‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ review: Aryan Khan’s show is fun, but Raghav Juyal makes it unmissable

It’s Aryan Khan’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood show, and all of Bollywood is in it. Stepping out of his grand Mannat (professionally), Aryan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, and one of the ambassadors of the word nepotism (if we say so), whose entire life has been spent in the spotlight, in both good and bad ways, has commendably put out a side of the world that the majority of the population is truly unaware of. While we don’t claim that this series is the most accurate or truthful representation of the showbiz world, whatever Aryan has depicted is equally enjoyable, funny, and frustrating at times.

Just like the name suggests, the show portrays the behind-the-scenes sides of Bollywood, revealing the foul-mouthed side, their debt issues, insecurities, and common man concerns, all on a grand scale. The seven-part series is a parody of the world that most of the population is obsessed with. However, while Aryan’s sarcastic commentary on his very own world is entertaining, he has also managed to gain pan-India attention. How? With SS Rajamouli’s cameo. Power of being a star kid, we must say.

The series revolves around a young actor, Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya), a newcomer, an outsider, who finds success after his debut film “Revolver” becomes a superhit, making him one of the most talked-about stars in the industry. Lakshya is not alone; he has his small team - best friend Parvaiz (Raghav Juyal), his loyal manager Sanya (Anya Singh), and his uncle Avtar (Manoj Pahwa), who is still struggling.

Aasmaan is new to the world of glitz and is unaware of the nits and cracks of an industry that runs on contracts. Soon after his first project, he signed a huge three-film contract with producer Freddy Sodawallah (Manish Chaudhari). Shortly after, he gets another big offer from Karan Johar, who is playing himself, and casts him opposite fresh face Karishma (Sahher Bambba), the daughter of superstar Ajay Talvar (Bobby Deol). While Lakshya seems to be getting everything right, he soon finds himself stuck between two contracts. He has been an unknowing target. Why? Because Ajay apparently doesn’t want his daughter to be launched with another fresh face. However, the real reason has been revealed in the last episode of the show. He soon gets stuck between the top game players of the industry. Unaware of what’s really happening, how he and his team struggle with a contract war that leads him to his love story with Karishma, a high-speed car sequence and a very dramatic ending, make this a no-brainer show.

Aryan Khan, Bilal Siddiqi, and Manav Chauhan present the world of drama that is purely fun and effortless, and packed with juvenile and cheeky punches, silly antics, witty dialogues, and plenty of real-life references that keep you hooked throughout. Add to the parade of cameos, which might feel unnecessary, then again, what’s showbiz without the stars in it, including the Three Khans, right?

One of the standout moments is KJo hilariously calling himself the “movie mafia.” Another gem is a ’90s-style producer, saying “No to drugs” (iykyk). And, of course, the most buzzworthy sequence is the police raid on a Bollywood party. The actor chosen for the role is clearly a sly dig at the very officer who arrested Aryan back in 2021 in the drug case.

In this show, Aryan has done a superb job when it comes to how smartly he presented the greyer shades of the industry through biting sarcasm on stardom, politics, media, and the eternal struggles of showbiz. The series comes through someone who has lived and breathed this world. That said, the accurate screenplay and the barrage of cameos do tend to overshadow the script, which stumbles at several points. (Agencies)

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