The Ba***ds of Bollywood first impression: Aryan Khan drives nepotism, stardom, and satire in the opening episode

The Ba***ds of Bollywood is finally out on Netflix and we have already watched the first episode. Aryan Khan's directorial debut begins with a cinematic flair, and the film's production value is top-notch, reminiscent of an action star's dynamic performance. From the very first frame, it's evident that a significant amount of effort has been put into portraying everything as extravagant, giving the impression of a big-screen moment.

Story setup

In no time, we will see that Lakshya, who plays Aasmaan Singh, becomes an overnight star and sets the big screen on fire with his debut film, Revolver. Until the opening credits, the show abruptly starts with an actor who has already released his first film, rather than depicting his struggles to get a movie. Here we see an already established newcomer whose initial days go smoothly.

What I liked in the first episode, which is nearly an hour long, is that everything goes so quickly that you get a fair idea where the series might be heading. It appears that Aryan has structured the script around himself, carefully assembling it step by step to effectively translate it onto the screen.

ALSO READ: The Ba***ds of Bollywood out on OTT! Here's where you can stream Aryan Khan's directorial debut

Satire and real-life references

Aryan takes on real-life incidents so easily and his satirical tone shows he wants to self-deprecate himself as well as the film industry. In one instance, we see an anti-drug squad arriving at a party where the officer replicating the real-life incident screams about saying no to drugs and about his love for the country. He ultimately arrests an actor who is intoxicated and publicly leaves a DJ who has been smoking a joint.

You know where The Ba***ds of Bollywood excels? To be honest, after a long time there's something so light-hearted where you might just laugh off at the idiocy, just like how you read certain gossips about Bollywood.

Themes of stardom and fans

The series explores the relationship between a star and a fan, often highlighting the misbehaviour of the latter and the need for stars to reveal their true selves. Here too, there comes a moment where we actually see that commoners are not always bad and are even misunderstood. And interestingly, this sequence features Ranveer Singh, who makes the scene a better moment than expected.

The first episode ends in the most expected way, where one cannot run away from the infamous N-word – nepotism – and Aryan doesn't shy away from including that by bringing a balance to both the star kids and outsiders.

This contrasts with the portrayal of nepotism in Vineeth Sreenivasan's Varshangalkku Shesham, where Nivin Pauly confronts nepotism head-on. In this context, Aryan attempts to demonstrate that individuals with privileges or those born with a silver spoon face equal, if not greater, challenges in surviving in the film industry.

Performances

Talking about performances, Lakshya does leave an impressive mark with his heroic entry and doing the stunts. He also tries to bring stability, but we also see that the arrogance is at its peak despite being a newcomer who tasted an overnight success. On the other hand, there's Raghav Juyal as "hero ka dost" Parvaiz, who gets the punchiest line as a foul-mouthed person but doesn't see anything beyond his friendship with Aasmaan.

The most dashing entry is given to Bobby Deol, who, just with his walk and tough exterior, shows that he is a baddie but also a soft-hearted person when it comes to his family. Everyone does get a good start and one celebrity is prominent, probably throughout the show, who is Karan Johar. The filmmaker embraces all criticism, wearing it like a T-shirt and openly expressing the same sentiments to everyone.

The title track, sung by Vishal Dadlani, has a great punch and you might not want to skip the intro because of the animation it shows to give a glimpse into Aasmaan's journey.

Here we have Aryan Khan, who has dared to show what the world of Bollywood is in reality but fictionalised it in the most entertaining way. It's what we can call Luck by Chance in high spirits.

The Ba***ds of Bollywood features seven episodes; let's wait and watch how the impressive first episode unfolds further.

FAQs:

Q: What is Aryan Khan’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood about?

A: The series is a satirical take on the Hindi film industry, exploring themes of stardom, nepotism, ambition, and real-life Bollywood incidents.

Q: Where can I watch The Ba***ds of Bollywood?

A: The Ba***ds of Bollywood is streaming on Netflix.

Q: Who plays the lead role in The Ba***ds of Bollywood?

A: Lakshya plays aspiring actor Aasmaan Singh, who becomes an overnight star with his debut film in the story.