Ep 254- Bollywood 2024: The Hits, The Misses, and Everything In Between (Part 1)

[00:00:15] Hi, this is Asim. This is Sujoy. This is Amritha. And you're listening to Khandaan, a Bollywood Podcast about the three main Khans of the Hindi film industry.

[00:00:24] Aamir, Salman, and Shahrukh.

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[00:00:39] Every dollar goes towards creating more and better content. Visit us at patreon.com slash khandan podcast.

[00:00:48] Hi, and welcome to a new episode of Khandaan Podcast. My name is Asim Burney and I'm joined with my lovely co-host Amritha and Sujoy.

[00:00:55] Hey Amritha, hey Sujoy.

[00:00:56] Hey everybody.

[00:00:57] Hello.

[00:00:59] And we have with us probably the most requested guest. And I say this a lot, but this is true.

[00:01:06] Yeah.

[00:01:07] Because, Pitu, you started your journey with us and then you just left us. And people are like, where is Pitu? What did you do with her? Why does she not talk to you anymore? Pitu, what happened? Why were you angry with us?

[00:01:20] Hey, it's like first of all, scheduling with you guys is so difficult because you all live like in the UK and in India and I live in the US and times couldn't match. And half the time I was either hungover or I was sleeping or I was working. And no one was accommodating my schedule. So I was like, you know what?

[00:01:37] I will do my own podcast. So I started my own podcast. And then I got your guest. And now I was eating a little bit. I was like, let's go. Let's go. Let's go to our friends and say hi to my friends. That's why I'm here today.

[00:01:52] Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, amazing work you're doing at Filmy Ladies podcast. We all love a podcast with where everybody has been invited on except me.

[00:02:03] You know, the godfather of podcasting.

[00:02:06] This is the reason why I invited Pitu just to kind of, you know, admonish her for not inviting me on the podcast.

[00:02:19] This is because Asim sends five WhatsApps and then when I respond, he forgets to respond to me.

[00:02:25] Do I?

[00:02:26] Yes.

[00:02:27] You knew that.

[00:02:28] We're blaming this on the time zone difference again then.

[00:02:32] Okay.

[00:02:34] No, but it's going to happen. But I think maybe it's my, the way I think it is my alpha energy because you call it Filmy Ladies and you know, I'm so alpha.

[00:02:43] You know, it's just too much, too much alpha.

[00:02:47] Should we name you Pushpa or something?

[00:02:49] Are you Pushpa the rise?

[00:02:52] I am the rise. Asim the rise.

[00:02:56] What are we doing this episode? We are going to run over 2024.

[00:03:01] It's our final episode of the year.

[00:03:03] We're going to do the best of, the worst of.

[00:03:05] And then we're going to do a preview of 2025.

[00:03:10] This episode is going to be split up in two.

[00:03:12] If you're on Patreon, you might get the full version in one go or you might get some bonus content.

[00:03:17] I might cut out some stuff out.

[00:03:19] Who knows where we go?

[00:03:20] But basically, it's Christmas.

[00:03:22] We basically shut down our work computers.

[00:03:24] We're just hanging out with friends and talking about how the year went, right?

[00:03:28] So that's the plan for this episode.

[00:03:31] So general thoughts.

[00:03:33] 2024.

[00:03:34] Sujoy, how has it been for you?

[00:03:37] It feels like I didn't watch or there wasn't enough content on our cinema screens or on Netflix.

[00:03:48] It feels like a year that I haven't consumed enough.

[00:03:51] Like my letterbox is quite empty.

[00:03:54] When I go back and see the list of movies, Hindi films or other films that released this year, I don't think I have watched enough.

[00:04:02] And I was quite concerned that I would be able to compile a top five or a worst five list of the year.

[00:04:10] And I'm glad that I've been able to do that.

[00:04:14] And yeah, it just feels like a year that was very underperforming and underwhelming for me.

[00:04:20] It didn't feel like even the best ones in any other year would be in the best ones.

[00:04:27] You know what I mean?

[00:04:28] It felt like quite an average year or even quite an underwhelming year.

[00:04:32] And quite concerning year for Bollywood as such, I would say.

[00:04:37] Because even though there are some big hitters, I don't know the whole economics of it, how it was profitable or not, or how it was inflated.

[00:04:48] All those questions are there.

[00:04:50] So yeah, it's a year with no big winners for me and all losers pretty much.

[00:04:57] Amrita, what about you?

[00:04:59] Yeah, same as Sujoy.

[00:05:00] I was actually surprised when I sat down to make my year-end list that I actually had a whole number of movies to talk about.

[00:05:11] Because when I was just thinking about it in the abstract, I was like, I don't think there is anything.

[00:05:18] And I think I told you that also.

[00:05:21] So yeah, it's been a weird year.

[00:05:25] Pitu, any thoughts, 2024?

[00:05:28] What stood out for you?

[00:05:29] It was really lame.

[00:05:32] A, there wasn't anything I really wanted to see except for horror.

[00:05:35] I'm a big fan of horror.

[00:05:36] So I was excited about C2 and Munja coming out.

[00:05:38] But other than that, I was just kind of like, eh, whatever.

[00:05:41] And I felt like stuff that was coming out wasn't marketed enough.

[00:05:45] So I would find out about it not early enough on time.

[00:05:48] And then the other thing is, so I live in a town in the Bay Area in California.

[00:05:54] And there's a theater like super close to me.

[00:05:58] And twice this happened where I was going to go watch Vicky Vidya Ka Vowala video.

[00:06:02] And I saw it on the marquee on a Friday.

[00:06:05] And then on Monday, when I went to buy my ticket, they were like, oh, we don't have that movie.

[00:06:09] And I'm like, but I saw it on the marquee on Friday.

[00:06:11] And they were like, oh, no one bought tickets.

[00:06:12] So we took it off.

[00:06:13] So I was like, okay.

[00:06:14] That happened twice this year for me.

[00:06:17] So and I did eventually watch Vicky Vidya, by the way, which I will get to that later.

[00:06:21] It was horrific.

[00:06:23] So I'm very grateful I didn't see it in the theater.

[00:06:24] So it was just kind of like a meh year.

[00:06:27] I just did a lot of rewatches of old beloved Bollywood films this year.

[00:06:31] Yeah.

[00:06:32] And that was also another trend, right?

[00:06:34] A lot of re-releases of Bollywood because no new content is getting released.

[00:06:38] So one of the biggest hits of the year was, you know, Kal Ho Na Ho probably, you know, or something like that.

[00:06:45] Like Interstellar.

[00:06:46] That's not just a Bollywood problem, though, because Interstellar got an IMAX release and it made like 20, 25 million dollars or something.

[00:06:53] It's crazy.

[00:06:54] Yeah.

[00:06:56] Yeah.

[00:06:57] I think, yeah, the year sucks.

[00:06:59] And I think one other reason has to be because there were no Khan releases, really.

[00:07:03] For sure.

[00:07:04] You know, it's that thing with the Hollywood system where there's big, massive superhero movies and that generates interest in smaller movies.

[00:07:11] And I think that's the thing with Khan movies.

