Shashi Tharoor responds to troll over paid review of Aryan Khan's directorial debut: 'I’m not for sale…'

In response to a social media user's allegation of a "paid review," Congress leader Shashi Tharoor issued a strong rebuttal concerning his assessment of Aryan Khan's directorial debut, The Ba***rds of Bollywood.

Following Tharoor's positive review of the Netflix series, a troll commented, "Shashi Tharoor new side business - Paid reviews." The senior politician responded decisively.

On Monday (October 27), Tharoor replied, "I’m not for sale, my friend. No opinion I express has ever been paid for by anybody, in cash or in kind."

Shashi Tharoor’s tweet about Aryan Khan’s debut review

On October 26, the Congress leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his positive assessment of Aryan Khan's work, tagging Shah Rukh Khan and expressing pride in his son's accomplishments.

Tharoor called the web series 'OTT gold'. "I’ve been battling a cold & cough and cancelled engagements for two days. My staff and my sister, @smitatharoor, persuaded me to turn my eyes away from the computer part of the time towards a @NetflixIndia series, and it’s one of the best things I have ever treated myself to: absolute #OTT GOLD," he wrote.

His review further read, "Just finished watching Aryan Khan's directorial debut, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, and I'm left grasping for words of praise. It takes time to grow on you, but then you’re irresistibly hooked! The writing is sharp, the direction is fearless, and the sheer audacity of this satire is just what Bollywood needed. A genius, often hilarious, sometimes moving, and always unflinching look beyond the glamour, sending up every cinematic cliche with razor-like wit - and a series of insider jokes that let the audience into the act & behind the scenes."

"The seven compelling episodes mark the arrival of a true storytelling powerhouse. Take a bow, Aryan Khan - you’ve delivered a masterpiece: TheBa***dsOfBollywood is brilliant! @iamsrk: from one father to another, let me say: you must be so proud," he concluded his post.

About the show

The series stars Bobby Deol, Lakshya Lalwani, Raghav Juyal, Sahher Bambba, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Manish Chaudhari, Rajat Bedi, Mona Singh, and Gautami Kapoor, among others.

"The Ba***rds Of Bollywood" also includes cameos from major Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Disha Patani, and SS Rajamouli, among others.