A Gutsy Glimpse Behind the Curtain: Reviewing "The Bads of Bollywood"*

* In a world where Bollywood is often presented as a pristine dream factory, a new voice has arrived to pull back the curtain with a wickedly sharp, satirical gaze. Aryan Khan's directorial debut, "The Ba****ds of Bollywood," is less a conventional story and more a gleefully chaotic, self-aware send-up of the industry he was born into. And for the most part, it's a wild, entertaining ride. From the first frame, the series announces its intent to subvert expectations. It follows Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya), an ambitious outsider from Delhi who achieves overnight stardom. But as he navigates the cutthroat world of glamour, fame, and backroom deals, the show is less interested in a traditional hero's journey and more in skewering the very system that creates its stars. The Good, the Gutsy, and the Goofy What "The Ba****ds of Bollywood" does best is its no-holds-barred satire. It takes on everything from nepotism and PR games to "sold-out" critics and the general absurdity of a business where image is everything. This is a show that isn't afraid to poke fun at itself and its own heritage. Aryan Khan’s ability to take subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, digs at the industry’s inner workings is a testament to his unique perspective. The writing is sharp, witty, and full of meta-references that will delight anyone who follows Bollywood gossip. The series is also peppered with a dazzling array of cameos from some of Bollywood's biggest names, including his own father, Shah Rukh Khan. These appearances are not just for star power; they are used to great comedic and satirical effect. The show's ability to get these stars to participate in the joke is perhaps its greatest achievement. A Mixed Bag of Tricks While the humor and satire are a major highlight, the series is not without its flaws. The tonal shifts from irreverent comedy to high melodrama can feel a bit jarring, with the emotional beats sometimes falling flat. The central love story, for instance, between Aasmaan and Karishma (Sahher Bambba), often gets lost amidst the more engaging friendships and rivalries. Some viewers may also find the plot to be a bit messy and over-the-top, with subplots that don't always fully land. The big plot twist at the climax, while unexpected, has been criticized by some as feeling a bit like lazy writing. The Performances Despite any writing hiccups, the cast largely shines. Lakshya as the "outsider" Aasmaan has a powerful screen presence, while Sahher Bambba holds her own as the "starkid." However, it's often the supporting cast that steals the show. Raghav Juyal as Aasmaan's best friend is a scene-stealer, and performances from veteran actors like Mona Singh and Manoj Pahwa are, as always, pitch-perfect. Final Verdict "The Ba****ds of Bollywood" is not a perfect show. It's messy, loud, and sometimes self-indulgent. But it's also a refreshingly honest and entertaining peek into the wild world of Bollywood. It's a show that knows exactly what it is and what it wants to do: to laugh at the industry, at itself, and to invite the audience to laugh along. If you go into it with the intention of having a fun, satirical, and over-the-top ride, you're likely to enjoy every minute of it. It marks the arrival of a confident new voice in filmmaking and is a must-watch for anyone who loves—and loves to mock—Bollywood.

Rudy Giuliani Hair Affair

Seems like troubles are not leaving Trum's trusted Aide. Awhile ago he was caught with his hand in his pants with Sasha Baron Cohen's 'daughter. Now he is leaking dye from his hair. 

Racial Ignorance in Benedict cumberbatch's Sherlock

Or casual racism? Once upon a time, British racist thugs used the derogatory term Paki for every brown person, whether Pakistani, Indian or Srilankan. Has the situation changed now in 2020? It doesn't seem so as far as British entertainment industry is concerned. 

 

There is a character in Sherlock ( TV series currently being streamed on Netflix) named Chatterji. Sherlock tells his sidekick Watson that Chatterji is hiding a wife in Manchester and possible another in Pakistan. Now anyone knowing a bit about India will know that Chatterji is a Hindu Brahmin surname of Indian Bengalis. 

