MUMBAI: He is a veteran known for his “cute Chacha” roles, but Manoj Pahwa recently found himself at a crossroads on the sets of the year’s biggest web sensation, The Bads of Bollywood***. The actor has opened up about his heated disagreements with debutant director Aryan Khan, even calling the character he was asked to play an “uncouth fellow” (badtameez aadmi) due to the extreme language in the script.
As the show continues to shatter records, Pahwa’s candid revelation is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at what it was really like to work under the junior King Khan’s direction.
“Sir, Believe Me”: When Aryan Khan Refused to Back Down
In an interview on the YouTube channel Khaane Mein Kya Hai, Manoj Pahwa admitted that the sheer amount of abusive language (gaali vaali) in the show made him incredibly uncomfortable. Playing the role of an uncouth uncle to the lead character, Aasmaan Singh (played by Lakshya), Pahwa initially pushed back against the “street-level” dialogue.
However, Aryan Khan was unfazed. The young director stood his ground, reportedly telling the veteran star, “Sir, believe me, it will look nice. Trust me.” Despite the age gap and Pahwa’s decades of experience, it was Aryan’s uncompromising vision for the gritty, satirical world of Bollywood that eventually won the day.
Calling SRK ‘Ghante Ka Badshah’? The Script That Had Shah Rukh’s Approval
The biggest point of contention for Pahwa wasn’t just the general swearing—it was a specific line directed at the “King of Bollywood” himself, Shah Rukh Khan. Pahwa revealed he was terrified of saying the phrase “ghante ka badshah” in reference to SRK. He even questioned the audacity of the line, asking Aryan how he could say such a thing.
The director’s response was the ultimate mic-drop. Aryan revealed that not only had Shah Rukh Khan read the entire script, but he had personally requested that the line stay! “Dad has read the script. Abusive words sound good coming from you. Dad said keep this in the script,” Aryan told a stunned Pahwa. It seems SRK was more than happy to be the butt of the joke for his son’s creative debut.
The Phenomenon: IMDb’s Most Popular Series of 2025
Despite the “badtameezi” and the controversies over its language, The Ba*ds of Bollywood has officially been crowned IMDb’s Most Popular Indian Series of 2025. Topping the charts ahead of heavyweights like Paatal Lok Season 2 and Panchayat 4, the Netflix original has become a pop-culture juggernaut.
The show, which follows the meteoric rise and scandalous fall of outsider Aasmaan Singh, features a powerhouse cast including Bobby Deol as the ruthless superstar Ajay Talvar, along with Lakshya, Mona Singh, and Raghav Juyal. With its shocking finale revealing the true meaning of the title, fans are already clamouring for a Season 2.
