Best of the Best, Vibe & Lust Stories 3 | Khandaan Podcast

[00:00:15] Hi, this is Asim. This is Sujoy. This is Amrita. And you're listening to Khandaan, a Bollywood Podcast about the three main Khans of the Hindi film industry. Aamir, Salman, and Shahrukh. Hi, you're listening to Khandaan, a Bollywood Podcast regular feed. Thank you so much for your support over the years. We now have a Patreon channel with bonus content and exclusive merch for those of you who would like to support us. Every dollar goes towards creating more

[00:00:41] and better content. Visit us at patreon.com slash Khandaan Podcast. Hi, and welcome to a new episode of Khandaan Podcast. My name is Asim Burni and I'm joined with my lovely co-host Amritha and Sujoy. Hey, Amritha, hi Sujoy. Hello, everybody. Hello, hello. We have to do chetti chetti. We have too much content. We have to like, you know, get at it. Like we have lots to record about, lots to talk about. Three movies dropped in the

[00:01:09] same week. Four, actually. We didn't cover all of them. Daira, I don't think anybody of us had a chance to watch it. I didn't get the time to watch it. I really wanted to watch it, but I just didn't have the time. Also, I don't really like Meghna Gulzar's movies. I don't know. I know. You've said this before, right? Like, yeah. I don't like them. Like, I don't know why everyone keeps talking about her as if she's some like amazing director. Like she's Meghna Gulzar, which was like a good

[00:01:37] movie. And then... Razzi. I guess Razzi. Razzi was like a well-directed movie. I mean, that's true already. That's better than Rohit Chetti Amritha. Like... No, like everyone talks about the movies that she's written and stuff like that. Oh, like she's written these amazing movies. And no, like Talwar was not written by her. And I don't think like this one was written by her either. Like Razzi wasn't written by her. Did she know who killed Jessica Rabbit?

[00:02:05] No, no. And I don't think that was her. No one killed Jessica. Jessica Rabbit. Oh my God. No, I didn't. I don't. I don't think she did. I don't think so. Yeah, I didn't even get this far. I was like, Kareena is a cop. I want to watch it. That's where I was like. Yeah, we just got screwed. Sorry. No one killed Jessica was written by Rajkumar Gupta. Who made Raid and Raid 2 and Aamir and Ganchakar.

[00:02:33] That's such a wild, like, you know, like, Ganchakar and Raid and then like no one killed Jessica. Like, what is happening? Like, wow. Razzi was written by Meghna Gulzar. And Talwar was written by Vishal Bhardwaj. Well. Well. Yeah, I, the only reason I couldn't watch is because I got screwed with timings.

[00:03:01] Like, again, the show timings in the UK are crazy at the moment for Hingor movies. And there was literally one slot at like a crazy hour and I just couldn't make it, unfortunately. So that's their only reason. I would have definitely gone for that. But yeah, we will be talking about Vibe. We'll be talking about Lust Stories 3. And then our main review will be Best of the Best, which came out on Netflix. I didn't get a chance to watch Vibe, although the trailers look really, really fun.

[00:03:27] Amrita and Sujoy, was it as fun as the trailers were promising us? Amrita, I know your feelings already about it. Yes. I will let Sujoy take the lead on it and then we will. Start with positivity. Start with positivity. I mean, it is, it was so much my vibe, this movie. I really enjoyed the heck out of it. I really thought this is one of the best movies of the year that has come out of Bollywood. And it's a very low bar, I know.

[00:03:52] I know this year has been extremely rough, but it was very competently made right from the get-go. Like, if you remember when Burfi came out, the first opening sequence, when even the, you know, the partners and then the brand endorsements before the movie starts, the title credit sequence gets a song, right? Saying picture shuru and there's a song that Anurag Basu and, no, Swanan Kirkire is singing.

[00:04:20] It's, so when this movie starts, there is a voiceover of Kunal Khemu saying, It sets the tone of this movie that it's very self-aware. And even though, like, it's, it's not a spoof, which I thought they would be doing a spoof. Like, the, the, it, like, we have Spy Hard and all the Leslie Nelson movies that Naked Gun, it's not that.

[00:04:48] It, it is a slacker comedy, but it's still, like, the seriousness of the situation is very much there. And then they bring back the slacker at the end. I think I've heard a lot of people complain about the second half, but I quite enjoyed it. Like, it goes, it gets derailed for a bit, but it brings it back all at the end. Preeti Zinta is there, who is awesome. I really enjoyed this movie. That's the only thing I care about. How's Preeti and how's Zinta doing?

[00:05:16] I really liked her role as Madam H in this, which is kind of, like, I don't know if it is a nod to Rekha's Madam X or not, but I really enjoyed her, like, appearance. And they have a callback to Soldier in this, which is great. And, yeah, she gets to kick ass here using a body double, but she gets to kick ass still. Yeah, the comedy absolutely landed in this for me.

[00:05:46] Compared to an actual comedian like Veer Das writing his spy comedy earlier in the year, this was a lot more superior than that. And, like, Kunal's, like, comic bone really shines through. Yeah, I really, really enjoyed Vibe. Amrita, is this a boys movie? Like, is the humor a bit too boys-y, maybe? That's what I'm getting from Sujoy here.

[00:06:15] I will say that the second half of this movie was actually better. It landed more for me than, like, the first half. Because the first half was, there's, like, this very, like, the beginning of the movie, there's all this, like, scene setting that happens that I really didn't care about. But in the second half, you know, when the action ramps up and they're in the middle of it, and, you know, there's, like, the training montage that was very funny, which just comes in the middle of the movie. All of that really landed for me.

[00:06:45] So it was, like, really funny to me that people are complaining about the second half because I was like, well, the second half is the movie that the trailer promised me that I would see. Whereas the first half was, like, a lot of setup that I didn't care about. I do think that I admire Kunal Khemu for recognizing that nobody was going to cast him in the kind of movies that he wanted to make and then deciding, you know what? I'm just going to make those movies for myself. And then doing it very competently.

[00:07:15] Like, I do agree with Sujoy. Like, it's a very competently made movie. But I think that is also the problem with this movie because when you are directing in a way that you are trying to showcase yourself and your talents and your interests, then you are also putting in things that are of interest to you, but not to anybody else. You know what I mean? Let's go make this podcast, basically. This is hard.

[00:07:45] This is hard. We don't need to be that honest. Yes. But there's, like, so, like, you know, in the beginning, in the first quarter of the movie, there is Kunal Khemu playing a lover boy. And he's like, oh, like, look at me. I can dance. I can romance. There's Kunal Kamu doing physical comedy. Going like, oh, look at me. Like, I can do physical comedy. And then there's Kunal Kamu doing action. And he's like, oh, look at me. I can do action.

