Aryan Khan has at last come into the directorial seat with the Netflix series “The Bads of Bollywood” and it is a splash into the water. The series is a crisp and acerbic examination of the glamorous yet usually messy Hindi film industry and the opening episode of the first season, Meet the Ba**ds does not hold back. At the very beginning, the show sets its own tone, combining humor with drama to examine the harsh contrast between the nepo babies and non-nepo people struggling to have a foothold. The pilot does a successful introduction to its main characters: Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya Lalwani) who is an ambitious but non-film background actor and Karishma Talvar (Sahher Bambba), the daughter of a superstar.
This very dynamic establishes the main conflict of the series at first sight, revealing the inner world of the industry with a light, confident style of narration. The raw and unfiltered commentary is the greatest strength of the episode, including a seemingly self-deprecating comment on the legal issues that Khan had in the past. It is a courageous step that indicates the readiness of Khan to point the camera at himself and the surrounding world he was born in.
Nepotism with a Twist: A Satirical Critique
The first episode has the main theme of nepotism. The series uses its plot to effectively demonstrate what is given to a person with a famous last name and how difficult it is compared to being a stranger. Compared to most productions, which avoid approaching this subject, “The Ba***ds of Bollywood” plays into it, aiming at the hypocrisy and power window dressing that is characteristic of the industry through unwavering writing and snappy dialogue. Fans are giving mixed reviews for the series.
The first review of #TheBadsOfBollywood is out by the geniuses who manage to finish a 7 episode series (about 50 minutes each, nearly 6 hours in total) in just half an hour. We definitely need more talents like this. #TheBadsOfBollywoodOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/cLp29Gbatu
— ᴢ ᴀ ʏ ᴇ ᴇ ᴍ ( زيييم ) (@iamzam07) September 18, 2025
The episode establishes an intriguing kind of duality: the supposed villain, the nepo baby, Karishma, is a reflection of her surrounding world, whereas the outsider, Aasmaan, is the one that needs the grit and ambition to survive in a system that is set against him. This is used in the series to put a basic question: in a world where relationships are all, can pure talent and hard work really prevail?
The Bad** Bollywood series is boring as hell from the very first episode. The dubbing of the actors is not in sync, and we all know Bollywood is fantasy, but this feels more like I’m forcing myself to like it just because Shah Rukh Khan’s son made it, and we all love SRK 😎🍿
— NM (@onthepath_1way) September 18, 2025
A Goofy and Entertaining Beginning
The most prominent aspects of the premiere are direction and humor. The direction of Khan has been hailed as original and fresh according to critics and even industry insiders. The goofiness, the bingeworthiness that filmmaker Rahul Dholakia observes in the show are the result of the show achieving a balance between seriousness and light heartedness, almost a meta-commentary on the very act of Bollywood. The timing is fast and the dialogue is realistic without being cliched and yet taking advantage of the natural drama inherent in its environment.
The witty cameos of the A-list stars such as Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and even Shah Rukh Khan himself, give the first episode an air of genuineness and fun as though you were an invited guest in an inside joke. This snappy but self-assured style demonstrates the individual vision of Aryan Khan and a bright future in the camera.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
