New Delhi: The Ba***ds of Bollywood actor Manoj Pahwa calls Aryan Khan the “spitting image” of Shah Rukh Khan, not only in appearance and voice, but also in his professionalism and approach to work.
“Aryan is following in his father’s footsteps,” Pahwa told ThePrint. “He (Aryan) is a hardcore professional, a workaholic, and he works very hard just like SRK.”
Pahwa has previously shared the screen with Shah Rukh in Josh (2000). Now, 25 years later, he is collaborating with his son.
Netflix unveiled the preview of The Ba***ds of Bollywood, Aryan’s directorial debut, on 20 August in Mumbai. The show explores a raw and unfiltered side of the film industry and will stream on the platform from 18 September onwards.
Pahwa emphasised that Aryan had high expectations to live up to, given that his father has earned legendary status through years of hard work.
“And I am glad Aryan didn’t take it lightly. He has put in every bit of effort in bringing this project to life,” he said.
Also Read: Aryan Khan’s Ba***ds of Bollywood preview released. Fans call it ‘Om Shanti Om of Gen Z’
Working on the sets with Aryan
In the show, Pahwa plays the role of the protagonist’s uncle, an aspiring actor who couldn’t find success in the film industry. While the character supports his nephew as he navigates the glitzy world, he also develops a sense of envy toward him.
When Pahwa first met Aryan and heard about the character and storyline, the experience was far beyond what he had anticipated.
“It was his first project. He is a young lad. I didn’t expect that the narrations would be pitch perfect. I was blown away in that first meeting itself,” he said.
Later, working on the sets with Aryan was also a refreshing experience for the actor. He also applauded Aryan’s commitment to get “perfect” shots.
“He is new to the field but he doesn’t get satisfied easily. He would take multiple retakes until he was happy. I would call him a perfectionist,” he said.
The actor admitted that, at times, the repeated takes did cause momentary irritation. “But, when we see the results, it’s all worth it.”
One scene from the preview that created chatter on social media shows the protagonist behind bars, with a cop telling him not to worry because people become more famous after they are put in prison.
For many fans, this was a dig by Aryan who was wrongfully arrested in 2021 in a drugs case. However, Pahwa dismissed such speculations.
“There is no relation between the scene and the incident,” he said.
The Ba***ds of Bollywood also stars Lakshay, Raghav Juyal, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Anya Singh, Vijayant Kohli, and Gautami Kapoor.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)