By skyforbes 
Review 67 — The Bads of Bollywood TV Series (2025), Showrunner : Aryan Khan
There’s a fine line between mocking oneself and overdoing it. Done well, it feels sharp and self-aware. Pushed too far, it turns snobby. Hold back too much, and you risk downplaying the realism.
Aryan Khan knows exactly where that line is, and he treads it just right. I went in skeptical, expecting C-grade jokes and mindless brainrot, but The Bads of Bollywood isn’t that at all. It’s sharp, smart, and genuinely fun to watch.
The show follows Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya Lalwani), a young actor who scores big with his debut and suddenly finds himself navigating the murky politics of Bollywood. After his debut he starts to work with Karishma Talvar (Sahher Bambba) , a Nepo kid whose father is Ajay Talvar(Bobby Deol), A big actor who is trying to prevent them from working for reasons unknown till the finalie. From producers pulling strings to underworld ties and family secrets, he tries to cement his place while staying afloat. Alongside his journey, a range of subplots and side characters add weight and texture, making the show much more than just a spoof.
Satire and Style
This is pure satire. Aryan Khan is holding up a mirror to Bollywood as he’s seen it all his life from within the spotlight. It feels like a giant “f* you” to the system, and it works because the digs, tropes, and humor are deeply Bollywood-coded.
He isn’t subtle about it either. At the end of episode one, a character says “Say No To Drugs” before it cuts straight to “Directed by Aryan Khan.” That alone says everything. Even earlier, there’s a parody character strongly resembling the person who caught Aryan in a drug case, though it’s never named. The kicker is that that person has now sued the production anyway, despite disclaimers etc. (google what i’m talking about, I don’t wanna get sued). That’s the kind of biting, self-aware edge this show thrives on.
The cameos are endless. Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, SS Rajamouli, Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Emraan Hashmi, and more. But surprisingly, they never overwhelm the narrative. They’re cameos, and they stay cameos.
If you don’t follow Bollywood closely, a lot of references will fly over your head. But for someone who does, they land hard, sometimes instantly, sometimes hours later when the penny drops. That’s part of the fun, The show works as surface-level comedy, but also as an inside joke for Bollywood followers.
The Characters
The acting across the board is strong. Lakshya Lalwani as Aasmaan feels raw and believable, carrying the emotional weight of the story without slipping into melodrama, The character goes through a lot, losing his father, being forced to work with people he doesn’t want to, His journey ending before it even begins. Its a story that balances feelings without misusing them to send a wrong message.
Raghav Juyal, Mona Singh, Bobby Deol, Manoj Pahwa, Rajat Bedi, and Manish Chaudhari all deliver sharp performances.
Arshad Warsi as Gafoor, the underworld don, is a fun surprise in a small role that still leaves an impression. Divik Sharma as Shaumik Talvar, Ajay’s son, perfectly embodies the entitled rich brat you love to hate. Every performance feels grounded, not over the top, which keeps the satire anchored instead of tipping into parody.
The Good and Bad
Where the show really shines is in its energy. It’s fun, lighthearted, and unapologetically filmi. The subplots, like the struggling musician who never made it or the actor locked out of work for 15 years by a vindictive producer, feel painfully believable and ground the satire in real industry struggles. There is running trope of Aasman’s manager not having a pen during important moments but when he really doesn’t need a pen, because he doesn’t want to sign a contract she has one. It was unknowingly the funniest gag in the show.
The cinematography and music also deserve a shout-out. This isn’t some cheap, half-baked spoof, it looks polished, framed with care, and you can tell effort went into it. Songs like “Badli Si Hawa Hai,” Gafoor’s gritty entry track, or the soulful “Tenu Ki Pata” aren’t just filler, they add flavor and texture to the world. While others might overlook it, I see the quality, and it really elevates the show beyond throwaway parody.
But not everything lands perfectly
The finale is where i think things lose momentum. The reveal that Aasmaan is Ajay Talvar’s son and that his love interest is actually his sibling does ties neatly into the show’s title (B***ds of Bollywood is Bastards of Bollywood), but the execution feels abrupt. The twist isn’t bad in concept, it does tie threads together but the way it’s delivered feels rushed and tacked on, robbing it of the impact it could have had.
The action, too, misses the mark. The finale car chase leans too far into Hollywood-style spectacle without realism, while the final showdown between Ajay and Aasmaan reeks of plot armor. Bodies fly ten feet through the air and brush it off as if nothing happened. Even the bar fights come across not just as fake-Bollywood, but as bad-fake-Bollywood, which undercuts the otherwise sharp commentary.
Final Thoughts
In hindsight, The Bads of Bollywood is clever, entertaining, and more than just cheap laughs. It’s fresh, it challenges tired tropes that have been clogging Hindi cinema in recent times, and it dares to shift the status quo.
Yes, the climax stumbles and the action feels overblown, but the journey matters more than the destination here. Aryan Khan has crafted something daring and self-aware which is satire that entertains while holding Bollywood accountable.
Its rough edges don’t erase its impact, if anything, they underline that this debut is unafraid to take risks. Bold, messy, and raw it’s exactly the kind of stuff Bollywood hasn’t seen in a long time.
7/10 — Fun, sharp, and refreshing, even if the landing was rough.
Learn more about The Bads of Bollywood Review. There’s a line between mocking oneself…
