Let’s face it — Bollywood is not only all about luxuries and red carpet events. Ba***ds of Bollywood discards the dazzle and immerses itself in the turmoil away from the cameras. The series satiates our secret craving for gossiping about what we cherish most: nepotism, backstage battles for power, PR tricks, and celebrity wars. It’s untidy, it’s dramatic, and it’s outrageously entertaining – just the kind of show that makes you press “next episode” immediately without giving it a second thought.
The plot of the story revolves around Aasmaan Singh (played by Lakshya), a determined newcomer with dreams of great success. When he signs a multi-film agreement with the powerful producer Freddy (Manish Chaudhari), Aasmaan really comes to know that Bollywood is not all about skill – it is all about going through casting couch scandals, star kid privileges, difficult situations in the industry, and the constant scheming. The episodes mutually throw him deeper into this chaotic world, and you cannot stop yourself from getting hooked.
The surprise bearers are the unexpected cameos with the help of true Bollywood legends like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Karan Johar, which gives even more flavor to the story. The series plays a bit of a trick on the audience by showing how fiction can sometimes be so close to harsh reality in this field. Witty dialogues, excessive satire, and meta-humour culminate in the playful character that carries the audience from start to end through the series.
That being said, the show is not perfect. Some say the humour is somewhat predictable, the love story between Aasmaan and Karishma drifts on, and the pace is slow for much of the show. The final episode’s VFX would be considered mediocre, and the subject matter is so mature it is absolutely not for kids.
However, the series remains quite a ride for bingeing with lots of surprises and scandalous drama if one does not mind these little troubles along the way.
The main thing that makes Ba***ds of Bollywood stand out from the rest is the fact that it is not afraid to go as far as to reveal the dark side of the industry. It’s a tell-all about the film mafia, a satire of the fakeness of PR relationships, and a highlight of the obstacles that face newcomers of the star family dominated industry. The combination of chaos, humour, and drama is addictive — you are laughing, gasping, and perhaps, at times, shaking your head at the sheer realism of some scenes.
At the end of the day, Ba**ds of Bollywood Season 1 is an unhinged, daring, and pleasurable experience. It may not be perfect, but it does an amazing job at showing the dark side of Bollywood that coexists with the lights and glamour. If you are a fan of the actors’ squabbles, power play, and the film industry’s fake lives, then this show is definitely a must-watch for you.