[00:07:14] Just people want to go to watch these movies and then other, you know, other smaller movies get financed and stuff like that.

[00:07:21] And there's more interest, more stars get launched.

[00:07:24] All of these things that are happening.

[00:07:25] Directors get chances to make some sort of movie.

[00:07:28] And otherwise you have like good directors that then end up making Chandu Champion, you know, like Kapir Khan.

[00:07:33] And now there's no Khan.

[00:07:35] So he has to make Chandu Champion.

[00:07:36] And it's like, what do you do then?

[00:07:38] Right.

[00:07:38] Right.

[00:07:38] Um, so I think that's, that's kind of been an interesting thing.

[00:07:43] I think also, um, streaming has also not, I don't feel streaming even this year really delivered something like knockout.

[00:07:51] You know, there were a few good ones.

[00:07:53] Hiram Andi was there, obviously.

[00:07:55] Um, what else was there?

[00:07:57] Like in, in terms of streaming that came out?

[00:07:59] There's that, uh, there's that Barun Soap Timu, uh, show that came out, uh, on Suni Live.

[00:08:04] Yeah.

[00:08:06] Yeah.

[00:08:07] Yeah.

[00:08:08] Which I haven't seen, uh, but I'm hearing good things about it.

[00:08:12] Right.

[00:08:12] Um, and for me, probably like Citadel Honey Bunny was probably the thing I liked the most in streaming just because it was just so fun.

[00:08:20] And then like actors I liked, uh, but even I think because the pandemic, um, those years, it was really like, oh, the big releases are getting a theatric, uh, streaming release.

[00:08:31] And that has stopped this year.

[00:08:33] Like people were like, we'll go to the theater again, you know, like that's where you watch a movie.

[00:08:39] So the movies that kind of dropped were like, I don't know, they weren't like really.

[00:08:44] But can I say like, after the pandemic, I truly do believe people don't know how to watch a movie in the theaters anymore.

[00:08:52] Like the, the way people behave, it is, it's like freaking shocking.

[00:08:57] Like everyone is so used to stacking.

[00:08:59] Like, I know we make fun of Sujoy all the time for like, you know, like being on his phone and every time he's watching stuff.

[00:09:06] But that is how like 90% of the people that I'm in the, in the theater with are now watching.

[00:09:13] Why do you kill me?

[00:09:16] I saw Sujoy thinking when Amrita said, we make fun of Sujoy all the time.

[00:09:20] And Sujoy was like, which thing are we specifically talking about here?

[00:09:24] Yeah.

[00:09:25] But I never behave like that at the cinema, by the way.

[00:09:28] He's actually, he gets annoyed at other people, even if they take a video clip and stuff like that.

[00:09:33] No, but like, it's gotten to a point where like, you know, like, and then they look at you, like when you tell them off and you are like, hey, can you like turn?

[00:09:40] And they look at you as if you're the weirdo.

[00:09:44] Yeah.

[00:09:45] What's wrong with you that you don't like the fact that I'm checking my email in the middle of like the climax of this movie?

[00:09:51] Yeah.

[00:09:52] I just, like people are just out of their minds.

[00:09:59] Pitu, any streaming show that's kind of stood out for you that you really enjoyed this year?

[00:10:05] No, last year I loved The Hard.

[00:10:07] I think The Hard was 20 years ago.

[00:10:08] It was so good and I still can't stop talking about it.

[00:10:11] And Beth is sick of me talking about Sunakshi Sanda in that show because she was so amazing.

[00:10:15] She was so amazing.

[00:10:16] But this year even streaming was kind of like, yeah, whatever.

[00:10:19] Like I considered giving Love, Sex and Dhoka 2 a chance.

[00:10:23] But then that was like a little lame so that I didn't bother.

[00:10:26] Then I seen Dilraba, I was like, I didn't bother.

[00:10:28] The only streaming I really enjoyed this year and it wasn't a show, it was a movie, was Amar Singh Chamkeela.

[00:10:34] Because I love Diljeet Dussan.

[00:10:36] So I was like, I'm going to watch this.

[00:10:38] And I have finally forgiven Imtia Zali for doing what he did in Jabhari Met Sejal.

[00:10:44] So now he's back in my good books.

[00:10:47] Not that he asked.

[00:10:49] I think there were some movies that came out on streaming that I did find surprising that they came out on streaming.

[00:10:54] Not Chamkeela being one, but also like Maharaja.

[00:11:00] Junaid Khan.

[00:11:01] Yeah.

[00:11:03] That one too.

[00:11:04] And there were a few other ones that I was like, oh, it's coming out on streaming.

[00:11:06] There was a, I mean, it was not going to be a hit, but there was that Sarali Khan movie, A Vatan.

[00:11:15] A Vatan, My Vatan.

[00:11:18] It was like when I was watching the trailer of it, like it was mounted on a scale.

[00:11:24] That was like they spent money, right?

[00:11:26] I mean, I'm sure they saw the finished product and it was like, let's put it on streaming.

[00:11:30] Like this is not going to work out, right?

[00:11:33] There was another one, Agni, that came out like a few weeks ago.

[00:11:37] I think they were from Excel or something like that.

[00:11:39] Like a Fire Brigade movie kind of thing.

[00:11:42] Ah, yeah.

[00:11:43] With Rati Gandhi.

[00:11:44] Yeah.

[00:11:44] And it looked good, actually.

[00:11:46] I was going to try to catch it, but I knew it was not going to end up on my top five list anyway.

[00:11:51] So I was like, oh, I'll wait.

[00:11:52] I'll watch the other ones.

[00:11:54] But just surprising that this doesn't find a space in theatrical.

[00:11:59] But also, you know, when you have fighting, when they're fighting with Pushpath 2 for screens,

[00:12:03] it's then very hard for anybody to find kind of a slot there.

[00:12:10] I'd also like to mention that we are recording this before Christmas.

[00:12:13] So Baby John hasn't come out yet.

[00:12:15] So if Baby John goes on to become the year's biggest blockbuster and we are not including it in our top fives,

[00:12:21] we will probably include it in next year's list.

[00:12:24] How likely do you think that is?

[00:12:28] It's only five days.

[00:12:29] You can't break a record on five days now.

[00:12:31] That's just not possible.

[00:12:33] But I am very annoyed because I'm not going to be in town.

[00:12:35] So I can only watch Baby John when I come back.

[00:12:39] Yeah.

[00:12:40] I come back after New Year, I think.

[00:12:42] And I hope it's still in theaters because I'm literally,

[00:12:46] I don't think I've been as excited for any movie this year as much as I am for Baby John.

[00:12:50] Because this is what I want for Varun.

[00:12:52] Just kick ass, be in a vardi and protect his little daughter.

[00:12:56] Guys, I'm such an emo dad.

[00:12:58] There's that song where he's with his daughter and he's feeding her medicine and he's crying artistically.

[00:13:05] And I was like, I've been that dad.

[00:13:07] I've been crying and giving medicine to my daughter.

[00:13:10] Varun and you, me, same, same.

[00:13:12] What does Baby John mean?

[00:13:14] Who is the baby?

[00:13:15] There's a baby called John?