[00:08:14] And I'm just like, okay, like, good for you. But I don't really care about, like, all of these things. So the tone of this movie is, like, really uneven because it's just trying to show everything that Kunal can do. And apparently Kunal can do quite a few things. So good for him. But, yeah, I mean, I laughed. It wasn't that bad. But I just thought, like, the first half was, like, really boring.

[00:08:42] And then the second half sort of, like, redeemed it a little bit. And also, god damn, like, just try and, like, you know, cast people that can act. Like, you know, women especially. Like, there's so many talented, beautiful women out there. And then you go and, like, you just sort of, like, get somebody that is just... I mean, she's very pretty, but, like, she left, like, zero, you know,

[00:09:11] impact whatsoever. Preeti Zinta shows up with her immobile face, which is so sad when you remember, like, you know, the Preeti of, like, our time, who was, like, you know, like an expression queen. And now it's just, like... And... Was that bad? Yeah, I mean, the Botox is, like, way out of control. And also the music was just, like... Don't say anything bad about Zinta Koba.

[00:09:41] You have already used up all your tokens with Sonali Bendre. And... It's 90 minutes last time. Yeah. We can have one kink at a time, Sujoy. Meera ho gaya. Ek sealtak. We can love kinks. Preeti Zinta appears in a blonde wig here. And she introduces herself as Svetlana. So it was very much like Zinta Koba. I was getting, yeah.

[00:10:10] But also, like, there's, like, some hallmarks of Kunal Khemu, like, humor, right? Like, the girl's name is Kareena. And then... And there's, like, this whole, like, reveal that happens, which is, like, really funny. There is this thing with... At one point, you are on Marine Drive. And they're eating, like, vada pao or something.

[00:10:38] And the name of the stall is, like, Meritits. But, like, it's in Hindi. No, no, no. It says... The name of the stall is Big Treats. But the Hindi scripture is misspelled as Big Tits. Big Tits. That's what it is. Yeah. The lie detector scene. I just laughed at that. That was funny. He has to explain his name, Hardik, what it means. And then he can't.

[00:11:08] And then he's continuously asked why his name is... What is his name? And he says Hardik. But he's so nervous that the lie detector just goes on. It's just so hilarious. I feel like... When this movie comes on streaming, Asim is going to watch it. And Asim is going to have a good time. No, but that's exactly it. Like, you guys know me. Like, I don't like being around people.

[00:11:36] And I don't like seeing other people laugh and smile. I don't like it. I don't want anybody to have a good time. So, I actually appreciate watching this in the comfort of my home. And also, the expectations are quite low. And I really enjoyed Mudgaon Express and Go, Go, Agon. I just don't feel this kind of comedy for me is something that I want to go to the theater for. Like, maybe it's just because I have no friends. Maybe it's a thing you go with friends and then you all have a good time.

[00:12:05] Maybe what is this human experience people talk about? But I'll say something more about Vibe, though. Because in the beginning, when they show the terrorist layer, right? And everybody has computers and everything. And lots of computers. And they have to move out quickly. I was suddenly thinking, Oh, are the RAM prices and the hard drive prices going to be affecting these terrorists? And then later, it sort of revealed that AI terrorism is involved.

[00:12:34] And it's like, I didn't know everything. I really enjoyed that. You know, I'm surprised because it's at the end credits as they reveal, like written, directed, produced by Kunal Khemu. And he's also acting in it. But it is such a competently made movie. Like there is set up and they don't forget about that set up. Like there are no unresolved things.

[00:13:02] So when they show the two pills, that comes into the picture later, you know. And it's all like, there is a reason why they have all of these threads that are going out in the first half. They all come together in the end. And he makes sure that it all lands together. I really enjoyed that. And also the resolution of the climax scene. Yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed that. Amrita, how does it compare to Happy Patel for you? I didn't watch Happy Patel. Oh, you didn't?

[00:13:32] I thought you gave up like after 20 minutes or something like that. Yeah, and then like I never, yeah, I gave up. Yeah, yeah. Veerda's wishes of Happy Patel was this. Isn't it crazy though? Like Aamir produced it. Veerda's the most successful Indian comic wrote it, starring in it. And it left no impact on anybody whatsoever in that movie. It's like, I watched it and I don't remember much about it. I would even say that Kunal Khemu should be in the writings room for the next chapter of The Wire of Spiders.

[00:14:02] Because he clearly has like a competent vision of how, you know, everything works. I did appreciate, yeah, I did appreciate the fact that he basically made fun of the entire Wire of Spiders. Yeah. Especially Alpha, which was like really funny.

[00:14:21] But he also like, like this movie is set up as a franchise, like the ending of it, where they explain what a vibe is. And I did not see that coming. Like that was, that was unexpected. Do you think he should, do you think he should like have other actors? Because obviously you had Mudgaon Express and he didn't have like a main role in that, right?

[00:14:49] And I think Amrita, you texted that Mudgaon was like better or is going to be more successful. Yeah, it is better. So is it, is it just taking maybe too much on his plate by also starring in it? Yeah, I feel like if, like I said, like this just basically became a show reel for what Kunal K. Mukhin do.

[00:15:12] But if he wants to be a director, and I think he does want to be a director, you know, like he's, this is not like a second best thing that he's doing. I think he really truly wants to be a director as well as an actor. And I think he has a vision and he has a voice, which is becoming more and more rare in Bollywood today for people to have like a genuine voice and a perspective. Right.

[00:15:38] So I really hope that he does make more movies and he directs more movies. I don't think he needs to be the lead in all of them. I think he can probably do better for himself by just like hiring somebody else. Yeah. Do you think, do you agree, Suja? Because like. I'm indifferent to it. Like I just want him to make movies.

[00:16:00] If he is in front of the screen or behind the cameras, I'm okay with it because I, yeah, like there are hardly any comedy writers left, I think, in the industry. And as long as Kunal K. Mukhin is making it, I think that I gel with this comedy. It's not necessarily vulgar, but it still has that naughtiness in it. And like, it makes me giggle and I'm happy with that. Hmm.

[00:16:27] Because I mean, if you have Kunal Khaimu, you have Veer Das or you have Manish Paul and what's his name? Kalpesh, what's his name? What's the comedy guy? Kalpesh Yadav. What's his name? Kapil Sharma. I genuinely was like, who is Kalpesh Yadav? Sorry, guys.

[00:16:52] The JAPGPG brain of Aasim trying to grab all the surnames of India. Asim has graduated from mispronouncing names to just inventing new names. Yeah. The Aasim brain is hallucinating. Yeah. Circus with Kalpesh Yadav. That's how it's saved in my mind. But I mean, if these are the four or five names, I think Kunal, more power to Kunal Khaimu at least, right? Yeah. Sure. I think... I'll give you that.

