The Bads of Bollywood

Production

Aryan Khan makes his directorial and writing debut with this series, also taking on the role of showrunner. He co-wrote the project with Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan. Khan, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, used his own background in the industry to create a satirical look at Bollywood. The large cast features Bobby Deol, Lakshya, and Sahher Bambba, with cameo appearances by Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, and Karan Johar.

Most filming happened in Mumbai, with Jay Pinak Oza handling cinematography and Nitin Baid editing. A music video called "Ghafoor" was made to promote the series, directed by Farah Khan and starring Tamannaah Bhatia, Shakti Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, and Ranjeet, but it only appears as background score in the show. In mid-October 2025, Aryan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan worked with Meta to release India’s first "secret reel," a behind-the-scenes clip locked behind a password that viewers can figure out from a clue in Episode 6.

Soundtrack

The music for the series was composed by Shashwat Sachdev, Anirudh Ravichander, and Ujwal Gupta, with Sachdev also handling the original score. T-Series secured the music rights and released the 13-track album on 16 September 2025. The first single, "Badli Si Hawa Hai," with lyrics by Kumaar and vocals from Arijit Singh and Amira Gill, dropped on 23 August 2025. "Tenu Ki Pata," featuring Diljit Dosanjh, Aryan Khan, and Ujwal Gupta, followed on 11 September 2025.

The music video for "Ghafoor," sung by Shilpa Rao and Ujwal Gupta, came out on 19 September 2025. In the final episode, the classic 1997 Gupt song "Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela" appears. VFX was used to replace the original dancer's face with that of Mona Singh, who plays Neeta Singh, alongside Bobby Deol as Ajay Talvar.

Reception

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5 stars out of 5, calling the debut a mixed bag that entertains in parts but falls into ordinariness when showing the other side of the film industry. Simran Khan of Times Now rated it 3.5/5 stars, describing it as a witty, thrilling, and hilarious ride into Bollywood's chaotic world. Sana Farzeen of India Today gave 3.5 stars out of 5, stating the series is not perfect but honest, funny, and dramatic.

Yatamanyu Narain of News 18 rated it 3.5/5 stars, calling it a daring satire filled with nepotism digs and celebrity cameos. Abhimanyu Mathur of Hindustan Times gave 3 stars out of 5, noting the show never takes itself seriously, which makes it entertaining but shallow. Hardika Gupta of NDTV observed that the series is meant to be consumed like Bollywood itself: loud, colourful, and fun.

Sakshi Verma of India TV gave 3 stars out of 5, calling it a classic masala entertainer full of surprises. Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated it 3.5/5 stars, describing it as a daringly self-aware, edgy meta love letter to the film industry. Aashna Nadkarni of Mashable commented that it is a complete treat for Bollywood enthusiasts.

Controversies

After the series' release, the National Human Rights Commission filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police over a depiction of Ranbir Kapoor using a banned electronic cigarette without a statutory warning. Former Narcotics Control Bureau zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who led the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug bust resulting in Aryan Khan's arrest (from which Khan was later cleared), filed a defamation suit at the Delhi High Court, alleging the apparent parody of him was false, malicious, and defamatory. The case was scheduled for a hearing on 30 October 2025, but the court dismissed it, ruling the complaint lacked jurisdiction.