Parde Ke Peeche (PKP) Podcast

In this special episode, PKP went live at the Calgary International Film Festival! Indian filmmaker Shlok Sharma and screenwriter Shilpa Srivastava sat down with Ankur and Raeesa to chat about their film Two Sisters and a Husband (2022), their experience working with Anurag Kashyup, and all things Indian cinema!This episode of PKP was recorded on site at the Calgary International Film Festival. Now in its 23rd year, CIFF brings the best of Alberta, Canadian, and world cinema to Calgary each fall. Sign up for the CIFF newsletter at www.ciffcalgary.ca/newsletter, or follow @ciffcalgary on all platforms to be sure you don’t miss out on any of the exciting upcoming events

WELCOME BACK TO A NEW EPISODE OF PARDE KE PEECHE!!!In this month's episode hosts, Raeesa Farooqi & Ankur Desai, sit down to discuss depictions of Nationalism & Patriotism in Indian Cinema. We discuss the evolution of the depiction from the Pre-Colonial origins, to the modern Right-Wing Jingoistic turn in Indian Films.ARTICLESDevadas, Vijay. “The Shifting Terrains of Nationalism and Patriotism in Indian Cinemas.” Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas, edited by Wimal Dissanayake and K. Moti Gokulsing, Routledge, 2013, pp. 564-592.MOVIES DISCUSSED:Amma Ariyan (1986) dir: John Abraham; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpsY0J010ucHazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998) dir: Govind Nihalani https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l2WouSLosw 

Happy Summer! In this episode of PKP, Ankur and Raeesa are taking a trip through Bollywood's depiction of travelling, featuring the works of the sibling duo the Akthars. 

It’s Cannes season, baby! This year in what is a first, the Cannes Film Festival has chosen India as the official “Country of Honour”.  But India has not always played a huge role in the 75 year history of this international festival. In this episode of PKP, hosts Raeesa and Ankur explore India’s relationship with Cannes, the Eurocentric nature of the festival, and the lack of support for films back home.Sources:Dhingra, Manisha. “The History of India at Cannes.” NDTV, 14 May 2014, https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-history-of-india-at-cannes-639287. Accessed 13 May 2022.Firstpost. “Explained: What does being named as 'Country of Honour' at Cannes Fim Market mean for India-Entertainment News.” Firstpost, 5 May 2022, https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/explained-what-does-being-named-as-country-of-honour-at-cannes-fim-market-mean-for-india-10634871.html. Accessed 14 May 2022.Gadre, Soham. “Cannes Essay: India's Absence from Cannes' Official Selection.” Vague Visages, 24 May 2019, https://vaguevisages.com/2019/05/24/cannes-indian-cinema-film-culture/. Accessed 13 May 2022.The Hindu. “India to be Official Country of Honour at Cannes Film Market.” The Hindu [Chennai], 03 May 2022, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-to-be-official-country-of-honour-at-cannes-film-market/article65378828.ece.Jha, Subhash K. ““Indian cinema is a f***ing joke at Cannes” – Sheetal Talwar.” Bollywood Hungama, 25 May 2012, https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/indian-cinema-is-a-fing-joke-at-cannes-sheetal-talwar/. Accessed 13 May 2022.Kaur, Gurnaaz. “Here's a Look at Indian Movies That Have Been Showcased at The Cannes Film Festival Over the Years.” Tribune India, 7 July 2021, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/lifestyle/heres-a-look-at-indian-movies-that-have-been-showcased-at-the-cannes-film-festival-over-the-years-279415. Accessed 13 May 2022.Sridharan, Soujanaya. “Seventy Years of India at Cannes.” The Hindu [Chennai], 02 May 2017, https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/seventy-years-of-india-at-cannes/article18352463.ece.

The influence of William Shakespeare on cinema is well known & far reaching. Since the dawn of cinema The Bard’s work has been adapted, or provided inspiration, in cinematic works from Griffith, Kurosawa, and Julie Taymor. The influence has also touched Indian filmmakers as well, providing rich, complex, and beautiful stories for filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali to explore themes, conventions, and emotions that run deep in Shakespeare’s works. In this episode, hosts Ankur and Raeesa look into the history of Shakespeare in Indian cinema, and answer questions regarding the popularity of Shakespeare, and why Indian filmmakers keep reaching for the plays to tell very unique, idiosyncratic, and Indian stories. 