[00:17:25] Yeah. So you were saying something? No. To what Amrita was saying, like, there are the chops of a director that we can see in the two, three films that Kunal Khaimu has made, you know. And I think I heard in a podcast where he says, when he writes, he writes with screen transitions. So because he comes from an acting background, that's how he, like, sees scenes.

[00:17:51] So whenever he's writing a script, it includes the screen transitions. And that's the science of a director, you know. So, yeah. He works as a writer-director for me. Yeah. Yeah. Good. I'll watch it when it comes out on streaming. It was very hard for me to find, like, a theater to go to, unfortunately. So, yeah. Hopefully, it'll be fun. Do you know where it's coming out? Netflix or Prime? Did the logo appear? Oh, Prime, I think. Prime? Okay.

[00:18:21] That's good. Talking of streaming, I watched Lust Stories, Part 3. You guys had no interest in this whatsoever, right? I didn't have the time. I might be able to check it out if I get some time. But I'm not, it's not on the top of my priority list at the moment. What did you, what did you think of the previous Lust Stories, Sujoy? Like, did you watch one? I have no memory.

[00:18:47] I think I remember the first one, maybe, like, the bit from the Karan Johar story with Anya Pandey and Vicky Kaushal. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I remember that one. I don't remember any of the other stories. So, all of these anthologies just merge into one another for me. I don't know why. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:19:12] I remember one of the other COVID ones where Rani Mukherjee was in one of the anthologies with Randeep Hooda and... Was that Lust Stories? It wasn't Lust Stories. It was one of the Bollywood celebration ones, right? Yeah, yeah. I can't remember. So, yeah, what I'm saying is it just all merges into one, basically. So, I don't remember, no. Which one was the Kiara Advani one? That was Lust Stories. That was one, I think. One? Yeah.

[00:19:42] Then that's the season that I watched. And then there was the other one with Bhumi, right? I can't remember. I know there was one with Bhumi, but I can't remember which one. Yeah. Was there one with Kajol? No. I don't think so. Okay. Yeah. See, clearly, we have no idea what we've watched in the last few years and these anthologies aren't helping. Myself, I don't enjoy anthologies myself either too much.

[00:20:10] I feel like when you're watching four stories, three stories, seven stories, whatever, there's only like a couple that will pop up and the rest will be just kind of mediocre and passing. And I think a lot of this has the same problem. And it's funny that they have these four directors making this. So, you have Vikram Aditya Motwani, you have Kiran Rao, you have Vishal Bhardwaj, and you have one more. Shakun Batra. Shakun Batra, right?

[00:20:38] And you would think that these four people would have very different views on how they want to approach a story, how they want to write a story, how the story looks. But honestly, it all feels the same-ish. Like, it all has like a very Marvel, like the way Marvel, all movies look the same. And here also, everything kind of looks the same, except maybe the Vishal Bhardwaj one, which is a bit more opulent in its making.

[00:21:02] But I wouldn't be able to tell you like, oh, look, that shot or that piece of dialogue is so Shakun Batra, that's so Kiran Rao. There's elements, but it never really kind of, you know, stands out for me that much. And the other thing that I'm also thinking, and it really shows the state of what Hindi cinema is at the moment, is that a setup like this should really be about new, upcoming, emerging talent and new voices, right?

[00:21:29] Like, where Netflix is providing the budget, it's providing the platform and like the production, and we will boost up new talent. But these are all people that are award-winning, they're critically acclaimed, they can make whatever they want. And they have made whatever they wanted. And now they want to play in this smaller playground that Netflix has provided.

[00:21:51] And it's just a shame, I feel, you know, like, wow, it's not even stretching Kiran Rao in her filmmaking, you know, she's not really doing anything that, you know, is inherently interesting or different or like, oh my God, so amazing that she got this chance. Like when you talk about, like, I think something for Karan Johor, that was a bigger thing back in the day, because he could kind of come in the playground with all of these other directors with Anurag Kashyap and stuff like that, where he wasn't part of that environment.

[00:22:20] Now it's like, these people make this anyway, right? Like, so what's so special about it? The other thing that I also have is that I live a very Disney square, very rom-com kind of life, you know? Like, my life is very simple. My wife is beautiful. I love her so much. And we're always like, we are always great together.

[00:22:44] So watching a lot of these couples that are really struggling with bullshit that I'm like, guys, just talk and figure it out or divorce. Like, I don't care. Like, a lot of it is that. And it's like, these problems are like three of the stories can really be resolved with raising the libido of the Indian man. Like, that's it. Like, just sleep with your women. Like, that's all these women want, apparently.

[00:23:13] And these men are incapable to do it. So it's like, again, like, I don't know what you want me to do here. What is the problem here? So a lot of it is that. It's just like, these women are unfulfilled. And they are then looking for different ways to find fulfillment. And then the story will say, well, you should be looking internally for fulfillment. Like, it's, it's, it's all. I have a question.

[00:23:41] When you say three of these are talking about all these men with these poor libidos, they should be, you know, whatever. Which was the, like, the one that did not address that? The Kiran Rao. Or does not? Hmm. Interesting. Because the other three are men who are saying, oh, men are not interested. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All are married men or men that have actually cheated on their wives.

[00:24:09] Wait, who are the directors? It's Kiran Rao and? Shakun Batra, Vikram Aditya Motwani and Vishal Bhardwaj. Yeah. Oh, interesting. Yeah. So the Kiran Rao story is basically her take on Dhoomtri. Wayly enough. Like, it's like, it has a little bit of those Nishanchi vibes where there's, like, twins and they're, like, being, you know, scamming and scamming. And there's, like, a cliche Punjabi mum in it.

[00:24:38] And there's a heist upon a heist. So that's kind of that story that she's doing here, which it doesn't lead necessarily to infidelity or, you know, sexual frustration within a marriage. So it is kind of, it does kind of stand out a little bit, I guess. But it's like, you know, like, again, like I was saying, like, why, why this story, Kiran Rao? Like, what's so interesting for you to be making this, you know, this story?

[00:25:07] I do have to shout out that there's an actress in here, played Sana Thampi. I think she's from Kerala. She is amazing. Thampi. Thampi, yeah. Like, the star of the whole, like, four movies. Like, some people just have star power. And she has, like, loads and bucketful of it. Like, I've not seen any of her work before. But she is just amazing in it. And it's unfortunate that none of the story is really centered around her.

