Aryan Khan even directed the promotional Reels for Ba***ds of Bollywood, oversaw ‘two lines of dubbing’: Manoj Pahwa, Raghav Juyal recall working with SRK’s son

Bobby Deol and Manoj Pahwa, who play important characters in Aryan Khan's debut show, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, spoke highly of the debutante writer-director, and described what it was like to work with him.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | September 16, 2025 12:02 PM IST

3 min read

Aryan Khan in a promotional video for the Ba***ds of Bollywood.

Veterans Bobby Deol and Manoj Pahwa described what it was like to work with Aryan Khan on his debut show as a writer-director, The Ba***ds of Bollywood. The series will be released on Netflix on September 19. Bobby said that working with Aryan was like working with his own son. Bobby has worked twice before with Shah Rukh Khan‘s Red Chillies Entertainment after his comeback a few years ago. He said that he has a special relationship with Shah Rukh, and jumped at the opportunity to work on the show. In an interview with Pinkvilla, he described what it was like to work with the young director, and described him as exacting.

Bobby said, “We we worked with Aryan, not Shah Rukh. Shah Rukh was the producer, but it was always Aryan from the word go. We were all so happy to be working with Red Chillies, but more than that, we were all proud to be associated with Aryan’s debut project. I have two sons, and when I got the call to be in this show, I jumped at the opportunity. The dedication, the conviction, the honesty, and the fire that he has within him… It’s very rare to see in any artist, either an actor, director, or writer.”

Also read – Shah Rukh Khan was ‘sportsman of the year, economics topper, basketball captain’ in college, recalls Hansraj junior Anurag Kashyap: ‘He isn’t a superstar for nothing’

Describing Aryan as ‘unique and special’, Bobby said that Aryan played a part in every aspect of the show. Raghav Juyal, who also plays a supporting role in the show, said, “He was involved in every minor detail. Even the promotional Reels that we made, Aryan would come specially to direct them. He even wanted the Reels to have the same tone as the show.” Manoj Pahwa concurred. He said, “Even to oversee a small two-line dub, he was there,” and Bobby recalled that Aryan would ask for multiple takes from his actors until he was satisfied with what he had.

Featuring Lakshya in the lead role of a young star in Bollywood, The Ba***ds of Bollywood is a showbiz satire that marks Aryan’s first major project in the film industry. While many assumed that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and become an actor, Aryan took another route. In a past interview with David Letterman, Shah Rukh had spoken about Aryan having clarity about not wanting to become an actor, because he would never be able to meet the sky-high expectations of Shah Rukh’s fans. “My son doesn’t want to act and I don’t think he can,” he said, adding, “He looks nice, he’s tall… But I don’t think he has what it takes perhaps, and he realises that himself. But he is a good writer.”

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