Ananya Pandey channels spoilt rich girl in ‘Call Me Bae’

If you love a riches-to-rags story and can’t get enough of lavish sets and costumes, get ready to drool

There I was, minding my own business, scrolling through my usual stuff when Prime Video India’s Call Me Bae trailer dropped like a glitter bomb on my feed. Now, I’m not usually the type to binge Indian series. Sure, they’ve got their charm, but I’m more of a “Watch British people drink tea and solve murders” kind of person. But this trailer? This one had me laughing out loud in the middle of a very quiet restaurant, earning some very judgy looks from strangers.

The lowdown

The trailer introduces us to Bella “Bae” Chowdhary, played by the ever-fashionable Ananya Panday, living the dream in New Delhi. And by dream, I mean “seven luxury cars, a chopper, and a fairytale wedding” kind of dream. She’s got it all: the riches, the looks, the designer labels that I can’t even pronounce. But just as we’re all basking in the glow of her seemingly perfect life, the universe decides to dropkick her into reality. Suddenly, Bae is disowned by her family (the audacity) and tossed into the chaotic, and let’s face it, less glamorous streets of Mumbai.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Bae is no longer the pampered princess but a girl trying to figure out how to survive without her safety net of silk cushions and Swiss watches. She interviews for a job as a journalist—because why not go from riches to writer’s block? Along the way, she starts forming unexpected friendships and alliances, because nothing screams character development like being forced to make actual friends.

Splurging in the name of style

Speaking of development, can we talk about Ananya’s fashion in the trailer? It’s like Emily in Paris decided to tone it down a bit (thankfully) but still keep the wardrobe budget sky-high. If you’re a sucker for the riches-to-rags trope like me, plus a production that splurges on set design and costumes, then prepare to drool. I have high hopes for this one—seriously, the outfits alone are enough to keep me coming back for more.

Now, it’s not all sparkles and designer handbags. We’ve all seen the spoilt rich girl story a million times before. I’m talking about everything from Alia Bhatt’s Shanaya in Student of the Year to Sonam Kapoor’s Ayesha, two characters I absolutely adored. Both of whom Ananya seems to take inspiration from. So yes, the concept might be as old as the couture Bae is forced to sell, but it’s the execution that matters. Ananya’s got some big shoes to fill, or stilettos, in this case. It’ll be interesting to see how she brings her own flair to a character type that could easily fall flat.

As for the cast, we’ve got Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, Vihaan Samat, Muskkaan Jaferi, Niharika Lyra Dutt, Lisa Mishra, and Mini Mathur. Oh, and did I mention it’s produced by the people’s favourite, Karan Johar? You know this series is going to be a cocktail of sass, drama, and probably a few tear-jerking moments thrown in for good measure.

Johar himself told Deadline: “While there have been many stories that follow the rags-to-riches trope, Call Me Bae offers a fresh twist by turning the genre on its head. It centres on a young woman from a privileged background, where extravagance was a birthright, who, due to unforeseen circumstances, must now navigate life on her own and hustle and reinvent herself in the bustling city of Mumbai.” Translation: Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions wrapped in a sparkly bow.