[00:25:34] And when, like, a twist happens at the end, that twist just comes out of nowhere. It doesn't feel justified because we're just focused on these twins and their stories, I guess. But, yeah. So the Fikram Aditya Motwani story is about Radhika Apte and Konkanar Sen that are best friends. They work in a call center. They're, like, middle-aged women. And they're both sexually unsatisfied in their marriages.

[00:26:02] They're watching this Korean drama about wife's husband swapping. So they want to do that. But it goes badly, obviously. But it's, again, like, my thing is, like, which Indian woman would want to sleep with the aggo husband of her best friend? Like, it makes no sense to me. I feel like this is a little bit of a wish fulfillment on whoever it was that was, like, you know.

[00:26:30] Yeah, Fikram Aditya Motwani thinks he's the hot husband, maybe. I don't know what it is. Like, again, this is, like, where we were talking about cocktail. Like, this tells more about the filmmakers and the writers than it does, maybe, about the story. And it's a very kind of unsatisfying ending. It has some moments on it where they have this fantasy where how they're going to put this plan into action. And then you mirror that with the reality, which is, like, completely different. So that's kind of interesting.

[00:26:58] But, like, out of a 40-minute story, it's not great. The Shakun Batra story is interesting. It has Ali Fazzal and Radhika Madhan, who I really like. I've seen her, like, most of the things. But it's interesting because when you think of Radhika Madhan, you think she's a very natural actress. Like, everything she says and does feels very natural to her. But here, the story is so strained.

[00:27:25] It is so written that all of her natural flair and charm just kind of seeps away and hides behind this gehraya light thing that Shakun Batra is doing here. But that's the Shakun Batra experience, right? Like, he likes to create little terrariums for, like, very quirky and, like, very, like, specific in tone. So, yeah, it's kind of weird that he'd cast Radhika Madhan for that.

[00:27:55] Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's about a couple that got married and basically it's not gone well. And the only moment that they can find silence in the fighting is when they have sex. Although they're in the middle of a divorce. And, yeah, that's kind of the story, I guess. Like, I don't know what else to say. Like, I got nothing out of it. I got nothing out of it, you know. And then the last one is with Vishal Bhardwaj.

[00:28:23] It's like Paheli, but sexual. Like, you know, Rani Mukherjee and Shah Rukh's Paheli. So it's set in the 80s. Wasn't Paheli sexual anyway? I guess, a little bit, yeah. So it's in, I think it's set in Hyderabad, if I'm not mistaken. They are speaking Urdu. But they're all writing in Hindi, which is interesting. Like, it's the super most Muslim, Tukata-wearing, kind of like, you know,

[00:28:53] Dhakni-speaking, everybody's Baji and Aapa and all that kind of thing. And she's basically, I think she's an English or a literature teacher in the university. And all of these girls are, like, talking about, basically, they're having a discussion about Manto versus, like, English literature that is a bit more sensual. So, Amrita, actually, this might be a story that you might enjoy, actually, this out of

[00:29:23] these ones. So she basically says, you know, I'll write something to prove that this can be done. So she writes a story and that story gets out and it gets published in the village. And it's a massive, massive success. And she writes this because she's basically frustrated with her husband, who's like a homeopathic doctor played by her actual husband. Who are the actors? Tidhat and Aditi Rao. Aditi Rao. Yeah.

[00:29:50] I saw a clip of that on Twitter of, like, them having sex, like, from this shot. And honestly, it just put me off sex forever, I think. Like, I think I've just re-virginized myself. I get that because it's, like, I think it's a big factor in all of these movies, all of these movies, because you see a lot of, like, intimacy coordinator sanitized sex scenes on, you know.

[00:30:18] And I don't know if I want to see Radhika Apte getting mounted from behind on a bed by, you know, Hathoda Tiagi. Like, I don't know if that's something, you know, the guy, I don't know the name. Like, I just put a little thing in, in Patalog. Yeah, yeah. He's a casting director. He was the guy in Stree as well, no? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Amrita is seriously Googling.

[00:30:48] I am. Oh, this guy. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of these. And it's like, do I want to see this? Like, what is this pushing? What is this? It feels like one of those MX player shows, but at least has a point of view. It's creating titillation, right? Like, that's what it's trying to do. So I feel that's almost more noble than what the, you know, the things Lust Stories is doing. I really didn't get much out of it, to be honest. Yeah.

[00:31:17] By the way, I just Googled Sanat Thampi as well, because I wanted to see who this was. And yeah, like, I can see why she made a big impression on Aasem. Because she basically looks like an Indian version of his wife. Like, that's how it is. No, she doesn't. Yeah, she does. She does? Not in the movie, at least. Not in the movie. She doesn't. Pakada gaya Aasem. She's got this L shoot or something.

[00:31:46] And I was just like, yeah, that looks like Aasem's wife, an Indian. I need to see this now. Sanat Thampi. Yeah, she's gorgeous. But yeah. See, this is why Lust Stories is not for me. So even if I find a woman awesome, it's basically my wife, you know. This is the perfect conclusion to why I didn't care for Lust Stories.

[00:32:16] Oh, God. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So Lust Stories. Funnily, I felt a lot of, like, Indian critics seem to have enjoyed it. Like, you know, Anupama Bhaji liked it. I think our friend Suchin liked it. But maybe it is. It's just maybe I'm too Western or I don't know. I don't know. Maybe I'm too liberal. You're very European. Yes. As much too European for. Yeah.

[00:32:46] For these provincial concerns. Yeah. Exactly. I don't know what it is. I really felt like a cultural disconnect from Lust Stories, which is something. It's like a recurring theme lately, I feel like. Like, I've been like, I don't know what it is, but I feel like. I know what it is. I think Bollywood used to be unifying, right? And now it's not anymore.

[00:33:11] And I feel these buckets have been created where I have trouble finding a connection with. So I think Lust Stories might be that. But let's like, since we're talking about it, let's talk about our main review, which is Best of the Best, which I feel a lot of these elements will kind of maybe come back to play again. So Best of the Best dropped last, no, literally two days ago. Two days ago. Yeah. It's produced by Hasan Minhaj.

[00:33:41] And it's directed by Dina Khan, who we all enjoyed Polite Society. So did you watch Polite Society or did you not get a chance? Is she Polite Society or Never Have I Ever? She's done Never Have I Ever. She's done episodes of Never Have I Ever, but she also made Polite Society. And she also made that rock show with the four Muslim girls, the four Muslim girls in the UK who start a rock band. What is it?

