“I am in love with your wife (Maya)!” — a line from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna becomes the metaphorical cue for Aryan Khan’s wild, witty directorial debut The Ba**ds of Bollywood, where humour, chaos, and cinematic rebellion intertwine, writes Yashika Begwani.
Aryan Khan’s The Ba**ds of Bollywood marks a bold and audacious debut that shatters stereotypes about star kids and filmmaking legacies. With sharp wit, satirical storytelling, and a fearless mockery of the film industry’s glitz, Aryan steps out from his father Shah Rukh Khan’s towering shadow to carve his own voice. The Netflix series — bursting with pop culture references, insider humour, and cinematic callbacks — offers a meta take on fame, nepotism, and Bollywood dreams. Though imperfect, it’s a confident and entertaining beginning for a young filmmaker unafraid to laugh at the system he was born into.

The Ba****ds of Bollywood: Aryan Khan’s Wild, Witty Directorial Debut
“I am in love with your wife (Maya)!” Dev proclaims during a family dinner. Sitting on that table are – Dev’s mom and wife; Maya’s husband- Rishi; and her father-in-law, Mr Talwar.

Dev and Mr Talwar are sitting on classic corners on each end of the table looking each other, right in the eye! The members are stunned.
But Dev says – “I was joking…kya hua Mr Talwar – no sense of humour?”
Everyone laughs it off. Except Mr Talwar.
He drinks his wine and so does Dev on the other end – and then both continue the classic stare at each other.
“Good joke,” he says. Yet never stops staring at Dev – cause deep down Mr Talwar knows that the deal is done! Perhaps Dev knows that he knows too. This ain’t no joke. It’s for real.

Behind the Camera, Away from the Shadow
Much of this scene from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is what I’d use to describe the classic entry of Aryan Khan as director with The Ba**ds of Bollywood.

He has a voice. A strong one. An entertaining one.
He’s probably inherited his father’s humour – and so his jokes as much as they make for some good laughs at the surface level. Many of them are personal comebacks. Some are making a mockery of the glitz and glam and the Bads or the Ba****ds of Bollywood. Many are too cheeky and unnecessary like the MeToo joke. Nah! Not funny. But the fact that so many of the jokes, the scenes – are for real film fanatics – ain’t no jokes. The deal is done.

Aryan knows his comebacks for the world. He also knows his medium – filmmaking.
A smart move of stepping behind the camera. It shields him (at least partly) from the unfair, eternal comparison of ‘but can he match his father’s stardom?’ The truth is: he doesn’t have to. And in doing so, he carves a space where criticism is less harsh, and creativity can breathe freer.

Bollywood Masala on Steroids
And therefore, when it comes to telling his stories – with humour, masala, sarcasm, and that absolutely whacky sense of storytelling – you’re like – yes, we can give it to him. And part of me thinks, why shouldn’t we expect any lesser? He’s been on sets from directors ranging from Farah Khan to Karan Johar to Rakesh Roshan to Yash Chopra accompanying his father.
And so, it’s no surprise that many of us experiencing the Ba**ds of Bollywood will feel like we’re experiencing a Farah Khan film – like Om Shanti Om meets Zoya Akhtar’s Luck by Chance; exaggerated to the power x with just crazy dopamine energy. In other words, The Bads of Bollywood is classic Bollywood masala entertainment on steroids (cause say no to drugs).

The Netflix Series spread across seven episodes tells the story of a simple Delhi boy (Aasmaan played by Lakshya) with no film connections but having the dream of making it in Bollywood and becoming the next superstar with a blockbuster he just delivered. We all know who that really is! On his quest to stardom and the most coveted awards in the industry he will face the real deal of what goes inside the glamour that the world witnesses. Nepotism, love, ego clashes, friendships, the ‘movie mafias’, jealousy, betrayal, and the easy make and break relationships. We must face it. The Bads of Bollywood isn’t a great film. It’s not a deep film either. But it’s thoroughly entertaining. More so, if you’re someone who has closely followed Hindi Cinema through the last few decades and any news surrounding it.

Pop Culture Easter Eggs Galore
There’s a ‘kisi cheez ko shiddat se chaho…’ from Om Shanti Om, awards speech. A classic rendition of ‘nahi bauji sahi keh rahe hai…Simran’ and the obvious ‘palat’ from DDLJ. There’s a Rahul meeting Anjali (eerily in exactly the same kind of clothes) again after years on a bench scene from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. There’s also an all about loving your parents kinds hug from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.
And perhaps, one of the best and long-due acknowledgements for the iconic Emraan Hashmi who turns intimacy coach – haha. There are also classic pop culture and paparazzi references from the Ananya Panday / Siddhant Chaturvedi nepotism debate; the Ibrahim and Sara Ali Khan pap stories, the Orry phenomenon and much else. Obviously making for an entertainment ride.

What stands out though is how Aryan brings his own touch and his own flavour to this whole thing.
I remember watching Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood with immense patience and towards the end of it feeling – what the hell just happened – of course it’s that classic Tarantino styled climax. There were moments, especially that climax, when I found myself echoing my Once Upon a Time in Hollywood reaction: ‘Wait…what the hell just happened?’ But that’s not a flaw, it’s a flex. To leave an audience both dazed and intrigued in your first outing at twenty-seven — that’s confidence.

I must not end this piece without mentioning my all-time favourite Manoj Pahwa – what are you? Who are you? Why are you so good? Always. And Bobby Deol – wow – we’re still living in the Soldier and Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela era – if anything, the fandom for Lord Bobby has only grown. Only that we miss his quintessential nods and dance moves.

The Final Glance Across the Table
So yes, the jokes may be surface-level. But deep down, from across that cinematic dinner table, Aryan Khan (just like Dev Saran, played by his father) has raised his glass. He’s here — with wit, charm, and unapologetically whacky storytelling — and if this debut is anything to go by, he’s going to keep us entertained for decades (I hope).
Warmly, (staring at the movie screens)
Yashika