[00:13:16] I think it's the daughter that was Baby John.

[00:13:20] The character is Baby John.

[00:13:22] The character, I think, is Baby John.

[00:13:23] What kind of name is Baby John?

[00:13:25] I don't know.

[00:13:26] We'll figure it out in theaters.

[00:13:28] We'll figure it out in theaters.

[00:13:31] Shall we get into our top five list then?

[00:13:34] Yes.

[00:13:37] Shall we start maybe with what are the honorable mentions?

[00:13:42] Shall we start with that maybe or should we do that at the end?

[00:13:45] Let's do that at the end.

[00:13:46] Because then we'll have like...

[00:13:48] Okay.

[00:13:49] Okay.

[00:13:49] Let's start with top five.

[00:13:52] P2.

[00:13:52] Oh, number five.

[00:13:53] Number five.

[00:13:54] It was 3-2.

[00:13:55] Yeah.

[00:13:56] It was 3-2.

[00:13:56] This was amazing.

[00:13:57] And I love Sarkata.

[00:13:59] And everyone was on fire.

[00:14:01] It was really funny.

[00:14:02] And then the sequence with Abhishek Banerjee and Pankhishtra Parti when they're on the motorcycles

[00:14:07] and then that head is coming at them.

[00:14:08] Oh, my God.

[00:14:09] I laughed so hard.

[00:14:09] It was great.

[00:14:11] And it was creepy in the best way.

[00:14:13] And then that place they were in, which was a little bit Stranger Things inspired.

[00:14:18] I kind of like that too.

[00:14:19] Oh, I liked everything except the...

[00:14:21] With all the ganjiturals.

[00:14:22] The only thing I didn't like was the unnecessary songs.

[00:14:25] But I thought Rajkumar Ra was adorable in this movie.

[00:14:28] So, 3-2 was my number four.

[00:14:31] Did you like it as much as 3-1?

[00:14:33] I would say about the same.

[00:14:35] You felt it was...

[00:14:36] It's not like I loved it that much more than 3, but I mean about the same.

[00:14:41] Yeah.

[00:14:41] 3 didn't work for me.

[00:14:43] Both of them.

[00:14:44] I think you like this horror comedy universe, which it doesn't work for me at all.

[00:14:48] Like, I was watching Munjiya.

[00:14:50] You were mentioning Munjiya earlier.

[00:14:52] I got into half of it and I just...

[00:14:54] I'm done.

[00:14:55] I don't think I can watch the rest of it.

[00:14:56] Did you like Bedia?

[00:14:58] I love Bedia.

[00:14:59] But that's for...

[00:15:00] Yeah.

[00:15:01] I mean, I like the actors in it, right?

[00:15:02] I like Varun and I like Kriti.

[00:15:05] So, I like Bedia.

[00:15:06] I don't like the haircut that they put on her.

[00:15:08] That I kind of hate.

[00:15:11] But yeah, with Munjiya, I was just not scared of like a 12-year-old boy.

[00:15:15] You know, like a ganja 12-year-old boy.

[00:15:19] What am I supposed to be scared about here?

[00:15:21] You know?

[00:15:21] So, yeah.

[00:15:22] Maybe.

[00:15:22] Yeah.

[00:15:23] Again.

[00:15:25] Sujoy, man.

[00:15:26] Number 5 for you.

[00:15:27] My number 5 is the movie that we begun the year with.

[00:15:31] Merry Christmas by Sriram Raghavan starring Vijay Sethupati and Katrina Kaif.

[00:15:36] And what a delicious little thriller of a movie that I think at the end of the year, nobody seems to be talking about it.

[00:15:44] But I still remember the theater experience of it.

[00:15:47] And it's one of those cinema moments that I cherish a lot this year.

[00:15:53] And yeah.

[00:15:55] I really, really enjoyed Merry Christmas.

[00:15:57] And it's my number 5 of the year.

[00:15:58] Question for you.

[00:15:59] Did you like...

[00:16:00] I mean, I assume you liked Vijay Sethupati, but how was Katrina?

[00:16:04] She was brilliant for this role.

[00:16:06] Okay.

[00:16:07] Yeah.

[00:16:12] Asim is regretting inviting you back.

[00:16:15] No, no, no.

[00:16:15] I like this.

[00:16:16] And this movie is going to be on my list also.

[00:16:20] So, I will discuss later.

[00:16:23] But yeah.

[00:16:24] Amrita, I don't know if Merry Christmas is on your list later on.

[00:16:27] But otherwise, give you a tough one.

[00:16:29] Yeah.

[00:16:30] Number 5 is The Buckingham Murders for me.

[00:16:34] I really enjoyed it.

[00:16:37] And it was surprising.

[00:16:38] Like, I thought it was going to be one of those...

[00:16:41] You know those women-oriented movies?

[00:16:44] You know?

[00:16:45] Like, which basically is code for like boring as heck.

[00:16:49] And then I walked in and I actually really enjoyed it.

[00:16:52] Kareena was a delight to watch.

[00:16:55] Especially on the big screen.

[00:16:57] I know probably most people watch this on streaming.

[00:17:00] I was lucky enough to watch it on the big screen.

[00:17:02] And I really enjoyed it.

[00:17:04] Like, it was a great theatrical experience.

[00:17:06] So, yeah.

[00:17:07] That's my number 5.

[00:17:09] Great.

[00:17:10] My number 5 is Jigra.

[00:17:13] I mean, I love the movie when it came out.

[00:17:16] I re-watched it now that it's on Netflix.

[00:17:18] I think it still holds up.

[00:17:19] I think it's beautiful to watch.

[00:17:22] I mean, the setting, the performance.

[00:17:25] All of this.

[00:17:25] I mean, it's so full of itself with all of the filmy references.

[00:17:30] They're so overt.

[00:17:31] They're so in your face.

[00:17:32] But it just works, you know?

[00:17:33] It's like when Quentin Tarantino does it, you know?

[00:17:36] It's like, yeah.

[00:17:37] It's so obvious.

[00:17:38] But it's just fun to watch those kind of things as a film nerd, right?

[00:17:44] And I just love Alia in it.

[00:17:47] I love Alia that as a female performer, she can make a project like this.

[00:17:52] That she can back a project like this.

[00:17:54] And she can deliver it, you know?

[00:17:56] I think the story is something that we've seen so many times from a male perspective.

[00:18:01] We've literally never seen it from a female perspective.

[00:18:04] I love that.

[00:18:05] I loved Vedang Raya in it.

[00:18:07] I was watching it now, again, literally when it came out on Netflix.

[00:18:12] And when she actually saves him, they're on the roof.

[00:18:16] And they're having that big fight with Hans Landa.

[00:18:20] And she grabs him when he's on the floor.

[00:18:24] And he looks at his other buddies.

[00:18:26] And he says, see, that's my badass sister.

[00:18:28] He just gives a look.

[00:18:29] And it's such a wonderful look.

[00:18:31] Like, see, I knew she was going to come and get me, you know?

[00:18:34] I love it.

[00:18:35] I love Jigra.

[00:18:35] So that's my number five.