[00:34:10] Oh, we all like really liked it. Remember? What is it called? We Are Lady Parts. We Are Lady Parts. That's what it is. No, no, no. Oh, guys, we're wrong. We're wrong. We're wrong. We're missing out with Nida Manzoor. Nida Manzoor. Oh, Nida Manzoor. Yeah, yeah. Dina Khan has only made Never Have I Ever and Best of the Best. It's Polite Society because it's like... You guys are hallucinating. Yeah. It's a picking point of the podcast of 20 minutes out of the window now, unfortunately. Yeah.

[00:34:40] No, and also because I would... Like the fun part with Best of the Best is that it's... I'm really enjoying all of the press about this movie. Yeah. You know? And when I was watching her, she's like a Pakistani hijabi woman with a very strong American accent. I was like, how did she get involved with like Polite Society? But I was like, wait, I need to double check. It was Nida Manzoor. So she's done Never Have I Ever, Best of the Best. Those are the two main things she's done. Tiger Hunter. I remember Tiger Hunter.

[00:35:10] Oh, yeah. Yeah. That was with Danny Pudi. Oh. Right. Interesting. Yeah. And it stars Maitri Ramakrishnan from Never Have I Ever and a new girl, I think Priyanka Kedia is her name if I'm not mistaken, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's set in kind of American college dance competitions, I guess. Amrita, what did you think about this movie? I loved it.

[00:35:39] Like, it was so like... So Joy and I are like on the opposite sides, right? Like, to me, like, this is very much about like girlhood, which is a very specific thing. And it's really hard for a lot of people who make movies to get it right. Because it's like, so like, it always comes down to like things like sex and stuff, right? Like when a lot of people are talking about like, oh, like female friendships or like, what's it like to be girls?

[00:36:08] And it's like, oh, like I had like sex, like, you know, with that person and this person, etc. But like there's a lot of like really complicated, like feelings that you have with your girlfriends. And it's really funny because I was, you know, the central thing about this is both of them feel compared to each other. And both of them feel like they're coming up short.

[00:36:33] And I remember that from like my really close friendships when I was like around that age, you know, like you're in high school and you feel like, oh, like, like this person is prettier. This person is smarter. This person, you know, gets an easy ride in life. And I have to struggle like all of these things, you know, these complicated feelings.

[00:36:57] And it was like really funny because yesterday I had dinner with this girl who's been my friend since we were in like third grade. And like we've known each other our entire lives, right? And we were like just talking about like randomly we started talking about people from school and people that, you know, had been to school with us since like first grade. So we've like literally known them since we were like six.

[00:37:24] And it was so funny because like she was talking about this, this girl and she was just like, well, you know, she was like really a tomboy. And I don't think she felt that she was attractive. And I was like, that girl looked like a model. What are you talking about? But then, you know, like we all have these like internal like mental models of like what is a good looking person?

[00:37:48] And like because like in this movie, I remember like somebody on Twitter was just like people have got to stop casting Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as if she's an ago when she's like a really pretty girl. Like what are you talking about? So look at Indian Twitter and they will exactly say that she's an ago, right? Like it's crazy like that talking point, how much at times it comes up like, oh, they only pick ugly Indian girls to present our culture.

[00:38:18] And like what the hell are you guys talking about? And I think that's the colorism that comes in because like I remember when the trailer for this movie dropped and they went with the frat party thing where they're doing the, like, you know, they're doing like Mama Dure and like, you know, enjoy enjoy me. And so many Indians were just like, what is this? Like that's not how we dance. Like what is that's not even like our dance. Like it's some sort of like weird dance.

[00:38:48] And then literally people had to be like, no, that's like the million. Like that's why, you know, it's like an actual thing. But it's wild to me. Like, you know, anyway. Yeah. Yeah. And now to Sujoy for like a different opinion. Well, can I say, Sujoy, I was quite surprised because you like dancey shit. Yes. I do enjoy it. You really like dancey shit. Like I'm like, what is up with Sujoy?

[00:39:17] And Sujoy was like immediately, this is not my kind of movie. Like we don't, like when we, like behind the scenes, we don't talk too much about what we think about the movie. We'll just give like a headline or initial thought. And Sujoy was like, this is so not my kind of movie. And I was like, wait, this is, should be your kind of movie exactly. I know. I know. I just, I felt very much alien to this world of the American college system. And then how much serious this dance competition is.

[00:39:46] I just felt like totally zoomed out of it. Everything felt exaggerated and unreal. Whereas I know this happens and how the rivalry works and how the drama of all of that. But like, it felt like a very alien experience to me. And I completely dissociated at the moment Hasan Minhaj showed up. And I was like, this is, yeah, it's not working for me. The dance did not work for me.

[00:40:15] The casting of Ankur Rathi just pulled me out. Like he plays that main guy, Ronak or whatever. He's supposed to be the hottie, the hot shit of the campus. And he cannot dance at all. And I'm like, what's happening, guys? It's, yeah, I don't know why, man. I really tried. But all of it did not come together. And yeah, you know, like in dance, like at least in the dance movies that I have seen,

[00:40:44] like from Step Up to the whatever, the remote of D'Souza movies of ABCD and all of the, yeah, all of these last minute betrayals happen. And then they have to figure out shit last minute. Like if a water is leaking on the stage and then they use it for their advantage and they make up a new routine all the go. It's so unrealistic. And yet somehow it works this time. It did not. I don't know why.

[00:41:14] I don't know what biases I have against Lina Khan. The only thing I had when I finished it and I thought about you not liking it is like, Sujoy probably wanted like some, at the end, like one man crying, like, I grew up in the gym, my mother, my daughter. And then Shilpa Shetty crying. I think that's maybe how you enjoy dance competitions. No.

[00:41:42] No, I, so I, I do want to mention that Maitreyi can't dance. Like poor thing. Like she's very like, but you know, if we were willing to give Julia Stiles a pass, then we can give Maitreyi a pass. Right. I just think that it's, it was just really shocking to me because like, I expect a brown actor, especially like somebody like Maitreyi, like I just expect her to be like a good dancer. I'm just like, well, of course she can dance. And she very clearly cannot dance.

[00:42:12] Like they, they do their best, but they, they really can't. And also I think like, this is like, it's one of those things. I agree with Sujoy, like Hassan Piker should, I'm not Hassan Piker, sorry. Hassan Minhaj. See, this is you opposite. This is your Kalpesh Fund. Hassan Minhaj should not have been in this movie. Like I realized that he and Prashant Venkataramanujan, like, you know, produced this movie and everything,

[00:42:40] but there's no need for him to have been there. I did enjoy the fact that they got like all the, the Desi American people, like Lily Singh was there. And then that Bangladeshi dude, whose name I can't remember, you know, like he's a comedian. He was there. Like, it was like really nice to like to sort of like spot all of these people.

[00:43:02] But I also think it's just nice to have like a fluffy girlhood movie about South Asians at this time. You know, like it was just like fun and it was easy. And I was like, I appreciate this.

