Bollywood is For Lovers

We watched the latest Vikramaditya Motwane project, Netflix's 2025 hit Black Warrant. We really liked it, which is not a huge surprise. Show notes:  We picked this show on our last Pilot Season episode. Our episode on Motwane's previous show, Jubilee: Bombay's Dream Factory, Jubilee Our episode on three of Motwane's movies: Breaking Free: Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan, Lootera, and Trapped James Ellroy Our episode featuring Main Aur Charles and discussing Charles Sobhraj: Rolling In The Randeep (Hooda), with Shah Shahid NEXT TIME: Movies about getting married, with Rashmeet Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

We continue our longest running series in which we explore Amitabh Bachchan's career year by year, this time we are in the late 2000s.  Show notes: Our Bachchan series playlist We are jumping ahead a bit, because we felt like it 2000 to 2006 Bachchan highlights Amitabh Bachchan's elderly statesman reinvention Cheeni Kum Thoughts on R. Balki's filmography A "Super R"? (INTERVAL "Mere Buddy" from Bhootnath) Bhoothnath Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost" Casper or Beetlejuice? Bollywood family/children's films Paa Progeria and comparisons to Jack More stylistic direction Bachchan and ageing NEXT TIME: Black Warrant Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

There hasn't been much drawing us out to the theatre these days, so we asked ourselves, is there anything to watch at home? That's right lovers, it's time for another pilot season where we watch the pilot of six shows and choose which one we are going to watch, and review, a whole season of! Show notes: Black Warrant Ziddi Girls Dabba Cartel Dupahiya Kauf The Royals NEXT TIME: Mid-2000s Bachchan Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

In this supplemental we travel to Japan to see Om Shanti Om, Takarazuka style.  Show notes: Takarazuka Revue Om Shanti Om: Endless Cycle of Love NEXT TIME: Pilot Season 3 Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

March may be over, but we are still mad, mad for Madhubala! Show notes:  Thanks to tommydan Noir '58: Howrah Bridge and 12 O'Clock The Great Epic: Mughal-e-Azam Bollywood Drafts A brief aside on Mahal Tragically struck down too soon INTERVAL ("Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata" from Mr. & Mrs. '55) Mr. & Mrs. '55 The Orson Welles of India/The Guru Dutt of Hollywood Limitations of the of the auteur theory Our limited of our knowledge of the Hindu code bills Cleo, don’t get on that plane Romantic comedy tropes General Jinjur and feminist parody Matt mansplains feminism Barsaat Ki Raat Roshan songs NEXT TIME: Takarazuka Om Shanti Om Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

Have we finally been cured of our madness? Find out in our last Madhuri Madness, at least for now.  Show notes:  Madhuri Madness 2000s Madhuri Devdas vs. Dev.D with Paul Matwychuk Ladies Be Angry: Gulaab Gang, Akira, & Mom Aaja Nachle Steve Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo Comparison with Dil Toh Pagal Hai Creative ego vs community cohesion INTERVAL ("Aaja Nachle" from Aaja Nachle) Maja Ma What is Rajit Kapoor's accent?  More polygraph tests in this movie than anticipated The boner subplot Comparisons to The Birdcage and Beginners What’s a sister-in-law? Dixit is picking progressive projects, with varying degrees of success The survivorship bias plane and left-handed-ness NEXT TIME: Madhubala Madness 2025 Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

We watched the latest in the ongoing series of Bollywood family-based puff pieces, Netflix's The Roshans, as well as the debut film of Hrithik Roshan, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Show notes:  Thank you Señorita for the review! Previously on Bollywood Family History Story Time: our episodes on The Romantics, and Angry Young Men Three generations, four guys: Roshan, Rajesh Roshan, Rakesh Roshan, and Hrithik Roshan As non-Hindi speakers who didn't grow up with these songs, it can be a little tough for us to understand the significance of music, especially outside of the movies Pop vs. classical music People they should have interviewed: Rekha, Salman Khan, Jadoo Plagiarism allegations for Rajesh Extortion in late '90s-early 2000s Hindi film Our episode on Koi... Mil Gaya: Dancing on Hoodoos: Bollywood in Alberta Our episode on the Krrish films: A Little Bit of That Jadoo Magic: Krrish with Brandon Schatz Why didn't they talk about Kites (apart from the obvious reasons) INTERVAL: ("Ek Pal Ka Jeena", from Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai) Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai Being replaced by a better, richer version of yourself, this is basically The Substance The double role gimmick works better when there's reincarnation or direct family ties We want more Ameesha Patel movie recs NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness 2025 Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

