For Aryan Khan, The Ba***ds of Bollywood is his directorial debut. But those part of the show maintain that the filmmaker never gave off the vibes of a newbie or first-timer. The show’s two stars – Lakshya and Sahher Bambba – spoke to Hindustan Times about Aryan’s directorial style ahead of the show’s release.

The Ba***ds of Bollywood is an irreverent take on the Hindi film industry with Lakshya playing an up-and-coming star named Aasmaan Singh. Talking about Aryan’s direction in the series, the actor shares, “It didn’t seem like it’s his first show because of the clarity and surety he had on the material. And he has been working on it for a long time. We used to finish the shoot and then leave. But that boy was writing it 2-3 years before we were even cast. Then, after we would pack up, he would go and edit. We would be sleeping, and he would come to the set the next day without having slept. He has done nothing apart from this show for the last 5 years. When a man is just thinking about The Ba***ds of Bollywood while sleeping or waking, imagine what conviction he would have on it.”

The show also stars Sahher as Karishma Talwar, a starlet whose father is the reigning superstar. The actor adds that even she found Aryan’s commitment to the show refreshing. “He didn’t take a single day off. Even if he wasn’t on shoot, he would be doing something with the music of the BGM (background score). He was really at it,” she tells us.

The Ba***ds of Bollywood also stars Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Mona Singh, Rajat Bedi, Gautami Kapoor, and Manish Chaudhari in pivotal roles. The show also features several Bollywood A-listers playing themselves in cameos, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Yo Yo Honey Singh, and Janhvi Kapoor, among others. The show releases on Netflix on 18 September.