[00:18:39] I mean, I think if it's not on your list, then you can add your thoughts to Jigra if you want.

[00:18:44] But if it's not, then we can move on to number four.

[00:18:47] I really liked Jigra, actually.

[00:18:49] And I was surprised I liked it as much as I did.

[00:18:51] So Jigra was the other movie that, again, I saw it on the marquee.

[00:18:54] I went to the theater.

[00:18:55] I was like, can I buy tickets?

[00:18:56] And they were like, oh, we took it off.

[00:18:57] Because apparently no one came and saw it.

[00:19:00] But then I watched it on streaming.

[00:19:01] And I enjoyed it.

[00:19:03] I will say I still enjoy the other movie that's really old, Gumra, that has Shri Devi in it.

[00:19:09] Which has like a similar theme of like being imprisoned under like fake drug charges.

[00:19:12] That was still more entertaining.

[00:19:14] But I did really like Alia in this.

[00:19:17] I really like Vedang Rana, except I can't keep shaking the fact that I feel like I'm seeing young Ranbir Singh.

[00:19:23] Like I just...

[00:19:24] 100%.

[00:19:25] He looks so much like Ranbir Singh.

[00:19:27] But he was good.

[00:19:28] I liked him.

[00:19:29] I think of the newer crop, he's like my favorite.

[00:19:33] It was really good.

[00:19:34] I liked having...

[00:19:35] I also...

[00:19:36] The only thing about it that kind of...

[00:19:38] And I know, you know, you need to like not be obsessed with the reality part of it so much.

[00:19:44] But she's so fragile looking that in some of the scenes where she's like rappelling and doing some of the action,

[00:19:50] I was like, I just don't buy this.

[00:19:52] So it took me out of it a little.

[00:19:53] It's like if they had someone like say Deepika, who actually is fit and strong, I would buy it a little more.

[00:19:58] But Alia just looks so fragile.

[00:20:01] And in some of the scenes, she looks like a 10-year-old, frankly.

[00:20:04] That I was just like, do I buy this person as this like strong person doing all these action scenes?

[00:20:10] Not really.

[00:20:11] But then I think it also made me root for her more.

[00:20:13] So it was interesting.

[00:20:16] Yeah.

[00:20:16] But Munji are you buying it?

[00:20:18] I mean, it's a horror movie.

[00:20:20] Horror movie, there is no logic or anything.

[00:20:24] It's a complete suspension of disbelief.

[00:20:26] Also in Jigra, the person actually who's acting I love the most was this guy called Vivek Gombar,

[00:20:30] whom I've never heard of.

[00:20:32] He played the jailer in it.

[00:20:34] Like the Indian origin.

[00:20:36] He was amazing.

[00:20:38] And I was like, who is this person?

[00:20:39] And I was looking up his IMDb.

[00:20:40] Yeah.

[00:20:41] But yeah.

[00:20:42] Yeah.

[00:20:43] Okay.

[00:20:43] So we're talking about Jigra, then Jigra is my number four.

[00:20:48] So I'll just go skip the queue a little bit.

[00:20:53] And yeah, for pretty much the same reasons that Asim was saying, you know, like it's a fresh perspective.

[00:21:03] It's definitely a cinephiles movie.

[00:21:08] It was, again, like it was a very strong, like female performance.

[00:21:14] And I can see the flaws now that I'm a little bit at a bit more of a distance.

[00:21:21] But like when I was watching it on screen, I had a good time.

[00:21:26] And it was just, yeah, I really appreciated it for the same reasons that I mentioned when it came out that, you know, that it was a sister and brother story.

[00:21:37] There was no like force fitted romance.

[00:21:41] It had those beautiful scenes.

[00:21:44] It had like something fresh to offer.

[00:21:47] I really enjoyed it.

[00:21:50] Jigra is not on my list, but yeah, I quite enjoyed it at the cinema too, just to add to that.

[00:21:56] And I would like to remind one particular scene from Jigra is when they don't show much, but they show like, you know, Alia has been wronged.

[00:22:06] Right.

[00:22:07] And she has been offered money to go to rescue her brother by the people who hire her.

[00:22:13] And just at the airport, you just get glimpses of her badassery and you just get a mention that she has set the building on fire.

[00:22:23] And that was like, wow.

[00:22:24] Yeah.

[00:22:24] So well done.

[00:22:29] Great.

[00:22:30] Pitu, number four for you.

[00:22:31] Number four for me was crew.

[00:22:34] I enjoyed it.

[00:22:37] I love Bebo.

[00:22:37] I love Tabbu.

[00:22:38] Kriti Sanon, I'm neutral about, but she was fine in this movie.

[00:22:41] It was just really fun.

[00:22:43] I saw it in the theater and there were a lot of women viewers in the theater and I could like everyone had a great time.

[00:22:50] And like Bebo proved again to me why she's such a superstar because she acts so well.

[00:22:54] But she also looks so glamorous.

[00:22:56] I love how she's aging.

[00:22:59] And Tabbu is always amazing.

[00:23:01] Like Tabbu comes on the screen and I'm like, yes, Tabbu.

[00:23:04] So I really like crew.

[00:23:06] Again, there were some parts of it which I was like, I don't know if I buy this, but it was so enjoyable and entertaining that I didn't mind at all.

[00:23:13] It was really funny.

[00:23:14] And the chemistry between Tabbu and Bebo was really great.

[00:23:19] Kapil Sharma.

[00:23:21] I was about to say Kapil Sharma.

[00:23:23] No.

[00:23:24] But that was also great.

[00:23:27] First when I heard the Tabbu and Kapil Sharma pair of pair, I was like, what?

[00:23:30] Do not do Tabbu this dirty.

[00:23:32] But then that sort of like bedroom scene that they had where she's doing that, like the instruction stuff, that like had me giggling.

[00:23:40] So.

[00:23:41] Yeah.

[00:23:42] Darwaza yaha yaha khulenge.

[00:23:45] So yeah.

[00:23:46] Sujoy, number four for you.

[00:23:48] Number four for me is.

[00:23:50] Hang on.

[00:23:51] Where did I leave my notes?

[00:23:53] Number four for me is Mudgaon Express.

[00:23:56] Hmm.

[00:23:57] That's a good one.

[00:23:57] I don't know if anybody of you saw Mudgaon Express this year.

[00:24:00] I saw it.

[00:24:01] It's so funny.

[00:24:02] It's so funny.

[00:24:03] Yeah.

[00:24:04] Yeah.

[00:24:04] It's the directorial debut of Kunal Khemu, one of our, you know, favorite bros.

[00:24:10] And I think in Mudgaon Express, I think he's the writer-director of this movie.

[00:24:16] And it comes through.

[00:24:18] Like the movie is completely Kunal Khemu at its most authentic self.

[00:24:23] It comes to life in the various versions of these characters.

[00:24:28] You can see glimpses of Kunal Khemu enacting these lines, even in like Kanchan Kombri, which

[00:24:35] I think is the most memorable character of the year.

[00:24:39] Yeah.

[00:24:40] The cast of this, Divyendu, Pratih Gandhi, Evnash Tiwari, all were great.