In Sherlock, this Chatterji guy is depicted as a Muslim from Pakistan and he has been generalised as if all muslims are adulterers and polygamous ( Sherlock doesn't provide any evidence to support his claim that Chatterji has indeed a second or third wife in Pakistan). In another episode, Sherlock and Maggie are in Agra. The whole scene is set as if they are in a Middle Eastern Muslim town. Infact Agra is a city in India. According to Wikipedia, the regious demographics of Agra is : Hindus : 88.8% , Muslims :9.3%. I fail to understand how these cultural aspects are missed or ignored while researching for a TV series? Will they be doing the same thing to White names and cities as well?

Blatant Racism on British TV

Watched Netflix original series SAFE yesterday. The series keep you hooked through out and you are left with a new suspect in each episode. Performance is good. But my problem is the shameless racist portrayal of people of colour in this series. The Marshalls is a family where White man married to a brown woman, having a tantrum throwing, mean and selfish daughter Sia. Sia is a typical teengae bitch, who sells drugs at her party. Then there is the black kid Mike, who makes fun of one of Chris Chahal's mum and calls her MILF who sleeps around with her students. The princhipal of the school is an Asian. He threatens to take action against a suspended teacher who has come to watch her daughter perform in the school choir. We feel bad for the teaher and anger on the insensitivity of the headteacher. Teacher's husband just has to growl and the headteacher quckly backs off. That is how a brown head of the institution behaves! Here the mum is white BUT French (not English). Then another suspect Helen is black and she is shown as a hoarder. The viewers feel disgust at the Marshalls' attempts to dispose of Chris Chahal's body and how they try to cover up their actions. Even afterit becomes clear that Marshalls are not gulity of the murder, we are still disgusted with them and Sia in particular. But when the murderer is revealed, they are shown repenting ( even after causing double murder) and we really feel sympathetic towards them. Why is it that people of colour has to be shown in negative roles to portray the modern diverse British society?

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan: headed for Divorce?

Am I hearing it right that all is not well with Pataudi's? She is the queen of millions, a beauty with brains and he has the quintessential brooding looks, no brain, a court case and flailing inheritance of Patuadi khandaan. They are as odd as chalk and cheese. And still they fit as glove in hands. We are talking about Kareena Kappor khan and Saif Ali Khan. When Kareena  came with then beau Shaid Kapoor on Koffee with Karan and flaunted her shy boyfriend, I really thought that Kreena and Shahid were truely not made for each other. she was brash , bratty and too outspoken whereas Shahid was shy and reserved. The infamous tongue diving smooch was the talk of the town for some times but all was forgotten when Kareena and Shaid Kappor decided to part ways.

Kareena's mother Babita made the most of her affair with Randheer Kappor and got married into the first family of Bollywood. So what that she separated with him after a few years, her daughters got the name, fame and money that is a given to any Kapoor offspring. Karisma Kapoor went the same path as her mother Babita and hooked Abhishek Bachchan. She was at the top of her career and Abhishek was no where near to making any name in the film industry. Mom Babita thought, baby Karisma would have a hold over her beau Abhishek. But Jaya bachchan proved to be too domineering and dominating for Babita's liking. And the tussel between the two would be samdhans resulted in the broken engagement between Karisma and Abhishek Bachchan.

Kareena Kapoor in Sharnila Tagore's Gharara

Same is the case with the saifeena jodi. Saif has still not been able to give us a hit that is solely on his account. Either it is the heroin or the other hero, who take away all the credit of the success of his films. Poor guy! On the otherhand, Kareena Kapoor was as still is at the peak of her career. THough Kareena Kapoor hasn't been able to give many big hits, but she is always in demand with bigwig directors of bolywood. Just like Karisma and Abhishek, this pairing also had the female on the top.
But unlike Karisma, Kareena Kapoor Khan has got a graceful and understanding mother in law in Sharmila Tagore, whom her kids call Amma. If Sharmila allowed Saif to marry a much older Amrita, she was over the moon when he announced his link up with Kareena, who is a much better choice than foul motormouth Amrita Singh.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my ramblings :)