Aryan Khan’s Netflix debut, The Ba**ds of Bollywood, earns praise from Saif Ali Khan and Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos

Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, is set to make his directorial debut with a Netflix series titled The Ba**ds of Bollywood*. The project has already attracted notable attention, with Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos calling it “really fun” and actor Saif Ali Khan describing it as “fantastic.”

Speaking at the recently concluded Waves Summit 2025, Sarandos mentioned the show while discussing Netflix’s upcoming titles. “We have a show called The Ba**ds of Bollywood* coming up that is really fun,” he said. “I’m going to leave the audience to try to figure out the title completely, but it is so fun. I am four episodes in.”

Saif Ali Khan, who was in conversation with Sarandos at the event, revealed that he had also seen parts of the show. “I have to say I saw a little bit of that show as well, the one you just mentioned, and it looked fantastic,” he said. “My kids have done a little appearance in it.” Saif’s daughter Sara Ali Khan and son Ibrahim Ali Khan are both active in the film industry.

The full title of the series has not yet been officially revealed. At an earlier Netflix India event, Shah Rukh Khan hinted at a story behind the title, stating, “There is a story behind this name and Aryan and his team will present it later before you.”

According to Netflix, the show is described as “an unabashed, entertaining ride through the adventures of a charming, ambitious outsider navigating the glitzy yet tricky world of Bollywood.” It marks Aryan Khan’s first directorial venture and is reportedly based on an original idea developed in collaboration with Netflix.

Filmmaker Karan Johar also praised Aryan’s work in a recent conversation with entrepreneur Raj Shamani on YouTube. While acknowledging that he was not sure how much he could reveal, Johar said, “I have huge belief in Aryan Khan’s directorial talent. I don’t want to say anything about his Netflix show because he’ll get very angry, but all I’ll say is this: watch out.”

He continued, “If there is a King, there will be a Prince. I can say this with confidence, because I’ve seen the show. He has an individualistic voice as a director. He’s not anything like you’d expect Shah Rukh Khan’s son to be. He’s his own person. He works quietly, he doesn’t carry the baggage of his father. He works hard – 20 hours a day. He is a rare personality type.”

During the same Waves Summit session, Ted Sarandos highlighted Netflix’s broader impact in India. “Since 2021 through 2024, after Covid when things went back to normal, we have invested in India in a way that has created $2 billion of economic impact,” he said, adding that their productions have generated 20,000 cast and crew jobs in the country.

Sarandos also cited the growing global popularity of Indian content, noting that in 2024 alone, Netflix viewers worldwide watched about three billion hours of Indian programming – equating to around 60 million hours per week. “Every week of last year, there was a title from India in the global top 10,” he added.

Aryan Khan’s directorial debut is one of the most anticipated streaming releases from India, with the industry and fans watching closely as the next generation of Bollywood steps into the spotlight.