'The Ba***ds of Bollywood': Unmissable pop culture moments in the preview

Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is making his directorial debut with Netflix’s ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, and fans just cannot keep calm. The much-anticipated show is all set to premiere on September 18. A month prior, the makers shared the much-awaited preview or pre-teaser of the film, and we have to say, it is mind-blowing.

Not only does it promise an inside look into the drama, controversies, and scandals of Bollywood, it also serves some major pop culture moments that are sure to leave you boggled!

Wondering what we are talking about? Here are five pop culture moments from the show that will make you stop scrolling.

Same font used in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

Did you notice that the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ font has been used for the series preview? For fans of Marvel’s blockbuster, this is an instant callback to the visually appealing font used in the trailer of 'Black Panther'.

It's a deliberate nod to Hollywood, suggesting that Aryan Khan and his team are paying attention and adding global film references.

Hollywood sign gets a Bollywood twist

Another clever pop culture reference is the re-imagining of the legendary Hollywood sign. In true Bollywood fashion, the sign is playfully transformed into "Sodawallah," a nod to the famous Indian term for a soda vendor. The sign also seems like it is drawing parallels between where Aryan Khan (the director of the film) studied – the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Source: AFP

Ananya Panday & Siddhant Chaturvedi’s nepotism debate reference

If you’ve been following Bollywood gossip, you’ll remember the infamous 2019 roundtable discussion where Ananya Panday and Siddhant Chaturvedi had a public debate over nepotism in the industry. Now, the preview of The Bads of Bollywood slyly nods to this showdown. The moment is subtle, yet striking, making it clear that the series is going to take potshots at infamous incidents from the film industry.

For the uninitiated, during a roundtable interview in 2020 with Rajeev Masand, Ananya had equated success in the film industry to appearances on Karan Johar's celebrity chat show ‘Koffee with Karan’, and Siddhant had responded to it with a comment that made him viral overnight.

Source: Red Chillies Entertainment

He said, “The difference is jahaan humare sapne poore hote hain, wahi inka struggle shuru hota hai (The difference is that their struggles begin where ours end)."

A subtle reference to ‘Gully Boy’

No Bollywood pop culture reference would be complete without highlighting Ranveer Singh’s iconic "Bohot hard!" line from ‘Gully Boy’. In the teaser, there’s a cheeky callback to this memorable dialogue that instantly makes it a 'Ranveer Singh' moment. This is the kind of playful tribute that adds to the teaser’s fun and makes us want to see more.

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The popular award show, Filmfare, gets a twist

The most hilarious and on-the-nose reference is the transformation of the iconic Filmfare Awards into the Filmfirst Awards. With the exact same stage, set, and format, this is a great reference to the iconic awards show that has been graced by Bollywood for ages.

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Which reference was your favourite?

In just a few moments, the preview of ‘The Bads of Bollywood’ gave fans a deep dive into some dark and funny aspects of Bollywood. From the ‘Black Panther’ font to the Sodawallah sign, and the cheeky nods to Bollywood’s biggest moments, it’s clear that this series is hitting the right notes.