We return to our Anil Kapoor decades series with three films from the 2000s: a double role, an action mystery, and an ensemble comedy.  Show notes: Anil Kapoor's 80s and 90s Moving from lead actor to ensemble films Aesthetic shifts in 2000s Bollywood Reflecting on Slumdog Millionaire and its impact Bulandi Remake of Nattamai "Gourd scene" Songs: "Saari Duniya Mein," "Teri Meri Ik Jind," and "Ab Bujho Ri Bujho" We don't know Raveena Tandon INTERVAL ("Teri Akhiyon Main" from Bulandi) Calcutta Mail It's a remake of Choodalani Vundi, Erin apologizes for completely butchering that title Hong Kong vibes The "dead wife" home movie Song: "Kahan Pe Meri Jaan Jaogi" Welcome Inspired by Mickey Blue Eyes Will we watch Welcome to the Jungle? Songs: "Honth Rasiley" and "Welcome" We forgot Irrfan was in Slumdog Millionaire, as we noted we haven't seen it since it came out NEXT TIME: The Roshans Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

2024 has come and gone, and before we start to get excited about what movies the new year will bring us, we must first look back at the highs and the lows of Bollywood’s past six months. Show notes: Munjya Bad Newz Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba Khel Khel Mein Stree 2 The Buckingham Murders INTERVAL ("B(h)adass" from CTRL) CTRL Jigra Do Patti Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Singham Again Baby John NEXT TIME: Anil Kapoor's 2000s Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

Hindi Horror Halloween turns 10! And for this landmark entry in our longest running series, we're going back to the beginning and giving horror auteur Ram Gopal Varma another chance... to scare us! Show notes: This our tenth Hindi Horror Halloween! We still know nothing about Ram Gopal Varma Bollywood Drafts Erin thinks Matt just remembers that David Cronenberg made a film with Marilyn Chambers Raat Sam Raimi's shaky cam How this movie redefined Bollywood horror INTERVAL ("Barbie Girl" from Kaun?) Kaun? The horror of being home alone Manoj Bajpayee just wants a sandwich and to watch TV Ittefaq and Signpost to Murder NEXT TIME: We are taking a break, see you in December! Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

We continue the tricky journey of following Amitabh Bachchan's career through its most treacherous stretch: the '90s. Show notes: Thank you DT24x Time for a Tezaab rewatch? The Big B recap Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Begun, the Dadscension has Khuda Gawah Buzkashi, the national sport of Afghanistan Why did Badshah Khan actually go to jail? Amitabh Bachchan's School for Gifted Youngsters (INTERVAL "Sona Sona" from Major Saab) Major Saab Rushed ending Medical beards Matt considers joining the Indian Army after a decade of propaganda Sooryavansham A passing of the torch ... to himself Justice for Karishma The Good Animal? The danger in looking at a career from outside Mohabbatein was discussed in episode 32, "Travelling in the Love Lane: The Films of Aditya Chopra" Check out Bollywood Drafts! NEXT TIME: Hindi Horror Halloween X Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #AmitabhBachchan, #KhudaGawah, #MajorSaab, #Sooryavansham, #AjayDevgn, #AnupamKher, #Sridevi

Alongside Nim (@MapleBrownie), we discussed the opening night event of the tenth annual India Film Festival of Alberta, as well as a workshop put on by film archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. Show notes: Bollywood Drafts Podcast India Film Festival of Alberta Ghoomer Our coverage of the 2017 India Film Festival of Alberta, where we saw A Death in the Gunj Celluloid Man Film Heritage Foundation NEXT TIME: Nineties Bachchan, we swear Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #IndiaFilmFestivalofAlberta, #Ghoomer, #ShabanaAzmi, #SaiyamiKher, #VikrantMassey, #R.Balki, #ShivendraSinghDungarpur, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema

