In their big-screen debut, they were baying for each other's blood. While the villain killed the hero's girlfriend and threw her from a moving train right before his eyes, the hero, in return, set the villain's father ablaze.
A year later, on OTT, they are best friends and pat each other's backs as they navigate the big, bad world of Bollywood.
From bloodthirsty nemeses in Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's gruesome, gut-wrenching 2024 film Kill, Lakshya and Raghav Juyal are set to rewrite the new rules of bromance in first-time director Aryan Khan's mega Netflix series The Ba***ds Of Bollywood.
Metaphorically, their transition from one big banner to another is also a manifestation of the Bollywood BFF-hood. Karan Johar's Dharma Productions was one of the producers of the critically acclaimed Kill which launched the two actors and turned them into breakout stars. Behind Aryan's debut show is his superstar-father Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.
Shah Rukh Khan put his trust in his BFF Karan Johar's discovery Lakshya for his son's larger-than-life debut. Perhaps a hint that these two outsiders are more promising than the current crop of star kids. Ahead of the premiere of The Ba**ds Of Bollywood on September 18, let's revisit how Lakshya and Raghav stepped into the spotlight and became closest friends.
"We Were Told Not To Speak To Each Other"
Back in 2024, after their breakout success in Kill, Lakshya and Raghav Juyal opened up about their first meeting on the podcast Humans Of Bombay. To be honest, the first rendezvous was no less filmy. Lakshya played the upright hero, an NSG commando, and Raghav, the deadly villain who is a dacoit, in Kill. The film's director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat told them not to speak to each other.
"Tum hero ho, aur yeh villain. Dono baat mat karna," Lakshya said, recalling Nikhil's words.
The twain met at a satsang at Guneet Monga's house who served as one of the producers on Kill.
As instructed, Lakshya didn't speak to Raghav. But, Raghav took the initiative.
"Are bhai, we are doing a film together," Raghav tried to get a response from Lakshya when they first met. However, Lakshya carefully avoided him.
Picture abhi baaki thi.
A woman from that satsang offered the prasad to Lakshya. The Kill actor was in a fix, as he was on a diet. When he said he couldn't eat it, the lady got upset and said, "You can't let go off your blessings". With the plate of prasad in his hands, Lakshya was looking around, and that's when Raghav made a heroic entry and saved the day, eating the halwa in one go.
How the tables turned.
Summing up the whole episode, Raghav said on Humans Of Bombay, "Lakshya and I didn't speak to each other for weeks. But when we did, we became the closest of friends. I clearly remember our first interaction. Our director of Kill had asked us not to interact until our scenes were shot. It was a satsang at Guneet's place that brought us together. And today, he is just like a brother to me."
Karan Johar Showed The Way, Aryan Khan Followed
Movie buffs, who have watched the preview of Ba**ds Of Bollywood, surely haven't missed the Kal Ho Naa Ho reference. Lakshya and Raghav, nestled on a couch, are planning a party where they will have "sex". As Raghav teases Lakshya with his lustful gestures, Mona Singh (who plays Lakshya's mother in the show) is left speechless when she walks in on the scene.
"Aunty woh alag se karega, mein alag se," Raghav comes up with an explanation to save himself from the supposed embarrassment.
Back in 2003, when the portrayal of homosexuality was not predominant on OTT platforms, Karan Johar poked fun at Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan's closeness in his 2003 production Kal Ho Naa Ho, suggesting a same-sex relationship which used to raise the eyebrows of the mousy househelp, Kantaben, played by Sulabha Arya.
Dostana, also backed by Dharma Productions, released five years after Kal Ho Naa Ho, directed by Nikkhil Advani. Portrayal of gay relationships was not mainstream back then. Twenty-two years later, the reference—which invited a meme fest on social media—found its way into tinsel town's new BFF story.
Hopefully, the makers wouldn't issue an apology later like Karan Johar did.
How Lakshya And Raghav Deal With Nepotism
Karan Johar, who has faced relentless flak for promoting star kids, turned the tables by launching these two outsiders in Kill. The two actors claimed they felt like insiders right after their first film.
During the promotions of Kill, when Raghav was asked about navigating his journey, he told India Today, "Honestly, all this noise has started recently. I am the biggest example of an outsider making their way into the industry through sheer hard work. I come from Dehradun, with no connection to the industry. I am not even signed by an agency and function completely solo. I can't be going into the complaining mode or else I would be stuck there. One has to get up and work. People do fail, look at sportspeople, and how they strike back after defeats and injuries. I want to live my life like that, hit goals after goals, even when I fall down. I truly believe that talent will find its way."
Lakshya went on to say Aryan, his sister Suhana Khan, and Agastya Nanda, Amitabh Bachchan's grandson were all his friends. "As long as opportunities are not taken away and given to someone else... Sab toh dost hi mere... Ibrahim (Ali Khan), Agastya, Navya, Suhana—they are all my friends. They are sorted people. I share a good friendship with them. I didn't feel that they are treating me differently. I feel like an insider. I am working with Dharma, jin ke upar sabse zyada ungli uthti thi. They have given me opportunities," he told Humans Of Bombay.
The Road Ahead
Detractors say there's no permanent friendship or enmity in the film industry. With every Friday release (or Thursday in the case of The Ba***ds of Bollywood on Netflix), equations keep on changing. Coming from a television background, Lakshya and Raghav have been already exploring the industry, dealing with the Ba***ds literally.
Will the rock-solid professional friendship endure every storm of Bollywood? Let's wait and watch.
Also Read | In The Ba***ds Of Bollywood Preview, Aryan Khan Hits Bahut Hard With Punches And Drama