[00:24:44] The comic lines were great.

[00:24:46] Even Nora Fatehi got to shine in this.

[00:24:48] And his use, Nora Fatehi, you know, played to her strengths.

[00:24:54] Yeah.

[00:24:55] The dreamy song sequences and all the outlandish comedy that comes through in these many unimaginable

[00:25:03] circumstances in Goa was like, it was such a blast, this movie.

[00:25:08] So that's my number four of the year.

[00:25:10] Yeah.

[00:25:11] It's not on my list, but like, it's, it's really the funniest thing of the entire year.

[00:25:15] I still think about that Coke scene, like when he falls into that mattress and filled

[00:25:21] with Coke.

[00:25:22] I, I would take offense with your, you saying, playing to Nora Fatehi, Fatehi strength because

[00:25:29] Nora only has strengths.

[00:25:30] She has none.

[00:25:31] She has no weaknesses.

[00:25:32] Sure.

[00:25:32] She's a super powered wonder woman.

[00:25:36] Wow.

[00:25:37] What Nora Fatehi movies has Asim been watching?

[00:25:39] I have so many questions.

[00:25:40] All of these.

[00:25:41] Have you not seen all of these?

[00:25:43] She's like dancing in the Acropolis.

[00:25:45] She's dancing in the whatever, you know.

[00:25:49] Amrita, I think you were the first to watch Madagam Express.

[00:25:52] No, you, you really like.

[00:25:54] Yeah.

[00:25:54] So I don't want to get ahead of myself.

[00:25:56] So I will let you say your number four and then I'll tell you my number three.

[00:26:01] Okay.

[00:26:02] My number four is Control.

[00:26:07] Okay.

[00:26:08] What?

[00:26:09] What's that reaction?

[00:26:13] I thought it was, I mean, this, this whole year, none of these movies are like in five

[00:26:19] years times.

[00:26:20] I will not be mentioning any of these names, you know, they're not like movies that are

[00:26:24] great movies.

[00:26:24] So you have to pick from what's out there.

[00:26:26] And I think Control was again, one of those movies that came out on streaming straight away,

[00:26:31] didn't get a theatrical release, but I think it's one of those movies that would is

[00:26:36] good that it's on streaming.

[00:26:37] They should not have gone theatrical release.

[00:26:40] It is basically an Indian version of a Black Mirror episode.

[00:26:44] But I like it.

[00:26:45] I like that it's a movie that's trying to do something in a sci-fi space, try to push

[00:26:52] the boundaries of what storytelling can be.

[00:26:54] It's Ananya leading this, you know, and it's also just this idea of, you know, Ananya playing

[00:27:01] against the kind of image she has, you know, of like an Instagram girl or, you know, that

[00:27:06] kind of thing.

[00:27:07] And I think she's picking some good projects and she's improving project by project.

[00:27:13] So I think I just wanted to kind of highlight that with Control.

[00:27:17] And there's other movies that could have been on here, but this was kind of a smaller contained

[00:27:21] movie.

[00:27:21] And I kind of like that.

[00:27:23] Sitting at home, watching it on your couch.

[00:27:25] I think at the end of the year, this is still a movie that I think, you know, deserves some

[00:27:29] flowers.

[00:27:30] So that's why number four for Control.

[00:27:34] Anybody else like Control?

[00:27:36] I'm sure it's on nobody's list except on my list.

[00:27:39] I didn't even watch it.

[00:27:40] You didn't watch it?

[00:27:41] Okay.

[00:27:42] Did my two minutes of praise convince you to maybe watch it?

[00:27:45] No.

[00:27:46] I won't watch anything with Ananya.

[00:27:48] Really?

[00:27:49] Why?

[00:27:49] Refuse.

[00:27:51] Call Me Bay was good too, apparently.

[00:27:55] I actually liked Call Me Bay.

[00:27:57] I know like Sujo, I hated it, but I actually liked it.

[00:28:00] Yeah, I couldn't stand it.

[00:28:01] No, I'll watch Control at some point.

[00:28:06] Oh, I haven't seen it yet.

[00:28:07] No, I haven't seen it.

[00:28:08] I know I will watch it at some point.

[00:28:10] It's just that the subject matter is not something that I want to see right now.

[00:28:20] Amrita, number three or four.

[00:28:22] I think you broke the rules already.

[00:28:24] It's funny because like number three for me was actually, I had like two.

[00:28:30] I had like Mudgaon Express and I had Crew.

[00:28:33] Right.

[00:28:34] And to me, like both of those are sort of the sort of like a yin and yang, two sides of the coin kind of a thing.

[00:28:41] Because Mudgaon Express is like a boys movie, like to the core.

[00:28:45] And The Crew is very much a girls movie to the core.

[00:28:48] And they're both very enjoyable in very different ways.

[00:28:54] Like Kunal Khmu just like nails that sort of slacker, stoner comedy genre.

[00:29:01] And the crew is very much, you know, like women in their 30s who are up to shenanigans.

[00:29:12] And it's, it was just really enjoyable.

[00:29:16] You know, like as Keetu was saying, like I really enjoyed watching it.

[00:29:20] Tabu is always a winner in my book, even when she's making terrible movies with her friends.

[00:29:28] And yeah, I think those are my choices for number three.

[00:29:34] I have a quick question about Tabu because Amrita opened the floodgate by talking about her.

[00:29:40] Has anyone seen that Auro Me Kaha Damtha?

[00:29:43] I have.

[00:29:44] How was it?

[00:29:46] Should I watch it?

[00:29:47] I, it's a really like patchy movie.

[00:29:51] Like it, and it sort of like, Tabu's there for like maybe 15 minutes.

[00:29:56] Okay, I'm not watching it then.

[00:29:57] Yeah.

[00:29:58] So if you're like looking for like a Tabu movie, then that's not it.

[00:30:01] Because the majority is Simon Jrekar.

[00:30:04] Okay.

[00:30:04] Because it's, it's like set in their, in their past.

[00:30:08] So it's like, yeah.

[00:30:10] So there's like a, there's like a, it's like a movie that doesn't really know what to make of itself.

[00:30:15] Because it wants to be this very poetic, lost love.

[00:30:23] Longing, nostalgia.

[00:30:25] Like nostalgia tinged with sadness sort of a movie.

[00:30:29] But it also understands that that doesn't really sell in 2024.

[00:30:33] So then they have like Ajay Devgan, like, you know, like killing people with his bare hands.

[00:30:38] And you're like, this is like really weird tonally.

[00:30:41] And then most of it is like in the, in the, and also it has Shantanu, what's his face?

[00:30:48] Shantanu Maheshwari.

[00:30:51] Who's playing, you know, you know who I'm talking about.

[00:30:54] That Gangu Bhai Kathiawadi was.

[00:30:56] Yes.

[00:30:57] And he's playing the young Ajay Devgan.

[00:31:02] Which is a piece of casting that I cannot get over.

[00:31:07] He did a lot of Gutka in his 20s to become Ajay Devgan.

[00:31:12] I know aging is tough.

[00:31:14] Aging is tough, but it's not that tough.

[00:31:19] But Sai Manjareka does like a really good job of being like a young tabu actually.