The 94th Academy Awards are on Sunday March 27, a night of prestige and glamour in the international film world. The documentary Writing with Fire, directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, has been nominated this year and is the first Indian-made film ever nominated in the documentary feature category in the history of the Academy Awards. In fact, no Indian film has ever won an Oscar and only 4 have ever been nominated. In this episode, PKP takes a look back at Indian film and filmmakers at the Oscars and what a win may mean for the country.

WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER EPISODE OF PARDE KE PEECHE! Since this is the month of romance & love, in the new episode hosts Ankur Desai & Raeesa Farooqi, sit down and explore romantic films in India. They chart the history of depictions of romance in Hindi films from the early fifties such as Aawara (1951), Guide (1965), all the way to more contemporary examples of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2007), and Aashe Jaor Majhe (2014). Exploring the internal and external factors depicted in these romantic stories, we explore how these films have evolved over time. 

In the first episode of season 2, PKP hosts Ankur and Raeesa explore the rich and vast history of documentary cinema in India, from pre-Independence to current times. Follow along as they uncover the historical events, themes, and political pressures that have shaped the Indian documentary landscape, as well as notable figures in the genre such as Anand Patwardhadwan, Nishtha Jain, the Films Division, and Vinod Chopra.Sources:An Encounter With Faces (Vinod Chopra): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Po-KB3FGUFilming Reality: The Independent Documentary Movement in India (Shoma Chatterji, 2015)IDA: https://www.documentary.org/feature/bollywood-long-rich-history-documentary-indiaIndia’s Leading Documentary Filmmaker Has A Warning (NY Times): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/magazine/india-documentary-anand-patwardhan.html‘All of My Work Is Endangered’: Anand Patwardhan on the Future of Documentary Films in India (ArtReview): https://artreview.com/all-of-my-work-is-endangered-anand-patwardhan-on-the-future-of-documentary-films-in-india/

One of the greatest hallmarks of Indian cinema is the use of song and dance to convey story and emotion,  but it is quite different and much more popular than the musicals found in Hollywood. In fact, India’s “filmi music” industry accounts for around 72% of all music sales in India. So where did it come from and why is it so popular? Hosts Ankur and Raeesa explore the history behind playback singing in India and what influenced the music in the films. They also take a special look at famous Indian film composer and musician AR Rahman and how he is able to move effortlessly between all the different regional cinemas.

Coined by film historian Amrit Gangar, “cinema of Prayōga” is a conceptual framework used to describe experimental and avant-garde Indian cinema, and to locate it within an ancient history of pre-modern tradition of innovation -- of prayoga. In this episode, PKP turns the lens onto India’s experimental film scene: how it differs from North American experimental cinema, how it flourished under the Nehruvian socialist years due to figures like Dadasaheb Phalke and the Film Division Institute (FDI), the role of media arts, and how the “prayog spirit” is currently being kept alive in India through the Experimenta International Festival of Moving Image Art.  Show Notes & Resources: Raja Harischandra (Dadasaheb Phalke, 1913): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zevm0Zjc-k&t=405s Film Division Institute Experimental Film Playlist (many filmmakers and films mentioned in this episode can be viewed for free here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VojoKoHH4sA&list=PLZN9KGi5w_41GXjwlSVhCgdnTzZ4FijFR Experimenta International Festival of the Moving Image Art: http://experimenta.in/  

Hosts Raeesa and Ankur sit down with Calgary-based filmmaker Amair Javaid to discuss his new short film Hafiz (2020), which was selected to be part of the Coalition of South Asian Film Festivals. They also discuss Amair’s filmmaking journey, cultural responsibility & representation, identity, and other topics around being a filmmaker in the Canadian-Desi diaspora. Films discussed: Hafiz (2020)Charsi (tbd)Mogul Mowgli (2019)The Tiger Hunter (2016)

WELCOME BACK to another episode of Parde Ke Peeche! This month we have a special episode for our listeners! We reached out to the Calgary-based South Asian Youth Mental Health (SAYMH), to discuss the depiction of alcoholism, or alcohol use disorder, in Bollywood. Films mentioned include Devdas, Dev-D, Aashiqui 2, and Kabir Singh. Thank you so much to Anmol Hajraw & Raveen Virk for joining our discussion, and providing our listeners with invaluable information on the subject. Links to studies mentioned: Portrayal of Alcohol Consumption in Movies and Drinking Initiation in Low-Risk Adolescents: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4035596/Portrayal of alcohol in Bollywood movies: A mixed methods study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7197829/?fbclid=IwAR10RrmfQmf92KK3my6GEkDqg60sF31WXAJZ89q76e_kR0IpRMUuCtqnOJY