[00:43:30] Everything does not have to be like starvation and death and like, you know, racism and all the rest of it. Like, I'm sure like that's something that happens. But like, I also am happy that we were able to make this much space for this. No, I really liked it. And I think, you know, I was speaking about cultural buckets, like this is much closer to the kind of cultural bucket that I can kind of connect with, because I grew up, you know, in outside of things.

[00:43:58] So I think it's interesting because of so many people work criticizing the dance. Right. But a lot of those criticisms were coming from India. You know, they weren't coming from South Asians grown up in the UK. I thought like, because there's a difference there, the way the mannerisms, it is different. And I think there's a lot of, like, I have really good friends that are here in the UK and they're doing dance.

[00:44:24] They're doing like, we're part of Bollyco and dance groups and Pineapple Studios. And they do a lot of this Bollywood inspired mixing hip hop kind of dancing. And it's not the same. Like they will never have, you know, Kareena Kapoor's Nakhre and like everything that, you know, they're not being like, you know, they're not doing Umarav Jhaun, right? They're doing their version of what it is. And I think it's not the same. And also, I just think there is something inherently cringe of dancing.

[00:44:54] That's fine. Nobody should be dancing. You all look ridiculous. You know, like. What a little bit of bad boy. Yeah. Yeah, like it just like all of these group activities are inherently dorky. Acapella is dorky. You know, dancing is dorky. Joining the army is dorky. You know, like being in a football team is dorky. You know, all of these group activities kind of suck, you know. But so there is this inherent cringe to it. But the thing is that I really like Maitri.

[00:45:24] Like I really like this kind of dorkish chip on her shoulder, angry person that she plays. Because I feel I am certainly that kind of person too. Because I also have a chip on my shoulder. And I also don't feel I get the credit that I should deserve. And I don't think this podcast deserves the credit. Like this is like, you guys know this, right? Like I have this thing where like I feel like, you know, on the one hand, we should be getting the deals and the endorsements. But the other guy, I hate capitalism. I don't want the endorsements, you know.

[00:45:53] So there's this push and pull about what you want and what you can get and the hard work you put behind it. And I think that's just the push and pull of being raised in a place where it wasn't your culture. But you have to find a way to connect with your culture. And you always feel like an outsider. And you always feel like a fraud. And I think those things are really something that it's not explicitly stated in this movie. But there's an undercurrent which I could really connect with.

[00:46:22] So I really liked it. I also liked it that it differentiates it from Indian culture. You know, they say South Asian culture is not the same and it goes beyond just India. And I think for Meitri, it's really important that she says, you know, I'm Tamil, you know, I'm Talim Ilam, she says, I think. And it's important for her to reclaim that identity beyond the South Asianness.

[00:46:47] Because this is a narrative that has been gone on specifically, I would say, in Indian Twitter, where there's a lot of ideas about this is India and this is what, you know, South Asian culture doesn't exist. It's Indian culture is that. But I do think South Asian culture is because I'm part of it, you know. So I liked it. I also like that they call the rich Indians dorks, which I really appreciate it too. And I really like this idea of sisterhood, you know.

[00:47:15] And it does have those similar dynamics in polite society where there was this idea of, you know, the dorky outsider girl. And then the other girl that is kind of, you know, the one that everybody is like, oh, she's the pretty one. Why don't you be like her and things like that. And the kind of inter-dynamics that it creates, but also enveloped in this eternal friendship and sisterhood that you know that these two will be friends 50-40 years on, right?

[00:47:46] Like this is not a Dil Chata Hai situation where Ke Ik Dafa Das Sal mein mileng, you know. These people will be in each other's life. And to the point where I almost thought like, are they actually friends? Friends like our Priyanka Kedia and like, it felt like a really lived in friendship, which to me, I thought that was really cool.

[00:48:05] The other thing that's really cool about Dina Khan compared to Mindy Kaling who worked on Never Have I Ever is that the Indian girl ends up with a brown man, you know. Not all the Indian men are dorks. And, you know, there's not this, they're not all dorks. They're not all toxic. And even the Rahnukk thing where he is, he is kind of like this hero guy that they're looking up to, but he also kind of changes and he's nuanced in a little bit, you know. He does change his point of view.

[00:48:35] I think the switch is a bit sudden. Like there's, there's a few elements in this movie because, because you don't have as much chance of representation. You try to fit everything into it, right? And there's so many storylines that sometimes like Rahnukk switch from suddenly believing in Maitriya to Priyanka's storyline. Like where did that really actually end? You know, like, because she was really into Rahnukk and that was kind of going to be a love. Like, was she going to get him? Was she not going to get him?

[00:49:04] Was it going to be what she hoped and, you know, wanted or it didn't? And those threads, I don't feel it kind of really like. But I think that particular thing, like, you know, when, when they have the big rapprochement, like, you know, scene towards the climax.

[00:49:26] And Maitriya's character, Maya, is apologizing and says, like, oh, like, you know, like, I don't want you to see the same thing between me and Rahnukk, blah, blah, blah. And Priyanka's character, Anjali, is just like, I don't even care about that. Like, you know, because she's just like, there is like an hierarchy of things and relationships, like important to me. And I need you to know that I'm like, this is what is like, you know, making me upset.

[00:49:53] But just to go back to your point about like this being like a South Asian identity rather than an Indian identity. I really appreciated all the interviews around this film, almost more than the film itself. Yeah. Because A, Maitriya is a firecracker. She's like so funny. So fun. Yeah.

[00:50:18] And she, like, she even made like Hasan Minhaj watchable for me, which is a huge deal because that man just like annoys the shit out of me. Like, I just, I can't. Really? Like, both of you, right? Like, I really like him. So it's interesting you guys don't. I used to, and then like, it just got like a little too much. But like, you know, I see, what? And like, I exactly can pinpoint why I don't like him.

[00:50:46] And because when Maitri does her version of Hasan Minhaj on that interview, very much, it's that very thick. That thing, it's just. I think the problem is also too many Asian men try to become Hasan Minhaj. Like, there's so many reels and way of talking and it started like to become too big of a thing. And then you ended up hating Hasan a little bit more. But yeah, I'm, yeah, I like him.

[00:51:13] If people haven't watched that episode of Hasan's show where he interviews Maitri, you should watch it just to watch her troll him. Like, it's a very sibling energy sort of thing. Like, she's not being like, she's not out for blood. She is just roosting the heck out of him. Like, you know, a little sister would.

[00:51:35] But the moment where she, she, she, she makes a drawing and she draws him with his hair. And she's like, I made it really tall so that, you know, you can look taller. Because that's what you do. You use your hair to look taller. It's like, that's so funny. And it's true. But also, it's true because, like, a lot of Indian guys do that.

