When you are Shah Rukh Khan’s son, the world expects your first step into Bollywood to be monumental. Aryan Khan’s debut series The Ba***ds of Bollywood has arrived carrying that burden of expectation, amplified by months of speculation and the weight of his famous surname. What we get is a seven-episode series that is at once cheeky, self-aware, indulgent, and thoroughly Bollywood, in both its strengths and its flaws.
The premise is familiar (and surely remind you of SRK’s 2007 film Om Shanti Om), yet refreshing: a young actor Aasmaan (played by Lakshya) navigates the murky world of stardom. Scandals, backstabbing, gossip, PR spin, broken friendships, and Aryan Khan doesn’t just acknowledge them, he leans into them as plot points. The series unfolds like Bollywood holding up a mirror to itself, and instead of wincing, laughing at its reflection.
There’s no attempt to beautify or gloss over. In fact, Aryan goes one step further, referencing his own past controversies, including sly nods to the 2021 drug case that once dominated headlines through a character brazenly demanding ‘mujhe drugs do,’ rounded off with a tongue-in-cheek twist on the classic public-service slogan: ‘Say no to drugs.’ For a 27-year-old making his directorial debut, that kind of self-awareness is not only gutsy but oddly liberating. He makes it clear: nothing is sacred, everything is up for satire.
AT A GLANCE
Series: The Ba***ds of Bollywood
Director: Aryan Khan
Cast: Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, and Sahher Bambba
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The real hook of The Ba***ds of Bollywood* lies in its tone. Aryan resists the temptation to make a serious exposé and instead opts for a rollicking satire into a masala Hindi drama. The cameos alone ensure this. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Emraan Hashmi, Sara Ali Khan, Disha Patni, Tamannah Bhatia, the roll call reads like an awards show red carpet. Each appearance is designed not to bask in stardom but to poke fun at the very machinery that sustains it.
For diaspora audiences, especially, this meta treatment is both a delight and a cultural commentary. Bollywood is not just cinema; it is nostalgia, identity, and a way of staying tethered to “home.” Watching the industry laugh at itself allows viewers abroad to join in the joke, recognising both the absurdity and affection that Bollywood inspires.
At the centre is Lakshya’s Aasmaan, a star in the making whose journey is predictable yet engaging. His romance with Karishma (Sahher Bambba) feels more perfunctory than passionate, but his friendships and rivalries are where the show truly shines.
Raghav Juyal is a revelation as Aasmaan’s confidant. Cheeky, magnetic, and consistently scene-stealing. There are scenes of Raghav with Emraan Hashmi that are hilarious at the same time touch upon the sentiments of masses who love Hashmi’s work. Manish Chaudhari’s Freddy Sodawallah is a deliciously campy delight, while Bobby Deol, fresh off Animal, lends gravitas. Together, the ensemble grounds the otherwise over-the-top narrative with performances that feel layered.
If you’ve ever devoured filmy gossip columns or debated box office wars, this series is a treasure hunt. Insider references abound – PR machinations, casting couch whispers, deliberate nods to infamous scandals. It is Bollywood by insiders, for those who revel in its messiness. Glossy visuals, stylish editing, and an avalanche of Easter eggs (star cameos) keep you hooked, even when the plot takes predictable turns.
But for all its flair, the show is not without missteps. The romantic track never quite lands, feeling like a compulsory add-on rather than a natural part of the narrative. Moments of melodrama in later episodes clash with the satire, creating tonal whiplash. A gangster subplot involving Gafoor Bhai feels more filler than necessity, slowing down the otherwise zippy storytelling.
The “big twist” towards the finale arrives exactly as expected and you see it coming long before the reveal. And while the soundtrack boasts one hummable track ‘Badli Si Hawa Hai’, the rest struggle to leave an impression.
Yet, despite these flaws, The Ba***ds of Bollywood remains ‘Paisa Vasool’. Aryan Khan’s greatest triumph here is not perfection but confidence. He embraces the chaos, trusts the audience to be in on the joke, and refuses to shy away from controversy.
For a first-time director and writer, that confidence is half the battle won. Aryan has not given us a masterpiece, but in a landscape where most mainstream storytelling still hesitates to bite the hand that feeds it, that in itself feels like a small revolution.
Aryan Khan may have grown up in the shadows of superstardom, but with this series, he steps into his own spotlight. And if this is any indication of his instincts as a storyteller, the industry might just have found its next voice, cheeky, unafraid, and unabashedly filmy.
Is The Ba***ds of Bollywood the definitive Bollywood satire? No. Is it a flashy, fun, knowingly filmi debut worth your weekend binge? Absolutely.
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