Ananya Panday’s Call Me Bae proves privileged or not, women will always be judged

Directed by Collin D’Cunha, Call me Bae is the story of Bae, who upon being downsized from heiress to hustler, discovers that her most valuable assets aren’t her diamonds, but her street smarts and style

Call Me Bae review
Cast: Ananya Panday, Gurfateh Pirzada, Vir Das, Varun Sood, Muskkaan Jaferi, Niharika Lyra Dutt
Web series director: Collin D’Cunha
Rating: 3.5/5

“Why couldn’t you be the perfect daughter?” asks Bae’s mother when she learns about her daughter’s indiscretion in marriage. The daughter, brought up in the lap of privilege, has had little freedom to make decisions about her own life. Very early, she was taught that her worth in the family is directly proportional her good looks. That’s her best feature and she should make optimum use of it, not just for her own good, but for her family’s, too.

Predictably, Bae (Ananya Panday) is married off to save the family from bankruptcy. She has been prepped and groomed to be the perfect trophy wife, wasn’t allowed to pursue a career of her own. Post-marriage, her husband doesn’t even consider her worthy of a conversation with his business associates, just handle the hors d'oeuvres.

Her voice and choices are literally stifled. Bella is so lonely, she talks to her designer handbags for comfort. So, when a stud-like gym trainer (Varun Sood as Prince) gives her the attention the husband should ideally have, she grabs it. And that one mistake changes her life.

Her entire family turns their back on her, so does her so-called South Delhi friends circle. “Uss ghar mein ek chandelier ko mujhse zyada attention milta hai,” argues Bae when her own brother refuses to support her.

The south Delhi girl then sets out to make her own life in bustling Bombay. Once the dollars and dirhams in her purse dry up, she becomes an intern at a news channel spearheaded by tyrannical Satyajit Sen (Vir Das). While the kind Neel (Gurfateh Pirzada) takes Bae under his wing, Satyajit is always ready to tear her a new one. He has no qualms exposing the most private details of celebrity women on his channel, which is literally called TRP. While everyone is too busy trying to kowtow to him, Bae stands up to his misogynistic comments.

The best part of this Dharmatic Entertainment production is that it doesn’t show the rich girl with designer bags as an airheaded bimbo. Even when she hits rock bottom, she is nice to the hotel staff, because “kindness never goes out of fashion.” Her clothes and mannerisms may make people assume she is superficial and stupid, but Bae proves time and again she is quite self-aware and has the brains to navigate tricky situations.

Ananya showed signs of progress as a performer with Kho Gaye Hum Kahan - in Call Me Bae she is absolutely entertaining. From comic scenes to emotional ones, she fulfils her role beautifully. She has solid backing from her ‘behens’ in the show – Saira (Muskkaan Jaferi) and Tammarrah (Niharika Lyra Dutt) – who are by her side no matter what. Their sisterhood is a delight to watch.

Despite a certain amount of predictability, the makers have kept the show pacy with multiple high points. The 8-part series is quite binge-worthy and will keep you entertained throughout. Chick-flick lovers, this one is definitely for you!

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