Bobby Deol on 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' and Why Aryan Khan is a Good Actor: 'He Looks Like His Father, But He's Different'

If you saw the teaser of Aryan Khan's directorial debut The Ba***ds of Bollywood and thought there was an actor in him, you have Bobby Deol as company. In the upcoming Netflix series, Bobby features as a superstar looking for a grand launch for his daughter, who is cast opposite an ambitious outsider.

When the teaser dropped last month, many on the internet felt that Aryan—son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan—could be an actor, as the debutant faced the camera for a hilarious, high-satire first look from the show. Bobby told THR India that the sentiment is not misplaced.

"He is a very good actor. If he hadn't been an actor, he wouldn't have been able to extract work from us the way he did. He understands it," Bobby said about the 27-year-old.

"There is a dialogue for Lakshya where he says there are many stars, but just one sky... and Aryan would act out the character of the journalist who had a lisp as well. Itna talented hai woh bachcha! (the kid is so talented). When I first saw the teaser, I called and told him, 'You know what I will miss about you on the show? You as an actor.' He has a persona and a personality; yes, he looks like his father, but he is not his father. He is totally different and people will realise that eventually."

During the interview, Bobby was joined by the cast of The Ba***ds of Bollywood, including Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Sahher Bambba and Manoj Pahwa, who added that there were times when he told Aryan, "What are you doing in direction?' But he wants to do this." To which Bobby added, "But he has chosen the most difficult job, of being a director."

Although Shah Rukh and Bobby were contemporaries, the two actors belonged to different social circles. When Aryan was growing up, Bobby said he hadn't seen him often but had bumped into him a few times, including a year before Aryan approached the actor for the show.

"When I met him for half an hour, I felt something so special just talking to him. It felt so nice to see this boy; he has been through so much. There was a spark in him that makes him want to achieve something. When I met him for work, it was a seven-hour-long narration. The way he narrated it to me was with so much conviction and humour. Even on set, where chaos is inevitable, he would never get distracted or irritated by it. He would never lose his cool and always be relaxed. That is something unbelievable by someone of his age," Bobby added.

The Ba***ds of Bollywood premieres on September 18.