The Ba***ds of Bollywood
The Ba***ds of Bollywood is an Indian Hindi-language satirical action comedy drama series created, co-written, and directed by Aryan Khan in his directorial debut for Netflix. Produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment, it features Bobby Deol, Lakshya Lalwani, Raghav Juyal, Sahher Bambba, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Manish Chaudhari, Rajat Bedi, Meherzan Mazda, Divik Sharma, Mona Singh, Gautami Kapoor, Vijayant Kohli, Neville Bharucha, and Armaan Khera.
The series follows Aasmaan Singh, an actor from Delhi, whose successful debut under producer Freddy Sodawallah leads to a role opposite Karishma Talvar in a film by Karan Johar. He faces challenges including Freddy’s multi-film contract, interference from Karishma’s father Ajay Talvar, a developing romance, and unforeseen complications. The series premiered on 18 September 2025 with seven episodes and received generally positive reviews, with critics highlighting Khan's direction, the story, screenplay, and performances.
Premise
Aasmaan Singh is a young actor whose debut film, produced by the domineering Freddy Sodawallah, becomes a hit, earning him a role opposite Karishma Talvar in a new project directed by Karan Johar. Freddy’s insistence on an exclusive three-film contract threatens Aasmaan’s opportunity, pushing him, his manager Sanya, and friend Parvaiz to navigate Bollywood’s competitive landscape. As Aasmaan’s bond with Karishma grows, her father, veteran actor Ajay Talvar, disapproves and attempts to sabotage Aasmaan’s career, while personal and professional challenges, including public scandals and family pressures, test their ambitions in the unpredictable world of Bollywood.Cast
Adapted from the source media:Production
The Ba***ds of Bollywood marks the directorial and writing debut of Aryan Khan, who also serves as the showrunner. Produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment, the series was co-written by Khan with Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan. Khan, a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production, drew on his industry experience to craft a satirical take on Bollywood’s inner workings. The series features a large ensemble cast, including Bobby Deol, Lakshya Lalwani, Sahher Bambba and cameos from Bollywood figures such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Karan Johar. Filming took place primarily in Mumbai, capturing the city’s film industry setting, with cinematography by Jay Pinak Oza and editing by Nitin Baid.A music video, "Ghafoor", featuring Tamannaah Bhatia, Shakti Kapoor, Gulshan Grover and Ranjeet, directed by Farah Khan, was created to promote the series but used only as a background score in the series. To engage fans, Aryan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan collaborated with Meta in mid-October 2025 to launch India's first "secret reel", a BTS video from the series. Unlike standard Reels, this video requires a password to unlock, which can be deduced from a clue in Episode 6.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack features an original score by Shashwat Sachdev and songs composed by Sachdev, Anirudh Ravichander and Ujwal Gupta. The music rights were acquired by T-Series. The album, released on 16 September 2025, includes 13 tracks. The first single, "Badli Si Hawa Hai", written by Kumaar and sung by Arijit Singh and Amira Gill, was released on 23 August 2025. "Tenu Ki Pata", featuring vocals by Diljit Dosanjh, Aryan Khan and Ujwal Gupta, was released on 11 September 2025. "Ghafoor", with vocals by Shilpa Rao and Ujwal Gupta, was released as a music video on 19 September 2025.The iconic 90s song "Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela" from the 1997 hindi film Gupt, Starring Bobby Deol features in the Last episode of the series. In the series finale, this song is used in a scene where VFX was used to superimpose Mona Singh's face over the original dancer alongside Bobby Deol.
Release
The Ba***ds of Bollywood premiered on Netflix on 18 September 2025.Reception
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Aryan Khan's debut as a director is a mixed bag -- while it entertains in parts, it deflates into seen-before ordinariness when it segues into showing us ‘the other side’ of the film industry." Simran Khan Times Now rated it 3.5/5 stars and said that "With his debut show, Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan takes viewers on a witty, thrilling, and hilarious ride into Bollywood’s chaotic world." Sana Farzeen of India Today gave it 3.5 stars out of 5 and stated that "‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ is not perfect, but it’s honest, funny, and absolutely dramatic, something that we all love, isn't it? The next time this debutant director steps out, people will be queuing up for an autograph. But Aryan, pen kidhar hai? ?"Yatamanyu Narain of News 18 rated it 3.5/5 stars and observed that "Aryan Khan’s Netflix debut is a daring satire filled with nepotism digs, celebrity cameos, and a sharp take on Bollywood hypocrisy." Abhimanyu Mathur of Hindustan Times gave 3 stars out of 5 and said that " Aryan Khan's directorial debut never takes itself seriously, which helps it be entertaining, but leaves it a little shallow." Hardika Gupta of NDTV observed that "By the time the final episode wraps, you realise this isn't meant to be dissected like high art. It's meant to be consumed like Bollywood itself: loud, colourful, problematic, indulgent, but great fun if you let it be."
Sakshi Verma of India TV gave 3 stars out 5 and commented that "The Ba**ds Of Bollywood is a classic masala entertainer that is full of surprises, fun, drama and thrills. The show is not boring at any point and tries to make a glittery remark amid all the chaos and distress. The show is bouncy and should be taken as a fun watch. Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated it 3.5/5 stars and said that "Daringly self-aware, the seven part series finds its footing in quieter moments—when it isn't busy showcasing star cameos or industry jabs. This is less of a scathing satire and more of an edgy, meta love letter to the film industry." Aashna Nadkarni of Mashable commented that "It is a complete treat for every Bollywood enthusiast!"
Sahir Avik D’souza of The Quint rated it 3.5/5 stars and writes in his review that "If Luck By Chance and Om Shanti Om had a foul-mouthed lovechild—that child would be Aryan Khan’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood." Bollywood Hungama gave it 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "THE BA***DS OF BOLLYWOOD is a hilarious and entertaining take on Bollywood and works because of Aryan Khan’s expert direction, crazy-n-entertaining moments, performances, shocking climax and starry cameos." Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com rated it 3/5 stars and stated that "Aryan Khan has made The Ba***ds of Bollywood entertaining and wicked."
Controversies
Following the release of The Ba***ds of Bollywood, the National Human Rights Commission filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police against the show for depicting Ranbir Kapoor using a banned electronic cigarette on screen without a statutory warning or disclaimer. Similarly, Sameer Wankhede, a former Narcotics Control Bureau zonal director who led the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug bust resulting in Aryan Khan's arrest, but who faces a pending CBI probe in Mumbai courts for alleged bribery in connection with the case, filed a defamation suit against the show's makers at the Delhi High Court. He alleged the apparent parody of him was "false, malicious and defamatory".The defamation case is scheduled for a hearing on 30 October 2025.