes along with the viewers. Peppered with humorous comic gags, inside jokes, clever callbacks, and easter eggs along with starry starry cameos, the series offers a joyous ride and manages to impress through its seven-episode long journey. It’s a full-blown masala entertainer that deserves a watch.
The Ba***ds of Bollywood
Watch on: Netflix
Director: Aryan Khan
Writers: Aryan Khan, Bilal Siddiqi, Manav Chauhan
Cast: Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Raghav Juyal, Bobby Deol, Manoj Pahwa, Anya Singh, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Rajat Bedi
Rating: 3.5 stars
