Published on: 23 September, 2025 11:52 IST
Aryan Khan’s much-awaited directorial debut The Ba**ds of Bollywood* premiered on September 18 and has been grabbing headlines ever since not just for its ensemble cast, but also for the controversies it has stirred. Packed with 21 celebrity cameos, the show thrives on surprise appearances, with Ranbir Kapoor’s brief yet striking entry in Episode 7 now at the center of a storm.
In the scene, Kapoor plays himself, introduced by Karan Johar as a potential manager for Anya Singh’s character. What follows is a playful exchange Ranbir cheekily tells Johar, “Fk all jacket, Karan,” to which KJo fires back, “Oh, fk you too.” Moments later, however, Kapoor’s request for a vape has triggered major backlash.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has intervened, directing Mumbai Police to register a case against Ranbir, the show’s producers, and streaming platform Netflix. Activist Vinay Joshi’s complaint alleges that the series promoted e-cigarettes in violation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019. He argued that Kapoor’s vaping scene, presented without health warnings or disclaimers, risks normalising banned substances among young audiences.
The complaint further accused the show of glorifying an illegal product and spreading irresponsible content that undermines public health. Acting on this, the NHRC has issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, calling for swift action. The Mumbai Police Commissioner has also reportedly been tasked with probing e-cigarette supply chains and submitting a report within two weeks.
Backed by Red Chillies Entertainment, the show’s central narrative follows Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya Lalwani), an ambitious outsider navigating Bollywood’s glitz, chaos, and fierce rivalries. The ensemble cast includes Bobby Deol, Sahher Bambba, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, and Vijayant Kohli, with Rajat Bedi and Gautami Kapoor in key roles.
The series also boasts an array of celebrity cameos from Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Disha Patani, Orry, Shanaya Kapoor, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Rajkummar Rao, and Sara Ali Khan, to later appearances by Aamir Khan, SS Rajamouli, Badshah, Emraan Hashmi, and Arshad Warsi.