Call Me Bae Review: Ananya Panday Slays in ‘Princess to Pauper’ Diaries
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“You know, five minutes ago, I had seven luxury cars, a chopper, and a private jet. And now, I’ve become the poster girl for Desperate Housewives of South Delhi.”
Bella Chowdhury, AKA Bae, had it all—until her super-rich husband kicked her out of their mansion, and her parents practically disowned her over a scandal. Abandoned by everyone, Bae flies off to Mumbai to make it on her own. An internship with a news channel gives her a real shot at starting over.
Created by Ishita Moitra, the 2024 series Call Me Bae stars Ananya Panday as the titular character, who starts out as an extremely privileged, naive, and sheltered trophy wife, traveling in private jets, only to become a working-class woman struggling to find an auto-rickshaw to get to work. While her ‘princess-to-pauper’ story is comically delightful in the first half, the tone shifts slightly in the second half, becoming more serious. Bae’s character is reminiscent of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde—a beautiful young woman who isn’t taken seriously, so she works hard to change that perception.
Ananya Panday is instantly endearing as Bae, who acknowledges she was “born with a golden spoon” but was often made to feel second to her brother. Instead of pursuing her dream of getting an MBA, Bae’s mother, Gayatri (Mini Mathur), grooms her to be the ‘perfect wife’ to snag billionaire businessman Agastya Chowdhury (Vihaan Samat). Once the marriage goes south, Bae moves to Mumbai, where newfound friends—hotel employee Saira Ali (Muskkaan Jaferi) and journalist Tammarrah Pawwarh (Niharika Lyra Dutt)—help her navigate life as an ordinary girl with very little money.
Bae starts each day with simple morning affirmations: “I’m Bae. I’m here to slay. Eat, love, and pray. Seize the day.” Despite her many flaws, you can’t help but root for Ananya Panday’s Bae throughout all eight episodes of Call Me Bae. Ananya makes the larger-than-life Bae feel vulnerable and likable, even though she isn’t entirely relatable. In her pursuit of becoming a serious journalist, she gets plenty of help from Saira and her colleague/flatmate Tammarrah. The girls have their own ‘behen-code’ (sister code) to lift each other up. The fun friendship between the trio is one of the most entertaining parts of the series. Ananya Panday, Muskkaan Jaferi, and Niharika Lyra Dutt have great onscreen chemistry as friends, overshadowing Bae’s romantic connections in the tale. The girls often hang out with Prince Bhasin (Varun Sood), a handsome gym trainer who’s mad about Bae, though she doesn’t quite feel the same way.
Gurfateh Pirzada plays Neel Nair, a senior journalist who hires Bae as an intern for the news channel TRP, and while unexpected sparks fly between them, there’s no real fire. The channel’s face is Satyajit Sen, a hyper-nationalistic journalist inspired by Arnab Goswami, portrayed hilariously by Vir Das. Sen swears by swadeshi goods but sports videshi brands. Vir Das gives a rip-roaring performance, but Sen isn’t an out-and-out antagonist—at least not in the first half—and his character’s story progression, leading to a typical villainous end, feels underwhelming. Sen anchors a primetime show called The Confessional, where he typically exposes high-profile guests, a crucial element in the show’s climax.
Of course, Call Me Bae is exaggerated, over-the-top, with many scenes and coincidences serving Bae’s story. For instance, Tammarrah, portrayed as an ambitious junior journalist, stumbles upon a big scoop—a popular actor being proposed to in public—but inexplicably ignores it as a newsworthy update. Muskkaan Jaferi’s Saira is also a rich kid trying to make it on her own, and with a gambling problem. A lot of actors have interesting little cameos in “Call Me Bae” – Karishma Tanna, who was last seen as a leading journalist in ‘Scoop’, plays a big actor who is on the other side of the journalism fence.
The series is filled with fun writing and brimming with pop-culture references, from Bae’s dream wedding in the first episode (inspired by the Deepika-Ranveer and Anushka-Virat weddings) to a middle-episode faux pas where she writes the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s name as “Eleven Jinping,” reminiscent of a real-life incident with a DD news anchor. While the DD anchor was fired for the mistake, Bae receives only a mild rebuke from the supposedly monstrous Satyajit Sen. Watch out for the humorous ticker lines, such as the Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham-inspired dig at Bae: “Kabhi Klepto, Kabhi Gareeb.”
Call Me Bae is a visual treat, with Ananya Panday sporting gorgeous outfits throughout the show, though some are a bit outlandish for a news intern. While I usually don’t notice fashion details, Bae’s stunning earrings caught my eye in several episodes. From exclusive Manish Malhotra designs to high-fashion labels, she’s mostly dressed in head-turning attire. Unfortunately, the climactic episode features her wearing a bralette top that looks more suited for Bandra street shopping than a showstopper outfit for a season finale. Oh well…
The music of Call Me Bae is upbeat, with some catchy numbers, though much of the background music feels rehashed from popular tracks. However, it complements Bae’s journey well. Some tunes are reminiscent of “Suno Aisha” from the 2010 movie Aisha, and the lyrics of that song seem fitting for Bae’s personality. Ananya Panday is totally ‘kamal’, ‘bemisal’, and ‘lajawab’ in Call Me Bae. If you’re looking for a no-brainer, breezy, binge-worthy show about a young wealthy woman living an ‘ordinary’ life for the first time, this is a great pick.
Rating: 7/10. Watch Call Me Bae on Prime Video.
Read Next: Stree 2 Review: Comedy dominates headless monster sequel
Also Read: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Series Review (Short Audio Version Below)
