Aryan Khan knew The Ba***ds of Bollywood would hit big: Not arrogance

Mumbai Breakout year for Aryan Khan. His first outing as director with The Ba***ds of Bollywood, released on Netflix in September 2025, not only sparked widespread viewer interest but also secured him the second spot on IMDb’s “Most Popular Indian Directors of 2025” list.

The series a satirical, behind-the-scenes look at Bollywood’s glitz and scandals resonated widely. Viewers appreciated its raw take on fame, ambition, betrayal and the dark underbelly of the film industry. Khan’s fresh narrative voice and directorial vision clearly struck a chord.

Why the surge in popularity

Genre and timing Audiences appear drawn to gritty, inside-Hollywood stories and The Ba***ds of Bollywood delivered at just the right time. The series dropped when streaming and interest in “realistic Bollywood stories” are booming.

Strong ensemble & cameos The show features a star-studded cast and high-profile cameos, which helped it appeal to both mass audiences and hardcore cinema watchers. That breadth boosted search and trending numbers on IMDb.

New-age directorial voice As a young director making his debut, Aryan stands out — especially being a web-series creator included among big-name Hindi film directors. His ranking above many veteran directors signals shifting audience preferences.

What this means for Aryan and for Indian OTT

For Aryan Khan, this isn’t just a spot on a popularity list. It validates his creative instincts and establishes him as a fresh directorial voice.

For Indian entertainment, his rise confirms a trend: audiences value stories about the industry itself, told with honesty and ruthless self-examination. OTT platforms and producers might increasingly back similar bold, insider-style stories.

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