In the final episode of Call Me Bae, Ananya Panday’s character Bella aka Bae describes herself as ‘flawsome — flawed but awesome’. The coinage also perfectly describes the Prime Video show, produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment, and marking Ananya’s web series debut.
Call Me Bae manages to pack a punch by not taking itself too seriously. Directed by Collin D’Cunha and created by Ishita Moitra, this is a breezy series with a protagonist who wears her privilege on her sleeve and grows into someone far more layered than the spoiled South Delhi princess she starts off as.
From the outset, Bae is presented as a woman born into luxury who casually refers to South Delhi as her kingdom. When her husband Agastya (Vihaan Samat) catches her getting cosy with her trainer (Varun Sood) in the gym, Bae’s perfect world comes crashing down; her affluent family cuts herself out and she’s forced to fend for herself in Mumbai.
The journey is, of course, paved with sanitised struggles. This isn’t your typical riches-to-rags story a la Schitt’s Creek. Instead, it’s a tongue-in-cheek look at a rich girl figuring out how to survive in a world that doesn’t care a damn for her whims.
Ananya Panday becomes Bae with a blend of cluelessness and effortlessness that is easy on the eye. From spraying hand sanitiser on a beach bench before trying her first vada pav to comparing an autorickshaw to a Mini Cooper, Ananya’s performance is both humorous and self-aware. The screenplay by Ishita Moitra, Samina Motlekar and Rohit Nair plays with these moments of privilege in a way that doesn’t patronise Bae but also cuts her down to size.
There’s a freshness to Bae as she doesn’t dramatically transform into a humble, down-to-earth person by the end of the series. Instead, like Ranveer Singh's Rocky in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, she remains true to her identity but grows in subtle, meaningful ways. Ananya Panday’s performance is a far cry from her previous roles. In Call Me Bae, she shows her ability to take a character that is dismissed as shallow and gives her depth without losing the fun and frothiness, which makes the series so entertaining.
However, by the third or fourth episode, the plotline begins to feel sluggish, and you feel like dismissing Call Me Bae as just a desi version of Emily in Paris. Things pick up once again when Bae starts work at a news channel under the strict, no-nonsense Satyajit Sen, played with devilish glee by Vir Das. Das clearly had a blast parodying an Indian news anchor, and the dynamic between his sensationalist journalism practices and Bae’s social media-influenced perspective creates some of the series’ best moments.
Although the show veers into a serious territory in the last three episodes, tackling themes like #MeToo and data privacy, it maintains a light, almost flippant tone. The showdown in the climax — almost reminiscent of the first season finale of Jennifer Anniston-starrer The Morning Show — is as crazy as it can get.
In the end, Call Me Bae is a show about women. Bae’s growth is subtly guided by various women — her mother, her flatmate, and even the women she meets in passing. Through the ‘Behen-code’ that the series playfully references, each female character brings something new to the table, whether it’s a lesson in humility or simply a shared moment of understanding.
Mini Mathur as Bae’s mother, Gayatri, has very little screen time but slays it with her sassy charm. Then there are Niharika Lyra Dutt’s Tammarrah and Lisa Mishra’s Harleen, Bae’s co-workers who become a crucial part of her stint at the news channel. Karishma Tanna, Sayani Gupta, Riya Sen and Faye D’Souza will also win your hearts with their cameos.
The standout in the supporting cast is Muskkaan Jaferi as Bae’s flatmate. Her biting wit and infectious energy elevate every scene she’s in, and she provides a much-needed counterpoint to Bae’s more laid-back persona.
The men on the show aren’t all red flags either. Varun Sood as Prince, the lovable gym trainer with unexpected tech skills, and Gurfateh Pirzada as Bae’s colleague Neel contribute to her growth story.
Visually, too, Call Me Bae is as vibrant as its protagonist. The costume design in particular reflects Bae’s journey, from glitzy, over-the-top outfits in the early episodes to the more subdued, professional attire later. By the final episode, when she chooses a dark blazer over her usual flashy ensemble, it’s clear that Bae is not the same person anymore.
