Aryan Khan has made quite the impression with his directorial debut, The Ba***ds of Bollywood. The series, which dropped on Netflix on September 18, 2025, has garnered significant attention with its satirical take on the inner workings of Bollywood. Aryan Khan recently opened up about how the team aimed to be "self-deprecating, but not disrespectful anywhere".
What's Happening
- Aryan Khan spoke candidly about how certain parameters were set by the creative team of The Ba***ds of Bollywood to guide their approach to the show's theme.
- In an interview with Variety, published on Friday (October 10), Aryan Khan said, "We wanted to be self-deprecating, but not disrespectful anywhere. So I think we maintained that line correctly, and the guardrails were self-imposed, mostly because, when making something about the industry and being part of the industry, there has to be - there is - a lot of respect. People being able to take jokes about themselves, I feel, is the first and most important thing about comedy. Take a joke on yourself and then spread the love. People were extremely sporting, and we also made an effort not to push boundaries in terms of being disrespectful, only being self-deprecating."
Episode 1 Of The Series And Wankhede's Allegations
Aryan Khan's statement comes amid Sameer Wankhede's defamation case, who had approached the Delhi High Court against the Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood and Shah Rukh Khan over his portrayal in this Aryan Khan-directed web series.
In the first episode of The Ba***ds of Bollywood, a character heavily inspired by Sameer Wankhede appears outside a Bollywood party, looking for people from "Bollywood" who are using drugs.
On September 25, this year, Wankhede filed a defamation suit seeking Rs 2 crore in damages from Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment, the producers of The Ba***ds of Bollywood. He has stated that the damages would be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for patient treatment.
In his statement, Wankhede said that The Ba***ds of Bollywood had been "deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Sameer Wankhede's reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner," particularly since the case involving him and Aryan Khan remains pending in the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
He added, "Furthermore, the series, inter alia, depicts a character making an obscene gesture - specifically, showing a middle finger after reciting the slogan 'Satyamev Jayate', which is part of the National Emblem. This act constitutes a grave and sensitive violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which attracts penal consequences under law."
"In addition, the content of the series contravenes various provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as it seeks to outrage national sentiment through the use of obscene and offensive material," Wankhede claimed.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued summons to Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited and others in a civil defamation suit filed by former Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Sameer Wankhede.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued a summons (notice) on the plea of Sameer Wankhede against Red Chillies Entertainment and others.
The High Court has asked Red Chillies Entertainment and others to file a reply within 7 days. The petition has been asked to file a rejoinder within 3 days thereafter.
The matter came up before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi appeared for Wankhede, while Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar appeared for some of the defendants.
During the previous hearing, the High Court had asked Wankhede's counsel about the cause of action for filing the suit in Delhi.
Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi had argued that since the series was meant for audiences across cities, including Delhi, and memes targeting Wankhede were also circulating in the Capital, jurisdiction was made out.
The Court, however, had expressed reservations.
"Your plaint is not maintainable. I am rejecting your plaint. Had your case been that you were defamed at various places, including Delhi, and that maximum damage occurred here, we would have still considered it," Justice Kaurav had observed.
Citing Section 9 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), the Court pointed out that the plaint had not properly set out how the civil suit would lie in Delhi, particularly in paragraphs 37 and 38. On Sethi's request for time to amend the plaint, the judge had clarified: "I am not giving any date. The Registry will give the date once the application is listed."
Background
The show follows an aspiring young man named Aasmaan who is determined to make it big. He and his friends navigate the trials and tribulations of Bollywood's glamorous yet unsettling world.
Produced by Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., the series is created by Aryan Khan along with co-creators Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan, who also wrote the show.
The show has sparked a global social media frenzy, with fans recreating scenes. Bobby Deol's 1997 hit Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela has returned to the spotlight with over five million new views following the series' release.
The series also benefited from a high-profile media campaign, with posters displayed in Times Square, New York, and at train stations across London, including King's Cross and Liverpool Street. Aryan Khan, along with Raghav Juyal and Bobby Deol, also made an international stop in Dubai during the Asia Cup.
Featuring an ensemble cast including Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Raghav Juyal, Manoj Pahwa, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Anya Singh, Vijayant Kohli, Gautami Kapoor, and Rajat Bedi, the series captures both the glamour and the grind of chasing Bollywood dreams.
In A Nutshell
Aryan Khan spoke openly about his debut series The Ba***ds of Bollywood and maintaining the fine balance between being self-deprecating and being disrespectful. He also discussed the various parameters set by the creative team to ensure that respect for the industry remained intact.