Ba***ds of Bollywood
- Directed by Aryan Khan
- Written by Aryan Khan, Bilal Siddiqi, Manav Chauhan
- Starring: Bobby Deol, Lakshya Lalwani, Raghav Juyal, Sahher Bambba, Anya Singh
- Rating: 3***/5
There
was a lot of curiosity surrounding the 7-episode series on Netflix—"Baads
of Bollywood”—due to it being the directorial debut of Aryan Khan, the son of
Shah Rukh Khan. Surprisingly, his satirical take on Bollywood, which follows
the journey of an outsider trying to break into the film industry, makes the
series an interesting watch.
Although
the first couple of episodes struggled to establish a clear tone and direction,
the series picks up pace and ultimately delivers a true Bollywood masala
experience in the final episode.
The
show cynically explores the underbelly of the film industry, addressing issues
such as hypocrisy, nepotism, the movie mafia, biased media, deceitfulness, and
manipulative behaviors of Bollywood bigwigs, drugs, lecherous producers, underworld
connections, intrusive paparazzi, celebrity privileges, and entitled attitudes.
It also touches on perceptions of stardom and success, fleeting fame, glitz and
glamour, and various other Bollywood shenanigans and blah.
Lakshya delivers an excellent performance as the lead character, Asmaan. Bobby Deol shines as a successful Bollywood actor, marking his significant return to the industry. Raghav Juyal, who plays the hero’s best friend, provides comic relief, especially with the hilarious Emraan Hashmi gag. The inclusion of Emraan Hashmi as the intimacy coach adds another layer of comedy. Anya Singh, as the actor's manager, and the nepo heroine Sahher Bambba show a promising start, too.
The
series alternates genres from drama to comedy to satire, which is fine. However, there are some inconsistencies in the humor. Some Bollywood references are funny, and
some puns hit the mark, while others, like the overused “Where is the pen?” feel like
an inside joke lacking context. A couple of other flaws include the excessive
appearance of the character Jaraj Saxena every 20 minutes, as well as the
presence of the annoying film critic even during the shooting of a film!
The
series is likely to feature a next season with different satirical takes on
Bollywood. Hints towards the #MeToo movement, casting couch, were already
sprinkled, creating anticipation for the next season of Baads! Aryan Khan
appears to be honing his passion and talent, finding his own path to success in
Bollywood, just like his father, Shah Rukh Khan.
