Aryan Khan admits Ba***ds Of Bollywood draws from real-life experiences but insists the Netflix show isn’t meant to offend or disrespect anyone.
Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, has finally broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his directorial debut Ba***ds Of Bollywood. In a recent interview with Variety, Aryan revealed that while his Netflix series is fictional, it does include moments inspired by real experiences though never meant to disrespect anyone.
His clarification comes amid growing attention on the show following a defamation lawsuit filed by former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede against Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix. Wankhede claims that a character in the series is a defamatory portrayal of him, harming his reputation and undermining public confidence in law enforcement.
‘We Were Self-Deprecating, Not Disrespectful,’ Says Aryan
Discussing the creative process, Aryan said that his team was careful about how far to push humour while depicting Bollywood’s eccentricities.
“We wanted to be self-deprecating, but not disrespectful anywhere,” he said. “So I think we maintained that line correctly, and the guardrails were self-imposed, mostly because, making something about the industry and being a part of the industry, there has to be — there is a lot of respect. People being able to take jokes on themselves, I feel, is the first and most important thing about comedy. Take a joke on yourself and then spread the love.”
Aryan added that people in the industry were “extremely sporting,” and his team consciously avoided crossing lines of sensitivity while writing the show.
Aryan Defends Creative Choices Amid Criticism
Acknowledging that some scenes faced internal debate, Aryan admitted, “We did get some notes on certain scenes where they were like, ‘Oh, this is too this, or this is too that,’ but then I took a stand. If you don’t like it, I mean, the show is not meant for you… your 18-year-old kid might like it, or your uncle might like it who enjoys certain kinds of humour.”
He emphasised that Ba***ds Of Bollywood blends satire and exaggeration. “We were pushing it for screen, obviously, but obviously there’ll be things that are inspired. There’ll be scenes that are inspired on certain realities, and there’ll be exaggerations. It’s not obviously a documentary,” Aryan said.
The Delhi High Court has issued summons to Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, X Corp, Google, Meta, and others in connection with Wankhede’s defamation case. The next hearing is set for October 30.
The series features an ensemble cast including Lakshya, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, and Sahher Bambba, with cameos by Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Disha Patani, and SS Rajamouli.
