Aryan KhanThe debut series of The Ba***ds of Bollywood has sparked a powerful conversation ever since its release online. While the Netflix show has found its fans, it has also drawn criticism for its dark portrayal of the Hindi film industry.One of the harshest reactions came from Viveck Vaswani, with whom she has been dating for a long time. Shah Rukh Khan It dates back to his early days in Mumbai.In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Vaswani again did not mince words while questioning the narrative presented in the serial.“Shah Rukh was treated like a king in my house, my mother, my father and I, we all looked after him. We had dinner together, watched films together and often went to the sets together,” she said.Recalling those years, he added, “Aziz Mirza gave him accommodation, and Aziz’s wife Nirmala Mirza was like his mother, as she was my mother. Saeed Mirza, Renu Saluja, and everyone associated with the Circus too. Karan Joharfather Yash Joharand Aditya Chopra’s father Yash Chopraeveryone, without exception, treated him like a king”.He then questioned the show’s tone, saying, “He came into the industry with a golden spoon. So why does he think the industry is bad?”
‘I’ve never seen anything like it’
Vaswani also objected to a certain scene which, in his opinion, paints an extreme picture.“You’re showing a woman being thrown to the ground by a director. I’ve never seen anything like that in the industry. I haven’t come across such nasty people here,” she said.Largely dismissing the idea of a toxic ecosystem, he continued, “Whatever filth or supposed ‘evil side’ people in Bollywood talk about, I’ve never seen it. Even Shah Rukh, who lived with me, never saw it.’
‘May there also be good people’
While admitting that the show could have run on second-hand accounts, Vaswani stressed the need for balance.“Why paint them all black? There are decent people in the industry,” he said.“If you’re doing something called The Ba***ds of Bollywood and you want to show the dark side, that’s fair, but let there be a Yash Chopra, who has been decent. Let there be a Yash Johar, or let there be a Viveck Vaswani who has always helped people. Let there be good people too,” he concluded.
