Manish Chaudhari on playing Freddy Sodawallah in The Ba***ds of Bollywood, “With the kind of acceptance and love Freddy is getting, I am over the moon”

By Subhash K. Jha -

October 17, 2025 - 12:44 PM IST

Manish Chaudhari has given numerous quality performances in films for over 20 years. But he has found maximum fame in recent times with his character Freddy Sodawallah in Aryan Khan’s web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood. He spoke about his character in the show and his career in an interview with us.

Manish Chaudhari on playing Freddy Sodawallah in The Ba***ds of Bollywood, “With the kind of acceptance and love Freddy is getting, I am over the moon”

22 years of dedicated performances and now finally you have found the fame that you deserve. How does it feel?

I have had the privilege of working in cinema since 2003 when my first film, Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula came out. In fact, I just did the math today and realised that I’m on my 40th film now. I have always done my work to the best of my ability. That I learnt from my father who was a great believer in the teaching of The Gita. You put your best foot forward and hope for the best because our industry can be very welcoming and extremely difficult all at the same time.

Long before Sodawallah, you have excelled in numerous films

You really can’t spend too much time wondering how things might turn out as there are too many variables involved. The only thing that you really have control over is your own desire to work, your own skill set and your own ‘voice’ so to speak. Pretty much everything else can be and almost always is ‘up in the air’. And then there is luck! To find yourself at the right place at the right time. I have had my fair share of ups and downs in my career but at the same time I have also been very lucky that my work has been appreciated quite regularly.

And now with The Ba***ds of Bollywood…

I feel that I have moved into the next phase of my career. The audience has accepted our series and my performance with so much love.! It is something I have dreamt about but never experienced to this extent. It’s truly a blessing!

Did you think your role as Freddie Sodawallah would be so liked?

I really didn’t think about it. I knew that I was doing my work with a lot of discipline and honesty. I also knew that the things Freddy does would definitely get a reaction. I hoped that it would be positive. But apart from that, I didn’t give it much thought while working. Needless to say that now with the kind of acceptance and love Freddy is getting, I am over the moon!

How did you interpret Freddy’s mind space?

There is a hyper reality at work in our series, which was clear to me since we started prepping. As I read the scenes with my director Aryan Khan, the world started to become clear to me. We were very keen that Freddy become this larger than life character and also have a basic humanity that is relatable.

What was Aryan Khan like as a director?

⁠I worked very closely with Aryan. He is my director, captain of the ship, and I looked to him for guidance constantly in bringing Freddy to life.

Was he able to draw the best out of the cast?

⁠I believe he has! The way the audience has taken to each and every character is testament to that. Each character arc is very well etched out, first on the page and then in performance. He has taken great care in creating each character. It is truly a delight to be part of such a wonderful ensemble!

Would you like to bring Freddy back in Season 2?

⁠It’s too early to say but I’d love to!

Which of your characters are closest to your heart?

Sunil Puri from Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year is very close to me. Usmaan Ali from Powder taught me a lot about the importance of resilience in one’s life. Then there is Jayaram from Sanam Teri Kasam. I really enjoyed doing Shekhawat in Aarya. Bhanu Tripathi from Aap Jaisa Koi was a great challenge. Also, Gurucharan Sikand in Zubaan. And now there is Freddy!

How do you see your journey so far?

⁠I believe I am half way in my journey in the Industry. I’ve completed 30 years this year, there’s another 30 to go! I am very hopeful for my potential to be tapped before I’m done! I have Chand Mere Dil with Dharma (Productions) and Imtiaz Ali’s next coming up.