[00:52:03] You know, like, you can always see these TV actors with their, with their hair that's just like, you know, going to the heavens. Like, these pompadours that come out. And I was just like, well, that's, that's funny as but. But also, like, Maitre being, like, very outspoken about her identity. Like, she's not, you know, she doesn't pull any punches. She talks about the fact that her family fled the genocide in Sri Lanka.

[00:52:30] And she's very careful to say that, you know, her identity is not Sri Lankan. It's Tamil and it, and her family is from Sri Lanka. And she, she worked that into the movie where, you know, they ask her, you know, what's your ethnicity or something. And she's like, well, I'm Tamil. My family's from Sri Lanka. And she says that.

[00:52:54] And it's already started, like, a bit of a kerfuffle online because all the Sri Lankans and, like, even the Sri Lankan Tamils are just like, well, you know, she doesn't talk for us, blah, blah, blah. But it's her truth. And it's the truth of her circumstances and her community and the fact that they underwent genocide. And they were basically screwed over by multiple governments and the United Nations, you know, like, and she talks about that.

[00:53:24] She talks about the fact that the women in her family stood up and there were activists. And she's very vocal about it, about her identity and everything. And I really appreciate that in this age where there is such a premium on, like, just being truthful about things. In the world of Ed Sheeran, you have met three. We met three. And I really enjoy that. And Priyanka Akadia is delightful. She's like... So lovely.

[00:53:53] Such a lovely girl. So lovely. And I really appreciated that the two of them seem to have been cast, like, for their, like, offscreen personalities match so well with these characters. Because, you know, like, Maya's defining trait is that she's really difficult to control. And she's a tough person to like because she's just all about the uncomfortable vibes, right?

[00:54:23] Whereas Priyanka's character, Anjali, everyone loves her because she's just so easy. And I don't think the resolution for that was done well or done at all.

[00:54:42] Because that is, you know, in girlhood, like, that is one of the lessons that you learn as women, which is that popularity doesn't automatically mean that you are respected. And that aggression might get you heard, but doesn't mean that it's going to get you everything that you want, you know?

[00:55:09] So these are, like, difficult questions that even women my age are still sort of figuring out. Like, I have friends my age who are still kind of figuring out how much aggression is too much aggression, how much politeness is too much politeness, things like that. Because women are, like, constantly pushed back about it. And we have these conversations that a lot of men don't. And, you know, the movie didn't really want to pause on that particular thing.

[00:55:36] But at least it got that conversation rolling. And I think, like, I would love for your daughter to watch this, Asam. We watched it. She loved it. And she absolutely, we watched it all together, all three of us. She absolutely loved it. This morning they were talking about how important it is. And I think a lot of the themes that the movie plays into, I think they are, they speak to my daughter, right?

[00:56:05] Like, she is somebody who has the, you know, the benefit of being very easygoing and very liked and very loved, you know, very easily. And it's something that she needs to figure out. Like, you know, when do I stand up? When do I become difficult, right? And that's a struggle that she has. So I think it's, but you can look at this movie in this way, but also it's like she really likes the dancers, you know? So it's like both of these, and she likes that idea of, like, Sisterhood.

[00:56:34] And so, and I think that's what makes the movie good for me. What I also really liked, and I can tell the story because it's a couple of years ago, but I have a friend who used to be the editor for Mindy's show, Four Weddings and a Funeral. I don't know if you saw that a couple of years ago. So it stars an Indian actor or like a British Asian actor. I think Nikesh Patel, if I'm not mistaken. My name's clearly Nimesh Nishim, I'm not sure. I'll check. Palpage.

[00:57:05] Palpage. He's Palpage, Adam. And there's a sequence where, you know, the actress kind of comes in, in the wedding. They're having a wedding and she kind of walks in. And you know that that shot was done with Bole Churia in the background. And I spoke to her, why did you have this? And instead it's this very generic royalty-free Bollywood music where you would just put in Bollywood. And it doesn't even make sense.

[00:57:32] And I actually asked her, I was like, man, if you had that song there, it would have been so impactful. And she said, you picked up on the right song. That's the one we wanted. We went to the rights owner. I know who the rights owner is. I don't want to mention it, but you can guess very easily. And the amount of money that they asked for was so astronomical for a 10-second clip that it doesn't make any business sense as this. Right?

[00:58:00] And this show, which is amazing, by the way, Four Weddings and a Funeral is awesome. You should watch it if you haven't. But it's a couple of years ago. And I think it was such a disservice to just try to cash out from your catalog by a Hollywood studio. Whereas here, they have Bole Churia, they have Ghoonguru, they have DDLJ. And they got the rights to all of this song. And they got a pretty awesome A.R. Rahman song in it too.

[00:58:28] Like, I really love the A.R. Rahman song. So, the amount that it needed to kind of have faith in your project and put money behind it, I think that's something that really has to be applauded. Because, you know, okay, I understand Hasan Minhaj is annoying you. But like, he pulled off something pretty darn amazing here, you know. And he worked on this for five, six years. And also, like, the final act being the Kohinoor heist is hilarious.

[00:58:58] Because that's something that all South Asians can get behind, you know. I also love that idea of where there's the, you know, where they're making fun of that, the competitor, like, clearly who's a Usha J kind of stand-in, I feel, right? I love her. Yeah. She's so good. Yeah. And she's like, you know, oh, she got a sponsorship by Crypto Billionaire. And now she has to do the dance about environment. And it's a dance. And you watch it. Oh, my God. She pulled it off, right?

[00:59:27] And it's like, those things are so cool. Because you think it would go in a certain way. And then they flip it on you. And I thought that was like, that's just like, so it's delivering on writing. It's delivering on production. It's delivering on direction and in performances. That's a lot of elements that I can appreciate compared to, you know, Lust Stories 3. Which had like all of, like the best four filmmakers there, you know.

[00:59:51] I also want to just give a shout out to the choreographers of this who are like some guy called Philip and some lady called Mackenzie. Like, you could have like more white names. I don't know if they're actually white people. But like, you know. It's like the two white guys who know more about Indian culture than most Indians. And when they have a dissing match, that one guy says, You tatti ka tukra hai. That's a happy piece of shit.

[01:00:20] But it literally says, Tatti ka tukra hai. That's so funny. So I, by the way, like I did go to college in the United States. And the whole like Sasa thing, like that instantly sent me back. Like I didn't know that that was still a thing in 2026. But I remember like the whole, like it used to be like a huge thing.

