Director: Colin D'Cunha
Cast: Ananya Panday, Vihaan Samat, Varun Sood, Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Niharika Dutt, Lisa Mishra, Mini Mathur and Muskkaan Jaferi
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Ratings: 3 stars
Dharma and drama always go hand in hand and what’s a drama film without the protagonist going through a hell lot of struggles just to win at the end? Well, without any action or a mandatory dance number, Call Me Bae entertains you but only to a certain extent.
Touted as a riches-to-rags story, Call Me Bae is the story of Bae (Ananya Panday) who gets Bae-ghar from both her rich families, sasural and maika, and lands in Mumbai, where she decides to make her own living and carve her own identity. In the process how she finds a support system in her friends and makes millions of people her fans while living her life to the fullest is what forms the crux of the story.
Now if you think that it’s a typical riches-to-rags story then you are completely wrong. It is a glamourised version of the same considering it’s a Dharma Productions. Ananya Panday’s Bae doesn't sleep on footpaths or hustle in local trains after getting ousted from her husband’s and family house, rather, she very easily finds a place to live and a job so easily in a city like Mumbai that it makes you recall Siddhanth Chaturvedi’s statement (Jahan humare sapne pure hote hai vahan humare struggles shuru hote hai).
Even though the character sketch of Ananya Panday’s bae is too fictional, the actress leaves no stone unturned to make it relatable, fun, and super entertaining. Though it looks like she is a ‘papa ki pari (daddy's princess)’ actually Bae turns out to be a confident, passionate, her own princess. Ananya aced the emotional scenes making you believe her struggles and shed a teardrop or two and makes you laugh occasionally with her comic timing. What makes Bae a little silly but a superhero we all want to be is her having completed a course for every skill she comes across, her powerful dialogues, and her smart decisions which make you feel envious of her. Even if Ananya plays herself in the series, you’ll fall in love with her from the moment you give all your attention to it.
The first four episodes take a lot of time to establish all the characters and even the spoofs look very lazy and could have be executed better to actually add some comedy. But the plot turns PHAT (Pretty Hot and Tempting!) from the fourth episode when Bae locks horns with Satyajit Sen (Vir Das), again a spoof of Arnab Goswami at the TV news channel, who frowns upon her after she exposes him to real-time and gets famous for it too. Their rivalry is when the series starts to pick up the pace.
While some of the twists and turns are too predictable, at times the series does surprise you with an unexpected move and hooks you back to the screens. However, I do feel that the arcs of some of the characters like the guy who handles sports beat in the team, Varun Sood’s Prince, could have been written better so that they didn’t look useless or shabby. The director does a fantastic job bringing out the best in all the characters.
Apart from Ananya Panday’s classy act, Vir Das as the oversmart, unethical, and arrogant journalist fits the role best. His performance looks so real that it makes you detest him. Muskkaan Jaferi is another show-stealer. Her one-liners landed perfectly adding the much-needed pinch of comedy to the show, and making you want a friend like her in your life. Lisa Mishra makes a stunning debut as Harleen and impresses with her sensitive and emotional act. What else works for the series is the new term ‘behan-code’ which created the hype and tells the world that not only men but even women can be great friends. Gurfateh Pirzada and Ananya Panday’s chemistry in the show takes time to develop and gives viewers a cute love story at the end making it a major highlight of the series.
Call Me Bae is a thus package of comedy-drama, which looks more like a spoof drama packed with stunning performances, sassy dialogues, and some heroic moments. It is binge-worthy and even entertains you after the fourth episode and just when you start liking it, it bids you goodbye. If you are a fan of mindless entertainment, somewhat predictable but entertaining twists and turns, then Call Me Bae is a perfect weekend watch.
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