Call Me Bae Review: Ananya Panday’s Sparkly Misfire Is Perfect To Play During Your Next Nap
Call Me Bae review: Ananya Panday starrer had everyone thrilled with its neon-colour-themed trailer that promised quite a story and the actor's OTT debut billed as the next big thing.
‘Call Me Bae’, directed by Collin D’Cunha, is all set to launch Ananya Panday into the OTT space. But it seems like the creators might have missed a memo— rockets need enough fuel to land smoothly. As for the landing of this diva's debut series? Let's just say it missed the mark by a mile and ended up in a whole different neighbourhood.
The eight-part comedy series, releasing on Amazon Prime Video on September 6, had everyone thrilled with its neon-colour-themed trailer that promised quite a story and Ananya’s digital debut billed as the next big thing. However, the show entering the OTT scene was more like tripping over the welcome mat. ‘Call Me Bae’, written by Ishita Moitra, Samina Motlekar, and Rohit Nair, promised a lot but delivered less than what the trailer suggested—apart from a few quirky meta references. Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra have given the Hindi-language series a flashy makeover as executive producers for Dharmatic Entertainment. Much like putting a sparkly bow on a gift to make it seem fancy.
The long episodes drag on, narrating the tale of a young woman who goes from heiress to hustler after a scandal. Intriguing, right? Well, that intrigue fizzles out after just a couple of episodes. When she is kicked out of her lavish mansion, Bella ‘Bae’ Chowdhary learns a lot about life. She tosses her diamonds and sells her high-end bags to pay her bills, and the middle-class life that privileged Bella once dreaded comes back to haunt her. Despite being broke and homeless, she refuses to let it break her spirit. Bae navigates the bustling streets of Mumbai, discovers that white bread is still a thing, and forms lasting friendships with hashtag ‘behen-code’. She embarks on a journey of self-discovery alongside her street-smart friend Saira Ali (Muskkaan Jaferi), her workoholic colleague Tammarrah Pawwarh (Niharika Lyra Dutt), and her 'burpees' partner Prince Bhasin (Varun Sood).
Before the release, Ananya Panday said D’Cunha asked her to steer clear of imitating popular chick flicks. Ironically, anyone who’s seen a few episodes of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ might spot that her body language is basically an ode to Alexis Rose (played by Annie Murphy). It’s as if Alexis decided to take a detour through Mumbai. And it doesn’t stop there—Ananya’s character casually name-drops and shares anecdotes in every conversation. Where have we seen that before? She has definitely got ‘a little bit Alexis’ in her, Iykyk.
Soon after the trailer of ‘Call Me Bae’ dropped, social media was flooded with comments about how the series seemed to borrow from shows like ‘Two Broke Girls’, ‘Schitt’s Creek’, and ‘Emily in Paris’. The lead actor insisted that while the template might look familiar, the show isn’t a copy. After sitting through the entire series, I can confirm that it’s nothing like those series—mainly because they were actually entertaining and funny (though I’m still scratching my head over Emily in Paris).
From Bae’s Bridgerton-style debut in high society to nods to Siddharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani’s wedding, the writers have woven every intriguing pop culture reference into the story. And even Orry made a cameo appearance, as usual, making us wonder, “What’s he doing here?” The whole show feels like a patchwork quilt stitched together from random bits and pieces. You could even turn it into a drinking game—take a shot every time a scene reminds you of something you’ve seen or heard before.
Bella lands an internship at a leading news channel after her viral video, quickly rising from a 'social media journalism degree' to going undercover for an expose—all within a month or so. If you’re looking for an accurate depiction of the media world, this series is about as far from reality as you can get. After the playful antics, Bae goes head-to-head with Satyajeet Sen (played by Vir Das), a character unmistakably inspired by Arnab Goswami. Sen is a cutthroat anchor who delights in prying into celebrities’ lives and airing their dirty laundry. Bae takes on a story tackling serious issues, particularly within the context of #MeToo discussions. While the show does a commendable job of bringing these issues to light, it sometimes oversimplifies the complexities of covering such stories.
But credit where it’s due: Ananya Panday delivers a decent performance. While her performance may echo Alexis Rose, she adds her own quirky flair to the mix. Despite her character often comes across as an insufferable fixer-upper, Panday manages to bring a refreshing touch to the role, making it work better than her previous performances. However, just as you’re starting to warm up to her character, Bae dives into the chaotic world of journalism, and that’s when the show veers from fiction to (almost) full-blown fantasy.
‘Call Me Bae’ wraps up with a cliffhanger that’s like the ultimate “to be continued” tease. Most of the suspense comes from the curiosity mounting over conspiracy that unfolds in the end. If you can laugh off the drama, it’s perfect to binge over the weekend with your girlfriends.
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