[01:00:50] Like, but we used to have like Indian student associations and Pakistani student associations. They would be like different. It was kind of weird that they had like a South Asian student association. But it was, there was so much like about American college life that was like very nostalgic for me.

[01:01:17] And also, I've been saying for like a long time that we need more content set on American campuses. Because there's an entire like crowd of not just Indians, but like Pakistanis in particular, you know, who go to the United States to study. And there are like so many stories that are like very specifically America coded.

[01:01:41] And you could, like you could create like a banger series just set, you know, in an American college. But like that's a whole other thing. Okay. So the choreographers were Philip Shabib and Mackenzie Dustman with Joya Kazi as the co-choreographer. I'm surprised that they didn't bring like B-Funk or like Usha J into the mix for this, you know.

[01:02:10] That's what I was... I'm surprised. Because they have a collab also. So Usha J, Maitri is in Usha J's new song. Yeah. Like she's not really dancing. She's vibing to it. But it's, it's interesting. Well, you know, like the, what do you call, when Maitri is talking about the training that she went to, to, you know, come in this movie. She talks about five choreographers. So I don't know who the remaining two are maybe.

[01:02:37] Because like the, there was like a, there was like an all guys dance number that was very quick style in feel. And I thought that quick style must have choreographed it. Who they mentioned, right? They say they plagiarize it from quick styles, which is kind of funny. Oh, did they? Yeah. Okay. That's how they get disqualified, no? Oh, right, right, right. Yeah.

[01:03:04] And then there's also like the Ranax X is very much Usha J coded. And I, and also like the beginning, like the, you know, the, the opening scene where Maitri and Anjali are sort of dancing. That's also very Usha J. Yeah. So I am surprised that they're not being mentioned. Yeah. Yeah.

[01:03:32] One thing that I also did notice, because you are talking about, you know, more of these stories need to be told. But there's an amazing show at them was, I mean, it got canceled. I don't know if you guys ended up watching Delhi Boys, which was one of the best Asian shows in the last few years. And there was an interesting interview with the Poona Jagannath because she's getting a lot of recognition for her role in lanterns at the moment. And they asked her, you know, what do you feel about Delhi Boys being canceled?

[01:04:01] And she says that, you know, like, unfortunately, a lot of our Asian stories, we still need white people to watch them. Otherwise, they won't be successful. And I think maybe with Delhi Boys, we were just too ahead of the curve and the culture was just not there enough in terms of numbers.

[01:04:18] And that's kind of the problem where, you know, like if you become too insular, you know, and maybe that's why Mindy Kaling can keep on making, you know, shows because like all the women need to be falling in love with white men, you know, like maybe that is the big appeal to it, you know. But because Maitri a couple of years ago, she was supposed to play Rapunzel. Like there were a lot of talk about that and she would have been so good at it, you know.

[01:04:48] It wasn't Maitri, it was Avantika. Like they wanted Avantika for it. And it was a fan cast. It wasn't even like she was like she wasn't even given like an audition or anything. It was just like a lot of like white people saying that Avantika would make an amazing Rapunzel, which she would have. Yeah. And people lost their minds. They were just like, what? Yeah, but I think a lot of casting people put this story out there to test the water.

[01:05:15] So there is an actual conversation happening. Yeah. But they test what the feedback is. And then I don't think they like I don't think it's the backlash that they care about, but I just feel the culture. Like there was another reel I watched about how the crazy rich Asian bubble has popped. Like a couple of years ago, the crazy rich Asians happened and all of these Asian actors in America were like, it was a big thing. We were getting Shang-Chi, we were getting this and that.

[01:05:42] And all of that has disappeared completely. There's no second sequel that came out for crazy rich Asian, which was a massive, massive movie, right? They never made one. And all of those actors like Constance Wu, all these other people, they have not had like a massive success and a career. And I think that's a conversation that is interesting because the culture has definitely moved towards Sidney Sweeney, back to Sidney Sweeney.

[01:06:10] And I don't think our hunger for our stories, our need for our stories has diminished. But there is a definite backlash and anger from white storytellers, not even tell their own stories, but actively not tell our stories. So again, it's such a big thing that Hasan Minhaj was able to do this. And, you know, I think it was number two on my Netflix yesterday when I was, you know, the ranking thing. I can just applaud what he pulled off here, you know.

[01:06:40] So let's forgive all of the rapid hand movements to Hasan Minhaj and just give him a little praise of what he did. Good. Anything else? I think we're done. I want to also point out that Netflix put out a list for the songs that they used in the movie. And it is a banger list. Like I retweeted it on Twitter.

[01:07:08] So if you want to like just go check out my timeline, it's over there. It's fantastic. Like the music in this film is phenomenal. It's phenomenal. Like they have so many, like, you know, all over South Asia. It's just really, really great. And they do like things that I was just like really, I was really shocked at how current some of these song choices were.

[01:07:35] Because they have like Tamdi Tamdi, like, you know, like songs that went viral in India, right? On like reels or whatever. And they just sort of like put that in as well. Great. I just like absolutely love that. I was just checking while you were talking. The soundtrack is not out on Apple Music at least. But that's a shame because I think this is one of those soundtracks that should have. These are the things that Netflix just screws people up on, you know, sometimes, unfortunately.

[01:08:04] This should be a soundtrack that people can kind of listen to because the songs were amazing. Okay. Well, that's on Best of the Best. If you have watched it on Netflix or, you know, hopefully maybe our conversation. Like the thing is like put it all in the background. Like make the algorithm work for people, you know. Like how many like Parks and Rec episodes are you going to binge watch and Friends? Like there's no black people and color people and Friends. Go put a click on Best of the Best and go make a sandwich or something.

[01:08:32] Leave it on the background and then like it, you know. Like game system. Amrita, where can people find you online? Well, I'm back on Twitter for my sins. So you can find me at Amrita IQ. But I would much rather you found me on Patreon. So patreon.com slash khandan podcast is where we hang out. We get feedback from our people.

[01:09:00] I post these catch-up videos where I'm just basically talking about like whatever's happening in the world of Bollywood. Yeah, it's just like a really safe space where we can all just sort of hang out. So come find us there. Sujoy? You can find me on Instagram at 93K. And you can check us out on video on our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash khandan podcast. Thank you for listening.

[01:09:30] Drop us an email at upodcasting at gmail.com. Yeah, I'm on Twitter and Insta, but both of my profiles are locked. So if you haven't followed me in the last five years, like unfortunately, you'll have to drop an email on upodcasting at gmail.com too. But yeah, I'm not that active anymore. It's like it's a shit storm. Like my mental health can't take it anymore, unfortunately. But yeah, follow us on Patreon. That's the best way. And thank you for listening.

[01:10:08] Bye. Bye.