Have you ever wondered about the difference between satire, parody, spoof, and farce? While they all reflect an exaggerated reality, their approaches vary. Satire cleverly critiques the ridiculousness of Bollywood. A spoof or parody might mock a specific film, like creating ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Cash’ to poke fun at another. But a true farce goes beyond simple critique or caricature, capturing the sheer chaos of an entire system through sharp, exaggerated observational comedy that spares no one – not even the creator.
A prime example of this unapologetic, true-blue farce is Aryan Khan’s ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood,’ now streaming on Netflix. It’s a show that could easily be misunderstood if taken literally, rather than appreciating its farcical tone and genre.
Before its release, Aryan Khan chose to let his work speak for itself, and ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ certainly speaks volumes. It boldly explores the intricate relationship he has with Bollywood as an insider. What’s truly heartwarming is how the series champions the outsiders, the underdogs, the forgotten stars, the outcasts, the background dancers, and the dreamers battling struggles in the city of dreams. The show has garnered polarized reviews, largely due to its explicit adult content, but let’s delve deeper into its true message through the lens of a farce.
While drawing dramatic and comedic inspiration from Farah Khan’s musical ‘Om Shanti Om’ and Akshat Verma’s ‘Delhi Belly’ for its language and tone, ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ carves out its own unique space. However, certain segments that venture into ‘Borat’-esque territory—marked by wicked, crass, dark, subversive, and politically incorrect humor—might not sit well with those who are easily offended.
One of the most provocative scenes, designed to unpack the show’s underlying politics, unfolds in the second episode. A contentious argument erupts between an obnoxious, power-hungry producer and a progressive production designer. The designer has dared to paint the hero’s room pink instead of the requested blue, declaring that “gender norms are passé.”
After the producer insultingly calls her “Fatty,” she quits, shoves him, and he retaliates with a cartoonish kick. His shocked sidekick questions, “How can you kick a woman? How can you kick a woman, sir?” to which the producer replies, “Because I would never raise a hand on a woman.” The absurdity continues when the hero, after knocking him down, pauses before punching him, stating, “You are lucky — even I would never hit a woman.” This joke can be interpreted in several ways: perhaps the hero doesn’t see the producer as a ‘real man,’ or, if one chooses to be offended, it could be seen as using ‘woman’ to imply the weaker sex.
However, it’s crucial to remember that in a true farce, everyone is the target of the joke, including the hero and the creator himself. Just as Sacha Baron Cohen in ‘Borat’ humorously discusses keeping his wife in a cage, the subject of the joke is the character uttering the most outrageous statements. He’s the buffoon, the clown, not to be taken seriously. Aryan embraces this clown persona, with the “Directed by Aryan Khan” card appearing as a punchline twice: once when a character delivers an anti-drug message, and again when an entitled star kid indulges himself amidst Bollywood’s unfolding chaos.
Aryan doesn’t shy away from self-deprecating humor, even roasting his own father and nearly every cameo, though some, like Salman Khan’s, feel surprisingly underutilized.
The show’s most surprising element is its ability to conceal its farcical nature until a major twist in the final episode. This reveal brilliantly unmasks everything seen before—including romantic comedy clichés where life mimics film—as a grand, meticulously hidden joke, masked only by unique characters. The series expertly interweaves genuine emotional moments of bromance, loss, and heartbreak, momentarily distracting viewers from the underlying farce. Early on, when challenged with the phrase “a star is born,” the hero confidently retorts, “Born nahin sir, made.” Aryan clearly understands that stars are cultivated, not merely born.
Another cleverly observed scene introduces the heroine in slow motion, hair dramatically flowing, only for her to promptly ask, “Bhaiyya, pankha bandh kijiye” (Brother, please turn off the fan). The show is packed with sharp jabs at privilege, such as monitors being hastily repositioned for a superstar or a billionaire family’s reaction to a scandalous clip of their future daughter-in-law on TV:
- Girl’s mom: “It’s fake news.”
- Billionaire: “It’s my channel.”
- Son-in-law: “We have a channel?”
- Girl’s brother: “Dad, where’s my channel?”
This series truly knows how to layer its jokes. It delivers finely observed, modern-day ‘WTF’ moments, like the intimacy coach canceling because “he’s going through a divorce.” It also highlights the ironic truth that rude, arrogant, and pompous personalities often captivate audiences, while normalcy is deemed boring, and only sensation sells.
Aryan Khan understands the mechanics of sensation. A truly talented writer isn’t afraid to expose their vulnerabilities, even within a farce. One character poignantly states, “I’m not strong enough to face that kind of failure, so I can’t fail.”
With the collaborative efforts of Bilal Siddique and Manav Chauhan, Aryan has crafted a brilliant ensemble of characters, each given their moment to shine. A standout example is a secondary character, left behind from the climactic car ride, who screams in protest, “I’m not a f***in’ side character.”
This exhilarating journey through the Bollywood circus refreshingly subverts clichés, even having Shah Rukh Khan playfully declare, “What a cliché. I love clichés.” The show truly marks the emergence of a smart, funny, uncompromising, and confident new voice. Aryan Khan, as creator-director, skillfully navigates between comedy and drama, delivering zingers and twists, and often ending scenes and episodes with a punchline that spares no one, not even revered figures like the mother character.
While its political incorrectness, irreverence, and adult humor might make it challenging for family viewing, ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ is undoubtedly destined for cult status, thanks to its riotous laughter and the daring choices made in its final episode. It’s a show that’s unafraid to challenge norms. Congratulations, Aryan Khan, on creating a star.