Actor Raghav Juyal is stealing the spotlight in Ba***ds of Bollywood, the new Netflix series directed by Aryan Khan, son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Known to fans as the "King of Slow Motion" for his unique dance style, Raghav is now being praised for his acting chops, with audiences and critics alike calling him one of the breakout performers of the show.
What's also caught everyone's attention is Aryan Khan's bold vision as a director. While the obvious comparison to his famous parents is inevitable, Aryan is carving an identity that is distinctly his own.
And there's something else that fascinates the public about him-Aryan is never seen smiling for the paparazzi. The question everyone asks: Does he ever smile? Raghav, who knows him closely, spills the beans.
"Of course he smiles, he laughs rolling on the ground. But on camera he chooses not to. That's his choice. He is crazy funny. He is something else. God has tuned him differently," Raghav reveals. "I know he is Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan's son, but he has a different identity of his own. He is an individual personality. He is Aryan Khan. He is a genius-otherwise how could he do a show like this, to play with public's perception and make a whole satire on it? It's a very brave step."
While the series itself is making headlines, so is Raghav's personal story of stepping into one of Mumbai's most iconic addresses - Mannat. For decades, fans have stood outside Shah Rukh Khan's sea-facing bungalow in Bandra, hoping for just a glimpse of the superstar or the grandeur inside. But Raghav got the rare chance to walk through its doors, and he remembers the moment vividly.
"The first time I entered Mannat, there was a scanner like the ones at the airport. I had to go through it because back then, people were like, 'Who is this guy? Has someone come to find work?" he laughs.
"By mistake, I asked Aryan which was his room. Then I realised, this is Shah Rukh Khan's house-you don't have rooms here, you have full floors. Aryan just laughed and said, 'Come, let's go up,' and of course one floor was his. We sat there and jammed, and later we went out for dinner with his friends."
For Raghav, the memory was so surreal that he called his mother the moment he left. "I told her, 'Mummy, I just came from Mannat.' She got so excited and started asking, 'How is it from inside? How is their bathroom? Did you see the library?' I had to tell her, 'Mummy, I didn't go there as a broker, please relax!'"
And if Aryan Khan's debut and Raghav Juyal's breakout act weren't enough, Ba***ds of Bollywood doubles up as a parade of cameos that has left audiences buzzing.
From Shah Rukh Khan and Salman, Aamir and Ranbir Kapoor popping in, to Emraan Hashmi's much-talked-about scene with Raghav, the series is sprinkled with surprises at every turn.
Add to those appearances by Ranveer Singh, Karan Johar, Badshah and even SS Rajamouli, and you have a show that not only peels back the layers of Bollywood but also brings its biggest names together on screen in ways fans could only dream of.