Review of “Call Me Bae”: Ananya Panday is the glamorous Desi Emily in search of a goal

Here is this girl with a seemingly perfect life that seems like a fairy tale. She is super rich, grows up with everything at her disposal, marries into a super rich family that only travels by helicopter. But not everything is OK. After all, what is her real goal? Her loneliness makes her make some drastic decisions and she eventually sets out to stand on her own two feet in a completely new city where she knows no one.

She gets great friends, an incredible support system, a job at a fancy media house with a supportive mentor and non-competitive colleagues, and she manages to stand up to really strong people! And after all that, men fall in love with her too!

So, that's the basic summary of Ananya Panday's debut series, Call Me Bae. It's very much like Emily in Paris, reminiscent of Aisha in the characterization of the main character and as over-the-top as Student of the Year. It's a dazzlingly cute fantasy series in a pop palette with a script that tries to touch on every topic – from loneliness and lovelessness in marriage to the search for meaning in life and responsible journalism!

During this search, the plot becomes confused and spreads out like raita. Instead of bringing it together, the makers add boondi The result is a series that would appeal to teenagers, but may be too imaginative for women in their late twenties or older (because hey! They're trying to find their way in life, and the naivety with which life is portrayed here can get on your nerves).

Watch the Trailer for “Call Me Bae” Here:

Bella or Bae (Ananya Panday) is the girl in the story. After a scandal in Delhi, she moves to Mumbai (is the title Bae in Bomba… never mind) and after being patronized by her brother, she rejects the easy way out and sets out to carve out a niche for herself. Yes, the rich and privileged have to do that too to make a name for themselves (a dharmastic, excuse me, fantastic point we have to make).

She gets by in a hostel, lives with random people who are all very nice and have no evil in their hearts (it's Barbie world), and since good begets good, she gets a job as an intern at a big media company because she just went viral. It doesn't matter if she has the necessary qualifications for it! In fact, she also lands a big story and takes on her behens (Girl).

Yes, all the talk must have proven by now that the story is paper-thin and goes in all sorts of directions. Director Colin D'Cunha should have kept the reins a little tighter, but he let them get out of hand several times.

The staging of the performances seemed over the top. If that was really the case, then the performances are good. But otherwise, Ananya Panday plays the role with sincerity. She really gives her best. The role lacks the finesse that she showed in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, but she pulls it off nonetheless.

Muskkaan Jaferi, who plays Saira in the series, is back to her true self after Mismatched. She becomes Bae's best friend in Mumbai and helps her navigate the fast-paced city. Lisa Mishra also delivers a layered performance in the series, which marks her acting debut. Niharika Dutt, who plays Tammarrah, also delivers a good performance, as does Varun Sood as the thoughtful and innocent Prince Bhasin. Gurfateh Pirzada plays the veteran journalist Neel, and we just wish he was a little less reserved in his performance.

Vir Das proves that he is a seasoned actor with the role of Satyajit Das. He plays the TRP-hungry journalist who puts story and numbers before morals. “The truth is not always important,” he shouts in the show, proving that he is not what a journalist should be. Yes, his character is not complex, but Das tries to give him a little more shape as the series progresses.

What really stands out in the show are the costumes. They are bold, colorful, dreamy and can rival Emily in Paris!

Ananya goes through them with confidence and verve, and often manages to distract the viewer with gaps and superficiality in the script.

Another thing you might like about the show is the dialogues. They often go beyond Bae and suit Ananya Panday as well. Some of them are fun too.

All in all, this series is a good choice if you are in the mood for a light show where you can turn off your brain and get lost in the neon colors and garish costumes of the audience. If you are someone who gets annoyed or even frustrated by the apparently simple way in which life is shown, you are better off not watching this series in one sitting.

But then again, you wouldn’t play “Call Me Bae” hoping to find intellectual answers to your life’s problems, would you?

2.5 out of 5 for “Call Me Bae”.