The year 2025 turned out to be a milestone for Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan. The star kid made his long-awaited directorial debut with Bads of Bollywood, which became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows, trending on the platform’s Top 10 list for several weeks and placing him at the top of the list for Best Debut Director. Filled with Bollywood cameos, from Shah Rukh Khan to Shalini Passi, the series attracted huge attention. While Lakshya Lalwani headlined the show, it was Raghav Juyal and Manoj Pahwa’s performances that really emerged as fan favourites. However, bringing in Manoj Pahwa was not easy at all. the seasoning The actor initially rejected the offer.commenting on the famous line: “Hoga bada apne ghar mein…” in response to Aryan Khan’s approach.
In a recent interview with Mashable India, Manoj Pahwa spoke about how he finally came on board the project and the challenges he faced while working on the show.
Recalling the first interaction, Manoj said, “Aryan made me do things I had never done before. I didn’t audition for that role. He just called me and told me he wanted me to do it. I had initially rejected him.”
Explaining the reason for his hesitation, he added: “I had asked for the script, but my manager told me that they were not going to give the script for the show to anyone. That discouraged me. I am from Delhiso I thought, ‘I won’t do it either.’ Hoga apne ghar ka, hum bhi kam nahi hai.’ “I had done a few films with Shah Rukh, but we didn’t share any major personal bond.”
He further revealed, “After a week, my manager called me and told me that they had sent me four different scripts. I read them and really liked the material. When I finally met the team, they said, ‘Please don’t tell anyone that we gave you the script because we haven’t shared it with any other actors. We sent it to you only because you turned down the role.'”
Manoj also spoke about how Aryan pushed him creatively on the set. “After he finally convinced me, he forced me to do things that still generate strong reactions from the audience,” he said.
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Sharing a funny behind-the-scenes detail, Manoj added, “Sometimes I used to object, but he would say, ‘Achha lagega, sir!’ He abused me so much that I didn’t feel comfortable with it. Aryan told me, ‘Sir, aapke mooh se gaali achhi lagti hai.’ As an actor I can only suggest things. The final verdict is always that of the director.”
Despite his initial doubts, Manoj admitted that he was ultimately happy with the result. “I’m very happy with the way they did the show. It turned out great and became extremely popular. They paid us everything and treated us with a lot of respect,” he said.
The actor also shared his experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan, who often visited the sets to support his son. “Shah Rukh sir was extremely kind on the set. He would often say, ‘Come to Mannat, daaru peete hai (let’s drink alcohol),'” Manoj recalled with a smile.
In Bads of Bollywood, Manoj Pahwa played Lakshya Lalwani’s uncle, a struggling musician whose life changes after he goes viral on social media, gaining long-awaited recognition for his talent.