Aryan Khan’s jail time, Karan Johar cuss-filled rant, and Shah Rukh Khan’s real-life journey to stardom: Decoding the The Ba***ds Of Bollywood preview

The opening scene of the teaser shows Lakshya performing a high-octane action sequence as Shah Rukh’s voiceover says, “Bollywood ek sapno ka shehar par ye sapno ka shehar sabka nahi hota. Aur iss sapno ki duniya mein kuch log Hero ke ghar paida hote hai, kuch hero paida hote hai” (Bollywood is the city of dreams, but this city doesn’t accept everyone. While some are born in a hero’s house, some are born heroes).

Lakshya in a still from The Ba**ds Of Bollywood.

Bobby Deol playing a superstar

The show introduces newcomer Sahher Bambba as the ‘nepokid,’ while Bobby Deol’s Ajay Talvar plays the role of the biggest superstar in the industry. The actor has a powerful entry in the preview as he is seen surrounded by cameras with fans shouting his name — very much like Shah Rukh’s stardom in real life.

Bobby Deol in a still from The Ba**ds Of Bollywood.

Karan Johar getting back at nepo critics

Another eye-catching cameo comes from Karan Johar, who is seen swearing in the preview like never before. The filmmaker-producer sports a hoodie with the message, “I did nothing, I just got lucky,” a subtle dig at his critics who often accuse him of promoting nepotism in Bollywood and giving breaks to star kids. It almost feels like Karan is venting out at all his critics in this scene. Karan is the son of late Bollywood producer Yash Johar.

Karan Johar in a still from The Ba**ds Of Bollywood.

Aryan pays homage to Satish Shah’s character

The preview also hints at Aryan revisiting Satish Shah’s iconic character from Shah Rukh Khan’s film Main Hoon Na. In the film, Satish’s professor character often spat on Shah Rukh while talking, and in The Ba**ds Of Bollywood,* Raghav Juyal is seen spitting on Lakshya while speaking to him, almost as a playful homage.

A still from The Ba**ds Of Bollywood.

Salman Khan’s angry cameo

Salman Khan makes his appearance in his trademark nonchalant style as he disses the party he’s attending. He can be seen saying, “Bulls**t party.”*

Salman Khan in a still from The Ba**ds Of Bollywood.

Ranveer Singh calls Aryan’s show ‘bahut hard’

Ranveer Singh also features in the preview, delivering the iconic dialogue from his film Gully Boy — “hard haan, bahut hard.”

Ranveer Singh in a still from The Ba**ds Of Bollywood.

Aryan’s cheeky dig at his jail time

Lakshya in a still from The Ba**ds Of Bollywood.

One of the boldest references comes when the show’s lead, Lakshya, is seen walking out of jail after spending a night there. It seems Aryan drew from his own life experience for this scene, turning a personal tragedy into comedy for his audience. In the scene, a police officer tells Lakshya, “Tension nahi lene ka andar jane ke baad log aur bhi famous hojate hai (Don’t worry, people who go inside jail become even more famous).”