Post by : Bianca Qureshi
Among the many talking points surrounding Netflix’s The Bastards of Bollywood, one name stands out for both performance and career breakthrough: Lakshya, cast as the protagonist Aasmaan Singh. For the actor, this series represents not just a prestigious platform but also a turning point in a career long watched by industry insiders.
From Struggles to Stardom
Lakshya (sometimes credited as Laksh Lalwani) had previously worked in television and youth-oriented projects. Despite his talent, his transition to mainstream cinema had been slower than expected. Much like his character Aasmaan — an outsider trying to carve a place in the industry — Lakshya’s own trajectory mirrors the struggles of entering Bollywood without entrenched lineage.
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This parallel made him a natural fit for Aasmaan Singh: a young man from Delhi navigating the glamour, contracts, and behind-the-scenes politics of Mumbai’s film industry. The alignment between actor and role enhanced both credibility and emotional resonance.
Casting Choice: A Technical Masterstroke
From a filmmaking perspective, Aryan Khan’s decision to cast Lakshya carried several strategic benefits:
Character Symmetry:
Lakshya’s personal outsider status provided an authentic emotional core, blurring the lines between actor and character. Audiences subconsciously connect his real-life struggles to the fictional narrative, increasing believability.
Risk Mitigation:
Instead of choosing an established Bollywood insider, Aryan Khan anchored the story on a fresh face. This reduced charges of hypocrisy in a show satirizing nepotism and created space for veterans like Bobby Deol and rising talents such as Sahher Bambba to shine without overshadowing the lead.
Market Expansion:
Lakshya’s casting adds relatability for Gen Z and millennial Netflix audiences, who increasingly value authenticity over legacy stardom. From an OTT perspective, this can increase “completion probability,” as viewers are more likely to finish episodes when the lead feels genuinely aspirational.

Performance Review
Lakshya has been widely praised for his intensity and controlled screen presence. His portrayal avoids melodrama while still carrying the energy required for high-stakes moments, including the finale’s shocking family secret twist. Critics have noted:
Restraint in Emotional Beats: Aasmaan’s frustrations with contracts, producers, and star rivalries are expressed with nuance, not theatrics.
Chemistry with Co-Stars: His dynamic with Sahher Bambba (Karishma Talvar) convincingly shifts from romance to tension after key revelations.
Command Against Veterans: Holding screen presence opposite Bobby Deol demonstrates maturity; he neither overplays nor fades.
From a directorial standpoint, Aryan Khan leveraged Lakshya’s “blank canvas” quality, enabling viewers to project outsider anxieties onto him while the script pushes him into extreme circumstances.
Global Appeal
For global OTT audiences, The Bastards of Bollywood required a relatable central figure. Unlike established Indian film stars with heavily mediated images, Lakshya’s relatively untapped brand identity provides universality:
Western or Middle Eastern viewers encounter him not as a Bollywood star’s son, but as a genuine actor embodying ambition and conflict.
His outsider positioning aligns with global trends favoring authentic talent over dynastic privilege, making Aasmaan Singh potentially exportable as a character archetype for international audiences curious about Bollywood’s underbelly.
Future Prospects
If The Bastards of Bollywood sustains its momentum (India #1 by Day-3, with global Top-10 listings pending Netflix’s weekly viewership data), Lakshya could emerge as one of Netflix India’s marquee talents. His performance positions him for:
Season 2 Continuity: Aasmaan’s unresolved professional and personal conflicts could anchor future seasons.
Cross-Border Casting: With Netflix sourcing Indian talent for global originals, Lakshya’s neutral image makes him adaptable for diverse roles.
Franchise Building: Aryan Khan’s narrative has expansion potential, and a consistent lead strengthens brand recall.
Lakshya’s casting as Aasmaan Singh was both a narrative necessity and a strategic innovation. His real-life outsider journey brought authenticity, his performance carried emotional gravitas, and his emerging star status offers Netflix a new, exportable face of Indian streaming content. In an industry often criticized for recycling names, Aryan Khan’s choice to center his debut series on Lakshya may be remembered as one of the project’s most important creative decisions — one that could define both the actor’s career and Netflix India’s global storytelling ambitions.
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