[00:31:24] Like I was really stunned.

[00:31:27] But yeah.

[00:31:28] She's Sanjay Manjareka's daughter, right?

[00:31:30] Yeah.

[00:31:31] Mahesh Manjareka's daughter.

[00:31:32] Mahesh.

[00:31:32] Mahesh Manjareka's?

[00:31:34] Yes.

[00:31:34] Yeah.

[00:31:35] She was in that, didn't she do that movie?

[00:31:37] The cricketer.

[00:31:38] Yeah.

[00:31:39] Oh.

[00:31:39] No, no, no.

[00:31:41] The tabu is also coming in that Dune prophecy, I think, no?

[00:31:45] She's sister Francesca.

[00:31:47] Yeah.

[00:31:47] I must agree.

[00:31:48] In that black outfit.

[00:31:49] I'm like, yes!

[00:31:50] Yeah.

[00:31:51] I watched one episode of Dune prophecy and my whole mind was tabu kai, tabu kai, tabu kai,

[00:31:55] tabu kai.

[00:31:56] One episode, it didn't come.

[00:31:58] It's like, what's going on?

[00:32:00] Yeah.

[00:32:01] I have to tell you, by the way, because Dune prophecy has the HBO team, they're like

[00:32:06] really promoting it and her, you know, her appearance on their Instagram feed.

[00:32:12] And they had the interview because there's another actor, like he's a half Indian or like

[00:32:16] Indian, like from Australia.

[00:32:17] And he's like, oh, tabu, she used to feed me.

[00:32:21] I was like, yaar khaana khilati, at least pronounce her name correctly.

[00:32:24] Indian food.

[00:32:25] Oh my God.

[00:32:26] I was like, you know.

[00:32:28] He was like, where was tabu getting authentic Indian food to feed him?

[00:32:30] I had so many questions about that.

[00:32:33] I had visions of tabu kai.

[00:32:33] Priyanka's restaurant delivered to the set, I think.

[00:32:39] Pitu, number three for you.

[00:32:41] It was actually Munja.

[00:32:43] Because I will watch anything that is horror and especially if it's comedy.

[00:32:47] And I thought Munah Singh was so cute in this.

[00:32:49] Like her relationship with her son was adorable.

[00:32:52] And there is that one scene where she's kind of like yelling at him.

[00:32:56] And she's like, but you, he's like, but you've always told me that I'm whatever.

[00:33:00] Like, you know.

[00:33:01] And she's like, yeah, because I'm your mother.

[00:33:03] Like, that's what we do.

[00:33:04] Like, that doesn't mean I don't love you.

[00:33:05] And I was like, oh my God, that was so sweet.

[00:33:08] And I really like the grandma as well.

[00:33:10] So I like sort of the relationships in that movie.

[00:33:13] And I thought Abhay Parma was really charming and believable as this like sort of scary cat.

[00:33:19] But he's also such a green flag guy.

[00:33:22] And then who was the actress in it?

[00:33:25] She was...

[00:33:26] Sharbari Vag.

[00:33:27] Yeah, Sharbari Vag.

[00:33:28] And Beth and I were talking about how she wants to go to Brazil to become a Zumba instructor.

[00:33:33] And just a few weeks before, I had seen Dhoom 2.

[00:33:37] And in Dhoom 2, Vipasha Vasu, the other Vipasha Vasu is like in Brazil.

[00:33:41] So I was like, maybe Sharbari Vag's character will go to Brazil.

[00:33:44] And her and Monali Bose will do Zumba together.

[00:33:47] So I enjoyed it.

[00:33:49] It was just like funny and silly.

[00:33:51] And this horror comedy is totally my genre.

[00:33:53] Like Madden can just keep making these movies.

[00:33:55] So you think Munjia is better than Stree 2?

[00:33:58] Yes.

[00:33:59] I enjoyed it more.

[00:34:01] So for me, it came down to enjoyment because it's not like I'm grading either of these films on like realism, right?

[00:34:06] Yeah.

[00:34:06] But at least with Munjia, with Stree 2, it was a little bit of like, okay, I've seen this universe before in Stree.

[00:34:13] So that wasn't new to me.

[00:34:15] And with Munjia, I really liked Abhay Verma.

[00:34:19] So I feel like he's someone to look out for.

[00:34:21] Whereas Rajkumar, I like him.

[00:34:22] But he also like made Vicky Vidya, which made me very angry.

[00:34:27] And so yeah, I enjoyed Munjia because it was like a little bit different.

[00:34:30] And I like the relationships that the male protagonist had with his, like the women in his life.

[00:34:35] His mom, his grandma, as well as his girlfriend.

[00:34:42] So yeah.

[00:34:43] Yeah.

[00:34:44] Yeah.

[00:34:45] Amrita, it's not on your list, I imagine, right?

[00:34:47] I haven't seen it yet.

[00:34:49] So yeah.

[00:34:50] I, like I said, I couldn't finish it.

[00:34:52] And I think actually, is it Abhay Verma?

[00:34:54] What's his name?

[00:34:55] Abhay Verma.

[00:34:56] That's the part I had the most problem with.

[00:34:58] That character, not his performance.

[00:35:00] He was just so, such a weakling.

[00:35:02] And I have real trouble like watching these kind of men on screen.

[00:35:06] It's like, there's nothing there, right?

[00:35:08] And also just too scared.

[00:35:10] Like it was, the pitch was too high for me.

[00:35:12] And like, it's just like, I just could not identify with somebody being scared of a 12 year old boy.

[00:35:19] That's just me, you know?

[00:35:20] Like I was like, just thapod mar de na khatam ho gaia.

[00:35:22] You know?

[00:35:23] But it's a ghost.

[00:35:24] It's not a ghost boy.

[00:35:24] I get it.

[00:35:25] I would stab the ghost.

[00:35:26] I would stab the ghost.

[00:35:29] But yeah, that's just me maybe.

[00:35:31] I'll try to finish it because I actually really like Sharwari Waag.

[00:35:34] That's the one I was kind of like, this is kind of a cool girl doing her own vibe and doing Zumba in Brazil.

[00:35:39] You know?

[00:35:40] I enjoyed that.

[00:35:42] Sujoy, man.

[00:35:43] Number three?

[00:35:44] Number three for me is Bhulbuleya 3.

[00:35:48] Oh, probably the, one of the biggest grocers of the movie.

[00:35:51] It's a movie directed by Anis Basmi and stars everybody and the kitchen sink, including Madhuri Dixit and Vidya Balank, recreating Ami Jai Tomar for this movie.

[00:36:03] And it was like, it began as just another horror comedy movie, I think.

[00:36:09] But the climax of this movie is so memorable to me watching this at the cinema.

[00:36:14] And that reveal happened was, I genuinely felt surprised.

[00:36:19] I did not, you know, realize that was going to happen.

[00:36:23] I could not figure that out.

[00:36:24] And that's always a plus in my books.

[00:36:26] But also the story then how it progresses from there, you know, what it actually transpires about, you know, this trans character.

