The evening belonged as much to Shah Rukh as it did to Aryan. Turning host for his son’s big day, SRK displayed his trademark wit and charm while introducing the cast and crew
Bollywood’s King Khan turned the spotlight on his son, Aryan Khan, as the 26-year-old officially stepped into the entertainment industry with his maiden directorial venture, The Ba**ds of Bollywood*. The high-profile trailer launch event in Mumbai saw Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, and Aryan Khan sharing the stage together for the first time, marking an emotional and historic moment for the Khan family.
Dressed in coordinated black, Shah Rukh, Gauri, and Aryan exuded glamour while holding court before a packed house. Aryan, visibly nervous yet confident, attempted to address the audience, only to be cut short by a teleprompter glitch. Smiling through the moment, he said: “The teleprompter is off, and I have nothing more to say. Now, whatever I need to say, my show will say it.” The line instantly drew applause, signalling the baton being passed from father to son.
The evening belonged as much to Shah Rukh as it did to Aryan. Turning host for his son’s big day, SRK displayed his trademark wit and charm while introducing the cast and crew. But when it came to Aryan, the superstar’s voice trembled with pride and emotion. “I am deeply grateful to this land that allowed me to entertain for 30 years. Today is a special day because my son is taking his first step on the same ground. When he comes before you, and if you like his work, applaud for him—and in those applause, keep a little blessing, a little prayer too. The love you gave me, give him 150% of that.”
While Aryan made his directorial bow, it was his mother, Gauri Khan, who backed the project as producer under the Red Chillies Entertainment banner. Aryan thanked her on stage with humour and humility: “Now I’d like to call my mother on stage for producing this show, and most importantly, for producing me.” The series, co-created by Aryan Khan along with Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan, is set to premiere on Netflix on September 18.
The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is described as a stylised yet chaotic ride through the world of ambition, stardom, and betrayal. Aryan explained his creative vision: “I wanted to build a world that feels alive, a mix of glitz and grit, where ambition shines, egos clash, and nothing is ever as it seems. Netflix helped us tell the story exactly how it needed to be told—raw, stylised, and unlike anything audiences have seen before.” The cast boasts heavyweights and fresh faces alike, with Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Manoj Pahwa, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Vijayant Kohli, Gautami Kapoor, and Rajat Bedi playing key roles.
The preview opens with Shah Rukh Khan’s voiceover introducing Lakshya as Aasman Singh, an outsider who makes it big in Bollywood while falling in love with superstar Arjun Talvar’s (played by Bobby Deol) daughter, portrayed by Sahher Bambba. The trailer teases ambition, rivalry, and romance in a world where fame is both a dream and a trap.
Bobby Deol lauded Aryan’s assured direction, saying, “I am so lucky to be a part of this show. Every actor has performed so well, but it’s the director who brings out the best. Aryan has managed to get the emotions right for every character—it’s amazing.” Filmmaker Karan Johar also hailed the debut, calling it “absolute blockbuster material.” Sharing the preview on Instagram, KJo wrote: “It has everything you’d want to binge on—entertainment and more entertainment! Aryan, it’s your time to shine.”
Shah Rukh Khan had earlier revealed that Aryan was never interested in acting but wanted to make films instead. “He writes quite well and wants to be a director or writer,” SRK once said. “He is my setup for the future. When no big director wants to work with me, I’ll bring my own big director.” That prophecy came true on Monday night, as the father introduced the son to the world of storytelling. While Aryan stayed firmly behind the camera in his debut, speculation remains high that SRK may make a cameo appearance in the final episode of the Netflix series.
With The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, Aryan Khan takes his first step in crafting a career defined not by lineage but by vision. And with Shah Rukh Khan urging fans to shower his son with love, it is clear that Aryan’s cinematic journey has the blessing of both family and fraternity.