We checked out the latest talking heads documentary about Bollywood cinema, Namrata Rao's Angry Young Men. Did we learn anything? Show notes: De Palma Friedkin Uncut Netflix and Dil: High and Low - Cinema Marte Dum Tak and The Romantics Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th The Story of Film: An Odyssey Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror Angry Young Men NEXT TIME: Nineties Bachchan Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #AngryYoungMen, #SalimJaved, #SalimKhan, #JavedAkhtar, #AmazonPrimeVideo, #AmazonPrimeVideoIndia, #NamrataRao, #SalmanKhan, #FarhanAkhtar, #ZoyaAkhtar

It's midyear review time! We check in on the first six months of the year and all of the Bollywood (and Bollywood-adjacent) movies that made it in front of our eyeballs. Show notes: Merry Christmas Fighter Article 370 Laapataa Ladies Murder Mubarak (Episode 154) Crew INTERVAL ("Ghagra" from Crew) Monkey Man Amar Singh Chamkila (Episode 155) Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 Kalki 2898 AD Sharmajee Ki Beti Kill NEXT TIME: it's a surprise! Our sponsor this episode is #BollywoodMonsterMashup, the LARGEST South Asian festival in Canada and features FREE performances by international Bollywood stars, food, shopping, dance performances, a laser show and more! The whole family can enjoy this monstrous event with FREE entry, FREE parking and FREE family activities. Come dance, sing and feast with us at this one-of-a-kind production taking place at Mississauga Celebration Square! Check out BollywoodMonsterMashup.com for more info! Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #MerryChristmas, #Fighter, #Article370, #LaapataaLadies, #MurderMubarak, #Crew, #MonkeyMan, #AmarSinghChamkila, #LoveSexAurDhokha2, #LSD2, #Kalki2898AD, #SharmajeeKiBeti, #Kill, #HindiCinema, #Bollywood, #Bollywood2024

We travel back to the mid-2000s with one of Bollywood's most fearless actresses, Preity Zinta. Show notes: The Stanley Cup finals are on (we lost) Bollywood Drafts Preity Zinta (has not made an impression on Matt) We would really like to see Sangharsh Heaven on Earth (and its gorgeous poster) Erin's thesis on Preity Zinta INTERVAL ("It's Time to Disco" from Kal Ho Naa Ho) Kal Ho Naa Ho Toronto plays New York The film's approach to homosexual jokes Anand comparisons Erin hates "movie diseases" Mid-2000s fashion Salaam Namaste Siddharth Anand really pivots  Jaaved Jaffrey's Crocodile Dundee  Baby drop rate  NO, FART ZONE  Too much pro-life propaganda NEXT TIME: TBD Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #PreityZinta, #KalHoNaaHo, #NikhilAdvani, #KaranJohar, #ShahRukhKhan, #SaifAliKhan, #JayaBachchan, #SushmaSeth, #SanjayKapoor, #SalaamNamaste, #ArshadWarsi, #JaavedJaffery, #AbhishekBachchan, #SiddharthAnand, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema

We travel back to the opulence of 1940s Lahore with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's lush Netflix period drama Heeramandi. Show notes: Heeramandi Tawaifs Be Kind Rewind - Sofia Coppola and the Godfather Part III Disaster Next time: Preity Zinta Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Heeramandi, #SanjayLeelaBhansali, #ManishaKoirala, #SonakshiSinha, #AditiRaoHydari, #RichaChadha, #SharminSegal, #SanjeedaSheikh, #TahaShahBadusha, #Netflix, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema

