From riches to rags: Ananya Panday as Bae, the ultimate IT girl

In the age of digital streaming, people yearn to watch different stories. While most content tries to stand out with edgy, woke themes, it often borders on distasteful. Indian streaming content offers a refreshing contrast to your average Bollywood fare. When done right, it blends Bollywood’s emotional pull with modern beliefs and ideas. Amazon Prime's Call Me Bae does the same.

Directed by Colin D’Cunha and produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, the series gives us a glimpse into the exuberance and extravagance of an elite family living in posh India and reflects on the disparity between different social classes, while commenting on a myriad of social injustices in the process.

What worked:

Ananya Panday nails her portrayal of Bae, a rich, spoiled brat on a journey toward independence. Her innocence and often intolerable naivety, coupled with catchy comebacks and puns, make her an endearing character. The script is brilliant, packing the perfect mix of satire, wit, and social commentary. It touches on sensitive issues like marriage roles, the justice system, journalistic ethics, and the disparity between rich and poor. The styling and set design are executed to perfection, oozing signs of excess and grandeur from within each visually stunning frame.

The script balances its feminist undertones without being overtly preachy. Muskkaan Jaferi and Niharika Lyra Dutt as Saira and Tammarrah respectively, shine in their performances, striking the perfect balance for Bae and her idiocies. Comedian Vir Das excels as Satyajit Sen (SS), a caricature of sensationalist Indian TV journalists.

What did not work:

Call Me Bae often focuses more on style and aesthetics than plot development. The last two episodes feel dragged out, and the plot could have wrapped up in one episode after the sixth. The supporting cast delivers solid performances but suffers from weak character development.

Some scenes, especially in the first episode, feel cringeworthy and unrealistic, like when Bae’s husband casually mentions meetings with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, all of which seem too far-fetched at the very beginning of the series.

Verdict:

All in all, Call Me Bae delivers surface-level truths about life, riches, and reality checks, but with limited depth. It has its share of over-the-top moments but effectively conveys its message with humor.

Bae is advised to switch off her TV set by someone who says if “you are looking for real journalism… it's not on TV anymore”. It is not known whether Bae pays heed to that suggestion, but if you are looking for anything other than a few hours of light entertainment, Call Me Bae may not be for you. It may be a bit out there, but the series isn’t boring or unwatchable.