In Bollywood, where newcomers tread cautiously, Lakshya Lalwani storms in unapologetic and confident. At 29, he leads Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, as Aasmaan Singh—a rank outsider, restless, ambitious, and unapologetic, who dares to push through the haloed doorways of the industry on his own terms. For Lalwani, the role is close to home. A newcomer without a filmi surname or godfather himself, what keeps him going is conviction, hunger, and the belief that sometimes the truest roles are the ones life writes for you.
The Netflix show is part of a larger journey for the actor. “When I first arrived in Mumbai, I wanted the hype for myself; I wanted to be known. I wanted to be big,” he says, his words as unfiltered as his ambition. “Now that I’m on the way, it’s not that I’m just playing along. I believe in this, and I work hard for it. I eat, sleep, drink this work. Every project is the biggest meal, and I’m starving, craving more. What’s happening now, I tell myself, is just one per cent of what I’m meant to do.”
There’s no attempt to hide that hunger in false modesty. Lalwani’s conviction is striking because he knows who he is and where he wants to go. “I don’t like underplaying myself. I know how hard I work and how badly I want this. Of course, I’m grateful, but it’s happening because it was supposed to happen. And I believe in that.”
His breakout in 2023 with Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s action thriller Kill made him impossible to ignore. The film’s raw, relentless narrative set him apart, and with The Ba***ds of Bollywood, he seems determined to prove it wasn’t a one-off. “Your hero is always five years ahead of you,” he says, borrowing Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey’s oft-quoted mantra. “So I’m chasing that version of myself I’ll be in five years. That’s what keeps my head grounded.”
Such confidence comes from the lessons he has learned along his journey. Lalwani remembers his Dharma Productions launch, when he was still finding his ground in the industry. “Back then, I was the ‘Yes sir, okay sir’ guy; I wanted to be liked,” he says nonchalantly. “I thought that was the only way to go. But I’ve learnt from this show that there is no need to seek such validation. I would observe Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, whenever they were around, there was an ease of self-belief and a quiet confidence in them… this is when I realised one needs to be self-reliant and have an unshakable confidence in oneself.”
Lalwani believes that to shine in Bollywood, one doesn’t only have to compete, but also be confident enough to rule. “There’s no formula. Just be yourself, be unabashed,” he says.
The Ba***ds of Bollywood is at once a satire and a celebration of the industry, shedding off the gloss and glitz to reveal its chaos and contradictions. With a fairly young cast, Lalwani reunites with his Kill co-star Raghav Juyal, who plays his best friend in the series. It also stars Seher Bamba as a superstar and his love interest, and Anya Singh as the no-nonsense talent manager. The show features actors like Bobby Deol and cameos by Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Karan Johar.
Lalwani is grateful to be working with a young set of people who treat him as an equal. “Despite the entire perception of Aryan being the son of the biggest star, the set was homely. He made sure everyone got a platform to express.”
All geared up for Chaand Mera Dil with Ananya Panday, Lalwani sets an example that being an outsider isn’t a hurdle, but an opening act.