Aryan Khan Talks Of Tough Times In First Statement After The Ba***ds of Bollywood

Following the satirical series’ rise to the global top 5 on Netflix, debut director Aryan Khan addressed the tough times he faced during production. He revealed a dialogue from the show was his mantra—which he hilariously admitted was likely due to “lack of sleep and fatigue,” not just motivation.

Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, the action comedy series The Ba*ds of Bollywood, has emerged as a major global hit, consistently ranking among the top 5 most-watched non-English shows on Netflix worldwide since its launch two weeks ago. The meta-satire, which pokes fun at the Hindi film industry, is currently trending in 14 countries and holds the coveted #1 spot in 9 of them, marking a significant success for the first-time creator.

Following the show’s overwhelming reception, Aryan Khan released his first public statement on the show’s making and global impact, reflecting on the difficulties he faced during production.

‘A Vision Kept Me Going’: Aryan Khan on Overcoming Challenges

In his statement, Aryan Khan revealed what motivated him during the toughest moments of the show’s creation, citing an iconic line from the series itself.

“Whenever things got difficult, I’d hear Jaraj’s voice in my head, ‘Haarne mein aur haar maanne mein bohot farak hota hai’ (There is a difference between losing and accepting defeat),” the filmmaker said, referring to the dialogue delivered by Rajat Bedi’s character.

He quickly added a self-aware twist to his motivation, stating, “At first, I thought it was motivation, but soon realised it was just lack of sleep and fatigue. Still, that vision kept me going, and now to see the happiness my work has brought people is deeply emotional for me… it is why I do what I do, it is what drew me to storytelling.”

‘What Began as My Story Now Truly Belongs to the Audience’

The show has successfully tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, sparking a flurry of online activity. Khan acknowledged this global engagement, which includes an abundance of memes, reels, and fan theories.

“The love from around the world has been incredible, with the show trending across countries and filling timelines with reels, memes, and fan theories,” he said. “What began as my story now truly belongs to the audience, and it’s only because of Netflix that this story could reach homes across the globe. As Jaraj would humbly say…Ab pehechana?”

The Ba*ds of Bollywood is an action comedy that offers a fresh, satirical look at the Hindi film industry through the eyes of an outsider. The show features a stellar ensemble cast, including Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, and Manoj Pahwa, and has garnered praise from both critics and fans since its release.