30 September,2025 11:27 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Kanchan Khilare
One person whose face was never revealed on the Netflix show The Ba'''ds of Bollywood was the actress who played Ghafoor's daughter. Ghafoor, essayed by Arshad Warsi, played a pivotal role in moving the narrative forward. In the series, Ghafoor kidnaps leading man Aasman Singh (Lakshya) so that his daughter, a fan, can meet him and share her script. Yes, Ghafoor's daughter is an aspiring filmmaker.
Ghafoor's daughter is always seen in a burqa, her face covered. While viewers never get to see the actress on screen, they do hear her voice. Now, it has been revealed that the role was played by Kanchan Khilare in Aryan Khan's debut directorial.
Amid the show's success, Kanchan took to Instagram on Monday to share a video about her experience working on the project. She said she didn't think much of the role at first, apart from hoping to meet Shah Rukh Khan, who backed the series along with Netflix. She assumed no one would recognize her, but when close friends did, she decided to open up about playing the mysterious girl whose face was never shown.
On the show, she shared screen space with Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Manoj Pahwa, Arshad Warsi, and Anyaa Singh.
Interestingly, Kanchan had also auditioned for the role of Keya Dhawan in the Hollywood film Heart of Stone, which eventually went to Alia Bhatt. In a video from two years ago, she revealed she held no bitterness about not landing the role. Instead, she described it as a pivotal moment in her career. She emphasized not taking rejections personally and reminded aspiring actors that even the biggest stars faced setbacks before finding the right opportunities.
Directed by Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, The Ba'''ds of Bollywood is a fast-paced, edgy, and self-aware drama. The story follows Aasmaan Singh (Lakshya), an aspiring outsider navigating the turbulent and often harsh world of Bollywood. Produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, the show presents a satirical yet sincere take on power dynamics in the Indian film industry.
The Netflix series stars Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Manish Chaudhari, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Mona Singh, Rajat Bedi, Vijayant Kohli, and Gautami Kapoor, among others.
Bollywood giants Shah Rukh Khan, SS Rajamouli, Emraan Hashmi, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Karan Johar also make cameo appearances, adding to the star power.
