The Ba***ds of Bollywood: A satire both silly and sharp

There is a moment in 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' where an angry Karan Johar gets in an elevator after threatening an 'outsider', and tells him not to mess with the movie mafia. It is a kind of scene that may appear hilarious to some and completely over-the-top to others. That was the continuous theme for Aryan Khan's directorial debut as a whole.

For a show that does not take itself seriously, it does well in the humorous parts, landing the jokes and punches. But for the same reason, it falters in the more serious and heartfelt moments, failing to elevate the stakes as high as they should be. 

But amid all this - and the countless cameos - there is a story that is fun, spoofy, and even entertaining. The catch is, you have to really allow it to entertain you.

The Ba***ds of Bollywood is about Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya), an outsider from Delhi who has just landed his first hit, a mass actioner called Revolver. This has led to his controlling studio head, Freddy Sodahwallah (Manish Chaudhari), making him sign a three-film deal. 

Lakshya also lands a Karan Johar project, where the filmmaker appears as himself in a full-fledged role rather than a mere cameo. In this film, Lakshya is paired opposite Karishma (Sahher Bambba), the daughter of reigning superstar Ajay (Bobby Deol). Meanwhile, Aasman finds himself caught in the unfamiliar power games and politics of Bollywood, all while questioning whether he is developing feelings for his co-star, despite having little in common with her.

What works

The USP of Ba***ds are not the cameos or the glitz. It is an almost behind-the-scenes look at Bollywood's underbelly. It comes from a man who has grown up watching all this around himself, Aryan Khan. So, there is some amount of credibility to it. 

But Aryan chooses to do it in an unserious manner, where everything is a joke, almost like a badly-written blind or Reddit post. But this tone works because of how lightly the film industry is taken by the general population. 

Aryan pokes fun at Bollywood and its high and mighty in a downright silly manner, which makes you wonder if it is all too silly at times.

I am still doubtful whether I liked aspects of the show simply because I am privy to (at least) some of these things. Diabolical contracts, star fights, and wars between studios are part of my 9-to-5 (and occasionally water cooler talks). So, I could relate to some of it in a manner that a layman may not. But then, the aforementioned blinds and Reddit posts have brought these conversations to our mobile phones and living rooms, mostly as spicy gossip.

What works in Ba***ds' favour is that these spicy gossip and anecdotes are not simply peppered in the show for fun. There is a woven narrative that has some semblance and cohesion, even if not much. What saves it is great casting and some solid performers. 

It is interesting to note that while the show uses some of the biggest names for its cameos, for almost all its major roles, it depends on actual performers who fit the bill. Bigger names could have played the leads, but these fit. 

Manish Chaudhari as Freddy, Bobby Deol as Ajay, and Raghav Juyal as the hero's friend Parvaiz are perfectly cast. Their performances are also the best part of Ba***ds, elevating it from merely chuckleworthy to actually fun.

The letdowns

But there are letdowns too. The cameos are good, some are even great. That one star playing an intimacy coach was a favourite. Yet, the product placements outnumber the cameos, and sometimes remind you of the (very worst of) Bollywood from the 90s. 

The dialogue is corny, reminiscent of the 70s. Aryan warned that the show could be "over", but I never imagined just how over-the-top it really is.

The emotional moments are what really let the show down. The tone goes flat, and even as the actors try their hardest, the writing appears dull. The sharp shift from irreverent to melodramatic is not always handled deftly.

But despite all, Ba***ds is entertaining, fun, and a binge-worthy watch. Its low moments are salvaged by some of the funniest inside jokes on Indian streaming in recent times, and cleverly-placed Easter eggs. On top of that is the technical finesse that makes it a smart package.