Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan, 59, has formally introduced his son Aryan Khan to Bollywood. The actor got emotional at a glitzy event he hosted in Mumbai on Wednesday night to unveil Aryan's directorial debut – Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood.
"I am genuinely very thankful to the city of Mumbai and all of India, which allowed me to try and entertain you for 30 years. And today is a special day as my son is starting his journey in this very city," Khan told the gathering.
Wearing a cast from a injury sustained on the set of his coming movie, King, Khan showered praise on his son, saying he was a "hard working" man and asked for blessings and prayers.
"There’s no guarantee of box office success and there’s no guarantee that critics will give positive reviews, but when you work hard, there’s a full guarantee," he said.
What is The Ba***ds of Bollywood about?
An action comedy, The Ba***ds of Bollywood is directed and co-written by Aryan. A satirical take on the very industry he was born into, the show is meant to be "a playful roast and toast to Bollywood" and an underdog story about how far someone will go for their dreams.
"The series blends self-aware humour with a high-stakes narrative and promises a host of unforgettable cameos, blockbuster thrills and an adventurous ride into the world of Indian cinema," says Netflix.
Actor Lakshya, who made waves with the 2024 action film Kill, stars in the lead alongside Sahher Bambba and Bollywood veteran Bobby Deol. Several major stars appear in the first teaser, including Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh and Karan Johar.
"With The Ba***ds of Bollywood, I wanted to build a world that feels alive, a mix of glitz and grit, where ambition shines, egos clash and nothing is ever as it seems,” Aryan said.
His father added: "It’s a proud moment to see Aryan carve out his vision with such clarity and edge. This is storytelling that’s sharp, self-aware, and unapologetically bold, and I think audiences on Netflix will connect to the heart of it as much as its style."
Shah Rukh and his wife Gauri Khan are producing the show through their Red Chillies Entertainment, marking their company's sixth collaboration with Netflix.
Who is Aryan Khan?
Now 27, Aryan, is the eldest of Khan and Gauri's three children. Aryan's sister, Suhana Khan, made her acting debut in the 2023 series, The Archies while AbRam, the youngest, is 12 years old.
Aryan’s entry into the entertainment industry has been years in the making, its momentum stalled by the fallout from his cruise ship drug bust arrest in 2021.
Aryan, along with several other children of high-profile celebrities, was detained for 25 days in Mumbai Central Prison as authorities investigated an alleged international drugs racket. He denied any involvement, saying he neither possessed nor consumed drugs, and that he had been invited on the cruise ship by one of the accused. He was cleared of all charges in May 2022.
Later that year, he announced that he had finished writing his first TV series and launched a luxury lifestyle brand called D’yavol.
On Wednesday, he told attendees at the preview that his show took four years to make.
"The idea is only to provide a lot of entertainment to a lot of people," he said. "This show took thousands of takes and retakes, and I want to thank all those people who helped me create it."
The Ba***ds of Bollywood has its premiere on Netflix on September 18
