In Call Me Bae, Neel Nair is Bae’s boss at TRP as well as her romantic interest. Gurfateh Pirzada plays Neel.
Neel Nair is the son of Professor Mira Roy, an economist, and Girishan Nair, an esteemed journalist and Padma Shri awardee.
Neel’s parents had always expected him to be driven and focused, but he never met their high expectations. They eventually arranged his marriage to Ira, his mother’s best student.
Ira had all the qualities Neel’s parents had hoped Neel would have. Neel’s mother approved of Ira more than she ever did of Neel, which upset him.
Neel tried to make the marriage work, but he and Ira were never compatible. Ira’s constant desire for him to be an achiever like his parents and herself only added to the pressure Neel felt.
Eventually, Neel divorced Ira and gave up on trying to win his parents’ approval. He even dropped his last name to build a career without relying on his father’s influence.
Even after the divorce, his mother remained close to Ira, and the two women often bonded at his expense. However, Neel no longer feels affected by their relationship and is now happy for them, knowing that he is no longer part of the dynamic.
A journalist driven by integrity
Neel is now the Managing Editor at TRP and hosts his own show, In Depth with Neel. He believes in delivering the news without sensationalism.
He prioritizes truth above all else, so he verifies all facts before covering a story and considers the impact the story may have. He never compromises the truth for higher ratings.
However, because of his straightforward approach, his show’s ratings are consistently low compared to his rival SS, who sensationalizes stories for attention.
Neel and SS have known each other for a long time, but while Neel holds on to ethical journalism, SS does the opposite and is often rewarded with better ratings and awards.
Neel and Bae’s relationship
One day, Neel comes across a viral video of Bae criticizing SS for his hypocrisy. Neel finds the video witty and honest—the kind of honesty he wants to see in his team.
After running into Bae at a hotel, Neel invites her to his office, where she quickly tweaks his social media post and boosts his engagement within minutes.
Impressed by her skills, Neel hires Bae as an intern to manage his social media. When they work together, Bae surprises Neel time and time again.
Bae teaches Neel how to make his content more engaging, while Neel teaches her the fundamentals of ethical journalism. They help each other grow.
Eventually, Bae and Neel develop romantic feelings for each other, but Neel hesitates to act on them, fearing that it may complicate their working relationship.
Despite his reservations, they start dating and work through the problems they face in balancing their personal and professional lives.
When Bae uncovers Anamika’s identity and sets out to expose Mukul Sawla, Neel supports her fully. After her success, Neel promotes Bae to his special correspondent.
With SS’s unethical practices exposed, Neel’s approach to journalism is ultimately proven to be the better one. Neel’s show starts to gain better ratings, eventually earning the prime-time slot that used to belong to SS.