We are belting our hearts out with two Netflix features on the turbulent lives of popular singers.  Show notes: Straight-to-streaming films are legit now Qala Comparison to Amadeus Halloween VI: Hell Hath No Fury, Stree and Bulbbul with Matthew Stepanic Elvis and Norah Jones Style over substance INTERVAL ("Baaja" from Amar Singh Chamkila) Dil-Luminati Tour Wee Book Inn Amar Singh Chamkila Amar Singh Chamkila Comparisons to western hip hop The Mr. Holland's Opus problem Jodi The use of archival images NEXT TIME: Heeramandi Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Qala, #AnvitaDutt, #TriptiDimri, #SwastikaMukherjee, #BabilKhan, #AmitSial, #SameerKochar, #AbhishekBanerjee, #AmarSinghChamkila, #ImtiazAli, #DiljitDosanjh, #ParineetiChopra, #NishaBano, #RahulMittra, #Netflix, #HindiCinema, #Bollywood

We are polishing our magnifying glasses and donning our deerstalkers, because once again, murder is afoot!  Show notes: We just love murder mysteries! Our Noirvember playlist To Those Who Killed Me and Call of the Void, the mystery books Matt has edited You can't have too few or too many characters in a murder mystery Detective Bymokesh Bakshy! "When the Hindu Right Came for Bollywood" Byomkesh Bakshi Comparisons to other famous fictional detectives Kosuke Kindaichi 1940s setting The music and the violence go too hard INTERVAL ("Calcutta Kiss" from Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!) Murder Mubarak Is Sanjay Kapoor one of our guys? "In a movie about rich people you can't kill the help" Karisma Kapoor's first film in 12 years Fantasy casting The Thin Man NEXT TIME: Singer Movies Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #DetectiveByomkeshBakshy!, #ByomkeshBakshi, #DibakarBanerjee, #SushantSinghRajput, #AnandTiwari, #NeerajKabi, #SwastikaMukherjee, #MeiyangChang, #MurderMubarak, #HomiAdajania, #PankajTripathi, #SaraAliKhan, #VijayVarma, #KarismaKapoor, #DimpleKapadia, #SanjayKapoor, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema

To wrap up Madhuri Madness 2024 we're joined by our good friend Rashmeet to discuss two action films in which our beloved heroine finds herself at the centre of a deadly love triangle.  Show notes: Welcome Rashmeet! Madhuri Madness Madhuban Performing Arts and Urja Yeg Aarzoo Gaslight, Girlboss, Gatekeep Obsession gazebo Darkman "Dosti Karte Nahin" and "Mil Jaate Hain" St. Andrews INTERVAL ("Kay Sera Sera" from Pukar) "Que Sera Sera" Pukar "Hai Jaana Hai Jaana"  Are we Rajkumar Santoshi fans? Torturing Anil Kapoor Madhuri Dixit's emotional range and appeal NEXT TIME: Detective movies Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #MadhuriDixit, #Aarzoo, #LawrenceD'Souza, #AkshayKumar, #SaifAliKhan, #PareshRawal, #AmrishPuri, #Pukar, #RajkumarSantoshi, #AnilKapoor, #ManrataShirodkar, #OmPuri, #Danny Denzongpa, #PrabhuDeva, #LataMangeshkar, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema

To celebrate International Women's Day, we are kicking off Madhuri Madness 2024 with two feminist consciousness raising ensemble dramas. Show notes: Happy International Women’s Day Madhuri Madness  Every film industry is patriarchal (except Paradise Island) Hollywood vs Bollywood women’s pictures Mrityudand Shabana Azmi and Om Puri Prakash Jha’s political filmmaking INTERVAL ("Badi Mushkil" from Lajja) Lajja A real multi-starrer Manisha Koirala learns about feminism Tonally inconsistent Ajay Devgn's whip sword NEXT TIME: MD & SRK Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #MadhuriDixit, #Mrityudand, #PrakashJha, #ShabanaAzmi, #OmPuri, #ShilpaShirodkar, #MohanJoshi, #MohanAgashe, #HarishPatel, #Lajja, #RajkumarSantoshi, #ManishaKoirala, #Rekha, #MahimaChaudhary, #JackieShroff, #AnilKapoor, #AjayDevgn, #JohnnyLever, #InternationalWomen'sDay, #Bollywood, #Feminism, #FeminisminFilm, #HindiCinema