Is Call Me Bae A Frivolous Take On Gen Z And Feminism?

*This article contains spoilers* We are all accustomed to the rags-to-riches tale of poor individuals making their fortune through years of toil and consistent work. Still, the stories of women adorned in the jewels of billionaire taste losing it all and finding their true identity are rare to be portrayed in its individualistic sense. Call Me Bae, a recent Dharma Production starring Ananya Panday portrayed as Bella Chaudhary aka Bae is a unique tale of a woman who, born with a golden spoon and nurtured with comfort and riches of the world, battles the bane of loneliness and lack of healthy attention and validation, only to lose it all and find herself amidst the struggles of the middle class in Mumbai. 

The series is a bold take on the lives of Gen Z implied through the character journey of Bae, who fights her way through the patriarchal and misogynistic worlds to find her true purpose and identity, not the one that is attached to her father or husband. Though it tries its best to be unconventional in its discourse of giving its central plot to a female character, it falls prey to the clichéd lines of misogyny and sexist remarks disguised under witty humour. 

Call Me Bae: Plot And Performances 

Ananya portrays Bella, or Bae, a wealthy girl who suddenly faces hardship after flaunting her affluent lifestyle. Her mother (Mini Mathur) pressures her to marry into wealth and give up her dreams. Following a relationship with her billionaire husband Agastya (played by the unimpressive Vihaan Samat), she becomes estranged from her family. The narrative explores her path to self-discovery while integrating aspects of the #MeToo movement for a modern touch, but the execution ultimately comes across as shallow and lacking in substance. The character occasionally challenges Panday, but she skillfully seizes the opportunities for growth presented by the long-form narrative and strong writing. This allows her to create a relatable character who is worth supporting, despite the show lacking significant moments of revelation.   

Bae's spouse, Vihaan Samat, embodies the stereotypical arrogant affluent man from South Delhi, frequently unavailable and gifting his wife platinum cards for shopping. She engages in a brief romance with a fit gym instructor, Varun Sood, who surprises her with his authentic and caring personality, which stands in stark contrast to his typical role as a mere attraction for uninterested housewives.

An investigative TV journalist, Gurfateh Pirzada, offers her a job at his channel, but it raises questions about why a real journalist would consider hiring someone so clueless. Even Vir Das, known for his exceptional stand-up comedy, is relegated to playing a well-known anchor who solely focuses on grilling and humiliating his guests, revelling in their misfortunes as intended. Muskkaan Jaferi plays a working girl who helps the struggling Bae while advocating for female independence, although she has a hidden flaw that is revealed gradually. Jafari delivers a strong performance. The supporting cast, including Niharika Lyra Dutt as a coworker and flatmate, and Lisa Mishra as a senior television producer, also performs well. Mini Mathur is convincing as the wealthy mother-in-law looking for a more affluent son-in-law.

Narrative Around Mental Health And Gen Z

Whether it was Saira Ali’s gambling addiction, the extreme workaholism of Tammara or the shoplifting tendencies of Bae, the series attempts to talk about mental health and the need for healthy attention and validation amongst the younger generation. Yet as we make our way through the entire discourse of the show, the stance on more real problems like mental health seems to subside in its brevity as the luxurious couture and lavish lifestyle of Bae is given more depth in the storyline. One tries to relate to the life of Ananya Panday’s riches-to-rags narrative and her desperation to be validated for her competence, but the extravaganza of larger-than-normal kindness gestures and unsuitable couture in a workplace setting makes it hard to be relatable. While Anaya's attempt to hone her flaws and shallowness in her character through every crevice is laudatory, the radiance of authenticity gets lost in all the unrealistic main character energy that the series tries to channel.

The writing starts strong and effectively captures Gen Z's unique style and rhythms in its onset yet the latter duration of scenes and settings appear to be staged for effect. The show tries to gain some laughs when it wants to be relatable to the general audience, with the favourite being: Chopper Lagwaa doon? Like, gaadi bulwaa doon? Though mirthful in its demeanour, the relatability meter dwindles amidst the shallowness of glitz. 

Frivolousness Embraced In Portraying Feminism?

The series could have been a hearty watch if it had avoided touching upon serious topics such as misogyny and sexual harassment in an unserious demeanour. Vir Das who plays the role of stealthy news anchor at TRP and is shown as a bootlicking journalist who sensationalizes information to gain engagement and eyeballs from his viewers, plays his role quite well. One might recall the notion that India wants to know through his performance, that all goes well until his character turns everything into a sexist joke that offers rage baits to offend the female gender. His dialogue, ‘Privacy is so last season’ and his lousy comments on Bae’s dressing sense directly related to her character and competence serve as evidence of the motive of commercializing the notion of women empowerment disguised under the mask of crude and sexist humour.

The last few episodes where the characters are trying to solve mysteries about people who have been hurt just aren’t very interesting. The parts about TV news, with anchors wanting to get more viewers, meetings at the newsroom, and the differences between real reporters and those on social media feel old and tired. Call Me Bae feels tiresome at its end as it tries to draw parallels between capitalistic journalism and Gen Z affluence with social media, making it fall flat in its overall performance.

Ananya Panday is surely the star of the show as she portrays the not-so-relatable character of Bae, in my opinion. Call Me Bae tries its best to be another Rocky and Rani success as it promotes women empowerment through the lens of Gen Z and their struggles, yet falters in its endeavour as it lacks the sensitive nuance that one needs while shedding light on these perspectives. The series is a good one-watch where one does not expect something thought-provoking or extraordinary in its discourse. 

Views expressed are the author's own.

Authored by Hridya Sharma