[00:36:34] And the trauma of that betrayal and how that then translates into the horror lore that we are more often than not, you know, accustomed to in many, many of our many, many years of watching Bollywood horror.

[00:36:51] And how that is sort of translated in this story.

[00:36:55] I really found that interesting.

[00:36:57] And also to hear Sonu Nigam sing Ami Jai Tomar or Mere Pyar Ki Dun, that was something really great, I think.

[00:37:08] So this was one of the best cinema experiences that I had this year.

[00:37:13] Wow.

[00:37:14] Wow.

[00:37:15] I'm blown over by the place for Kartikari.

[00:37:19] Even Anis Basmi wasn't expecting that from me.

[00:37:24] This is why people tune into Khandan, you know.

[00:37:26] It's having, you know, Bool Boolai Aatri and, you know, Madgao Express on the list, you know.

[00:37:33] Classic choices.

[00:37:35] Yeah.

[00:37:35] Amrita, no, you did already number three.

[00:37:37] So it's my number three now.

[00:37:39] Who's karri?

[00:37:40] You're there.

[00:37:42] Sabar kar.

[00:37:44] This was almost higher on my list.

[00:37:47] But I think the conversation about this for the last few weeks has put it slightly down, which I am annoyed with myself because I am the kind of guy that should not be listening and should be adamant on his choices.

[00:38:01] But it's number three is Lapata Ladies.

[00:38:05] I think it's really one of the best movies of the year.

[00:38:07] And I think I was saying earlier that, you know, maybe in five years I won't be talking about these movies.

[00:38:12] I think Lapata Ladies will be one of those movies that I might still be talking about, recommending and things like that.

[00:38:18] I really, really think the conversation about this movie has become unbelievably toxic and harmful.

[00:38:25] Yeah.

[00:38:25] And it annoys the crap out of me because I am also partaking in that conversation.

[00:38:30] And it is such a weird thing because a lot of people have their guns out on Amir because of this movie, which is a really good movie made by Kiran Rao.

[00:38:41] And Amir doesn't even have that much to do with it.

[00:38:44] But obviously, he's front and center when they're pushing for the Oscar race.

[00:38:50] Yeah.

[00:38:50] Or were pushing for the Oscar race because that just makes marketing sense.

[00:38:55] That's what makes sense.

[00:38:57] I have not seen All We Imagine is Light yet.

[00:39:01] And I'm sure it's a very capable movie.

[00:39:04] And, you know, it's getting the laudits and praise that it deserves.

[00:39:07] You know, it's winning everywhere.

[00:39:09] But I still think it was a sensible decision to send La Pata ladies to the Oscars.

[00:39:17] It didn't get nominated.

[00:39:19] It didn't get picked.

[00:39:20] And I think, you know, people are like having a lot of schadenfreude about that and really enjoying the downfall of Amir Khan.

[00:39:26] Like, Amir Khan hasn't gotten enough bullshit from the right wingers and the horrible toxic people of all of his last few movies.

[00:39:34] Like, the guy has been haunted.

[00:39:36] He's been having to humiliate himself crying on TV.

[00:39:40] And it's not enough.

[00:39:41] You know, it's like people just want more, more, more.

[00:39:44] And that annoys me.

[00:39:45] And it annoys myself that I put this movie on number three and not on number two, which was initially where I had put this.

[00:39:52] But number three for me is La Pata ladies.

[00:39:56] I know, like, I'm up next for number two.

[00:39:59] And actually, La Pata ladies is my number two.

[00:40:02] And I don't really agree with what you're saying about, like, this being a moment for everyone to, like, dunk on Amir.

[00:40:12] I have seen, like, people talk about how, like, Amir is in bed with Reliance Jio.

[00:40:22] And I'm 100% certain that, like, it's, you know, it's the Ambani factor that made the, you know, the film selection committee go for La Pata ladies over, you know, the rest of the movies that were submitted for consideration.

[00:40:39] I don't think it has to do anything with Amir Khan.

[00:40:43] But I do think that Amir being Amir was doing his best to, you know, be like a good marketer and everything.

[00:40:51] But it's just that he has that.

[00:40:55] I mean, like, it's not a surprise to you that, like, he just annoyed the heck out of me with the narrative that he chose, which was, I don't know anything.

[00:41:05] I am just a little baby.

[00:41:07] I'm a pookie baby that's, like, out in the world with, like, you know, this movie that's, like, mysteriously going to the Oscars.

[00:41:16] When, like, the entire internet was, like, talking about all we imagined as light.

[00:41:21] Like, all he had to do was be, like, yeah, I saw it as a great movie.

[00:41:24] But, like, this is the, these are the cards that we've been dealt, you know.

[00:41:27] Like, that's all he needed to do instead of being, like, oh, my God, like, I've never even heard of this thing.

[00:41:32] Like, what is it?

[00:41:33] Oh, my God.

[00:41:34] Is it a movie?

[00:41:35] Oh, wow.

[00:41:36] Wow.

[00:41:37] These are the kind of things that, like, really annoy me about Aamir.

[00:41:40] But, um, La Bata Lady is just coming to just what it is.

[00:41:45] I feel like it is a good movie.

[00:41:48] Like, it was, I know, like, the, the criticism for this movie has been unhinged.

[00:41:54] And it's been unhinged for, like, very, like, weird reasons.

[00:41:58] It's not even, like, the right wing that has issues with this movie.

[00:42:01] It's usually from the left where they're talking about, like, oh, you know, like, she's an underage bride.

[00:42:06] Like, I can't, like, I can't, so gross.

[00:42:09] Like, I'm like, yeah, that's the whole point.

[00:42:11] The whole point of this movie is that patriarchy exists.

[00:42:17] And, like, these women live in it.

[00:42:20] And it leads to these terrible outcomes for women unless they're willing to take a first step for themselves.

[00:42:30] Um, so, I don't know.

[00:42:32] Like, I really like La Bata Ladies.

[00:42:34] Um, I don't think it's, like, an Oscar movie thing.

[00:42:37] But I think, like, it's a good movie.

[00:42:40] And I enjoyed it.

[00:42:41] Can I also just say the whole, because, just to give context.

[00:42:45] Because, I mean, I live in London.

[00:42:47] So, um, they were doing a heavy push in terms of Oscar narrative in white media here.

[00:42:53] They were in The Guardian.

[00:42:54] They were on BBC.

[00:42:55] They were on The One Show even.

[00:42:57] They were in, you know, America promoting it on, like, daytime TV.

[00:43:03] Which is an amazing thing to do.

[00:43:05] And that kind of push to be able to do that.

[00:43:09] Not every movie can do that.

[00:43:10] And I think Amir being Amir, that's how you get on those shows.

[00:43:14] And that discussion of All We Imagine Is Light was never asked on those stages.

[00:43:20] This is a conversation in Indian Desi film Twitter.

[00:43:23] It's not a conversation that is going on.

[00:43:25] And I don't think it's a conversation that Amir should have necessarily engaged with either.

[00:43:30] Maybe if he's talking to Anupama Chopra, then you can address it and answer it in a better way.

[00:43:35] But I don't think it was a question ever asked on The One Show or on the BBC and stuff like that.

