New Delhi: Raghav Juyal as Parvaiz has made the hero’s sidekick a more popular figure than even the hero in Netflix’s The Bads of Bollywood. His antics, his cringe yet street smart humour, his undying love for Emraan Hashmi or his unwavering, sometimes misguided loyalty for his friend Aasman (Lakshya Lalwani) make people wish they had someone like that by their side. His role in the series had more main character energy than the actual protagonist.
His character diffuses the tension in every scene. Even social media posts, comments and Netflix’s promotional posts are testimony to it. The character is a tribute to the idea that behind a successful star, there is a whole support system, especially if he is an outsider. A tribute to all the unseen faces and unheard voices that help in the journey of an actor becoming a heartthrob.
Sidekicks are quintessential in Bollywood, and every few years, when a star or lead shines, a filmmaker reminds us that the person next to the hero is a key ingredient in the recipe. What Juyal’s performance did in the web series is take it up a notch and become the Gen Z sidekick prototype.
Among the many nods to Bollywood and its quirky, twisted world, Aryan Khan also paid tribute to the sidekick. And Juyal’s own journey has been unconventional—from bagging the third position of a reality TV dance show to now transforming into an actor.
Also read: Bads of Bollywood brought Emraan Hashmi out of our guilty pleasure closet, made him cool
Impact of sidekicks
Every half a decade, a new sidekick makes its appearance, and we cannot help but fawn over that actor. From Murari (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) in Raanjhanaa (2019) to MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi) in Gully Boy (2019) to Circuit—Arshad Warsi—in the two Munnabhai films (2003-2006), sidekicks have remained in public memory more than the lead actors. When it comes to comic timing, they have an edge that makes them stand out.
The Dhoom franchise would not have the same appeal without Ali (Uday Chopra) and his daydreaming. Or, the love story of Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein would not have been as entertaining without Vikram (Vrajesh Hrijee) offering advice to Maddy (R Madhavan).
It is also perhaps rooting for the true underdog, who will not get the girl or make it big, but quietly celebrate every moment of his friend, help him get the girl, and, in the case of Parvaiz, drive like Vin Diesel’s character from the Fast and Furious franchise.
After all, not everyone can be the hero, but there is honour in being the sidekick.
Would Murad’s story have the same impact without MC Sher rooting for him? Or would we have been laughing till our stomachs hurt if Circuit did not spout his signature one-liners? The questions are metaphorical.
Parvaiz’s dialogue, “The whole Bollywood on one side, and Emraan Hashmi on one side” resonated with the audience, who were quick to make it viral on Instagram. But now, it’s all The Bads of Bollywood on one side and Parvaiz on one side.
And that’s exactly why only Parvaiz could have understood the legacy of an underrated star, because he himself is one. Aasman might mean the whole sky, but Parvaiz is the North Star.
A hero can do most things, for everything else he can’t—there is a sidekick.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)