Happy Halloween! This month’s episode explores the fantastical tale of the Ramsay Brothers. Not averse to filmmaking families in the Hindi film Industry, the Ramsay Brothers stood out from the Kapoors, Chopras, Akhtars, etc. since they focused on economical pulpy horror films. Their reliance on keeping their budgets small did not stop the Ramsay brothers from making distinct, passionate, and fun films that have stood the test of time. Join hosts Ankur & Raeesa as they explore the story of the Ramsay Brothers from the humble beginnings, to their independent filmmaking prowess, and the legacy they carved out as filmmakers in the Hindi cinema industry.Films to Watch: Bandh Darwaza (1991)Saamri (1985) Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche (1978)Ghungroo Ki Awaaz (1981) 

WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER EPISODE OF PKP In this special episode, PKP went live at the Calgary International Film Festival! Lead Programmer Brenda Lieberman sat down with Ankur and Raeesa to chat about the festival, the two Indian films -- Dug Dug and Last Picture Show.This episode of PKP was recorded on site at the Calgary International Film Festival. Now in its 22nd year, CIFF brings the best of Alberta, Canadian, and world cinema to Calgary each fall. Sign up for the CIFF newsletter at www.ciffcalgary.ca/newsletter, or follow @ciffcalgary on all platforms to be sure you don’t miss out on any of the exciting upcoming events

WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER EPISODE OF PKP!. On this month's episode we explore the mysterious genre: Indian Film Noir. Though hard to define, either as a genre, a style, or just a vibe, we try to understand what makes a Film Noir by discussing three films: BAAZI (1951), ARTICLE 15 (2019), & RAAT AKELI HAI (2020). 

WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER EPISODE OF PKP! This month, hosts Raeesa and Ankur catch up with the last three Indian films they watched during the lockdown. Tune into see what they had to say about the Netflix originals 'PAGLAIT', 'AJEEB DAASTANS', and Malayalam film 'ESTHEPAAN'.

With the on-going Black Lives Matter protests erupting in America and across the world, an interesting response took place in Bollywood. While many of the stalwarts of Indian cinema showcased their solidarity with the protests, many fans were quick to highlight the hypocrisy underlying their support. Due to many of these film stars either promoting fair-skin products, or performing in roles with heavy brownface or blackface makeup, their solidarity was questioned, and the conversation regarding the role of skin-colour & race in Indian cinema, once again, came to the forefront. Hosts Raeesa Farooqi and Ankur Desai look at various examples of brownface and blackface in Indian cinema, and explore the intersection of colourism, casteism, and classism in Indian society at large. Films Mentioned: Bala (dir. Amar Kaushik, 2019)Super 30 (dir. Vikas Bahl, 2019)Gully Boy (dir. Zoya Akhtar, 2019)Udta Punjab (dir. Abhishek Caubey, 2016)Hadh Kar Di Aapne (dir. Manoj Agrawal, 2000)Fashion (dir. Madhur Bhandarkar, 2008)Sudani from Nigeria (dir. Zakariya Mohammed, 2018)Kumblangi Nights (dir. Madhu C. Narayanan, 2019)Song Clip:Chura Ke Dil Mera (from the film Main Khiladi Tu Anari)

WELCOME BACK!We hope you are safe and healthy during the COVID-19 quarantine, and to make your social-distancing a little more bearable, we got a new episode of PKP for you!ANKUR & RAEESA once again take a look at the past and discuss a selection of films that were influential in their love, appreciation, and understanding of Indian cinema. Films including Hera Pheri, Omkara, Sarfarosh, Dil Chahta Hai, Dil Se..., and many more.  

Raeesa and Ankur take a deep-dive through the film industry of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the second largest film industry in India after Bollywood. They explore the beginnings of Tamil Nadu's film industry, the classic film "Chandralekha", and the industry's relationship with Bollywood. 

WELCOME BACK to a new episode of Parde Ke Peeche! The 2010s in Hindi cinema were marked by big changes such as the introduction of digital streaming, the #MeToo movement, and the election of Modi and the BJP Party. Amongst all the changes, there were some wonderful films to be released over the past 10 years. @raeesafarooqi & @grfx_asd end of their lists of TEN favourites from the 2010s in Hindi Cinema. Check out the first part before listening to this one. We hope you enjoy the episode, and please drop your favourite films from the decade in the comments below!