[00:43:41] And that's where the push was happening.

[00:43:44] Let's see who wins the Oscar because I'm sure it's not going to be a movie that's as good as La Pata Ladies, 100%.

[00:43:50] And you know my thoughts about the Oscars.

[00:43:52] I think the Oscars are shit anyway, you know.

[00:43:54] So I don't give a shit about them.

[00:43:55] But yeah, just kind of being stuck in that narrative.

[00:43:58] And I think, yeah, it's just people do have their guns out for Amir.

[00:44:01] And I think he also annoys a lot of people like, you know, Amrita.

[00:44:05] So yeah, it is what it is, I guess.

[00:44:07] Number two, Pitu.

[00:44:10] My number two was actually Amar Singh Jamkila.

[00:44:13] Yeah.

[00:44:15] I literally went in only watching Amar Singh Jamkila because I'm a Diljeet Asanj fan.

[00:44:20] And I wanted to see him portray a singer.

[00:44:23] Like what could be better than him portraying a Punjabi singer.

[00:44:26] And I don't listen to like Punjabi folk music or anything.

[00:44:29] So I had no idea who this Jamkila person was.

[00:44:32] I would say that Impiazali being the force behind it was actually like a question mark for me.

[00:44:38] Because I love some of the films he's done like Jabbe Met.

[00:44:41] But then he also does these awful movies like Rockstar and Jab Harry Met Sejal, which was so hideous.

[00:44:48] So I was like, I don't know.

[00:44:49] This movie could be absolutely horrifyingly bad.

[00:44:52] But I'll still watch it for Diljeet Asanj.

[00:44:55] And he delivered.

[00:44:56] Like it cemented his stardom even more for me.

[00:44:59] Not that he needs any like kudos from me.

[00:45:02] But just his, I loved.

[00:45:05] And it's so hard to do a good biopic, right?

[00:45:08] Because a lot of times when Bollywood makes biopics, they do this very annoying like whitewashing thing.

[00:45:13] Where they make the person seem like an absolute angel.

[00:45:15] I'm looking at you, Sanju.

[00:45:18] But I like that in Amr Singh Jamkila, this person that I'd never heard of.

[00:45:22] They talked about how his rise was through writing and singing these very like double meaning vale lyrics.

[00:45:29] A lot of his lyrics are actually very deeply misogynistic as well.

[00:45:32] Like there's songs where he even talks about like beating your wife to shut her up or whatever.

[00:45:37] And it's done in a very like jokey way.

[00:45:39] Or then the fact that he had an affair and everything.

[00:45:42] And then he married this other person.

[00:45:44] So I like that they presented him sort of warts and all.

[00:45:48] But then they also talked about like the pushback that he was getting from the more religious people.

[00:45:54] Where they were like, you know, you shouldn't be doing these kind of things.

[00:45:58] Because I knew nothing of that, right?

[00:46:00] Like I'm not from rural Punjab or anything like that.

[00:46:04] So I was just like, wait, what?

[00:46:06] So I like the emotional tone of the film.

[00:46:09] I thought Diljeet really delivered in all of his scenes.

[00:46:12] And the music was amazing.

[00:46:14] I mean, he sang so well.

[00:46:16] And it was just, it was very enjoyable.

[00:46:19] The only thing I did not like about the movie, honestly, was Pariniti Chopra.

[00:46:23] Because I think she really dropped the ball.

[00:46:25] I was watching on YouTube.

[00:46:27] I was watching actual like recordings of Amar Singh Chumkeela and his wife.

[00:46:32] And Pariniti just was so dour in this movie.

[00:46:36] And I was just like, yeah, smile a little bit.

[00:46:41] Because that's what that lady was doing on the stage.

[00:46:44] So she was kind of, I didn't like her that much.

[00:46:48] I think that they should have cast someone better than her.

[00:46:51] But other than that, I loved it.

[00:46:52] It's my number two.

[00:46:54] I really liked Pariniti in it.

[00:46:56] I really liked Pariniti in the thing.

[00:46:59] I'm not comparing it to the original.

[00:47:01] But I thought, also maybe it's because she's been on such a crap run lately.

[00:47:06] That this was good for me.

[00:47:07] I was like, yeah, she's doing something and she's nice.

[00:47:09] So, also the songs, Naram Kalja.

[00:47:13] It's amazing.

[00:47:14] Like when you think about one of the best songs of the year,

[00:47:18] that is the one that stands out.

[00:47:20] In terms of choreography, the way it's shot, it was so inventive.

[00:47:25] I loved that one.

[00:47:26] Sadly, it's also probably the last time we'll hear Al-Kai Agnik sing.

[00:47:30] Because she's lost her hearing and stuff.

[00:47:33] So she's going through.

[00:47:34] Really?

[00:47:34] Yeah.

[00:47:35] Oh, I didn't know that.

[00:47:36] Oh, wow.

[00:47:36] Isn't it like tinnitus or something she has?

[00:47:39] Really acute hearing problem.

[00:47:41] So she's lost her hearing.

[00:47:43] Oh, my God.

[00:47:44] I didn't know that.

[00:47:45] Okay.

[00:47:47] Yeah.

[00:47:47] Any thoughts on Chankila if it's not on your list?

[00:47:50] It's not on my list.

[00:47:51] But yeah, it's one of the more memorable movies of the year for sure.

[00:47:54] I specifically remember the nods to Amitabh Bachchan and why Chankila has that hairstyle.

[00:47:59] And he always idolizes him.

[00:48:02] And then when he gets to perform in Canada at a stadium and he sells more seats than Amitabh Bachchan.

[00:48:08] And then he's like getting existential about it.

[00:48:10] Like what's left for me to conquer now?

[00:48:13] Like what's the point in life?

[00:48:14] That was like really sweet.

[00:48:16] Yeah.

[00:48:17] Yeah.

[00:48:17] And I have this Indian grocery store really close to my house.

[00:48:21] It's tiny, tiny.

[00:48:22] And it's owned by this Sikh family.

[00:48:25] I think they're from Lidiana.

[00:48:27] And the son of the owners is actually a Diljeet fan.

[00:48:31] So he had gone to Diljeet's Coachella concert and everything.

[00:48:33] So we were chatting about it.

[00:48:34] So every time I see him, I'm like, come on, let's talk about what's going on.

[00:48:38] And his parents were the grocery store owners.

[00:48:41] I literally was asking them as I'm buying my like Tindora and my masalas and everything.

[00:48:47] I'm like, did you guys see Amit Singh Chankila?

[00:48:49] So they told us like they kind of like lived through that era.

[00:48:53] And the lady who owns the store, her name is Sarabjit.

[00:48:57] And she said that the village that Chankila was from was not like super far from her grandparents' house.

[00:49:04] She was like, we know all of that.

[00:49:06] And like that is what happened.

[00:49:07] And it was really cool.

[00:49:08] Like just chatting with someone who was familiar with that era and that time and that music.

[00:49:13] And she literally said to me, we didn't listen to songs.

[00:49:17] And I said, really?

[00:49:18] And she said, no, no, they were like truck drivers.

[00:49:21] And those who were like, we didn't listen to songs.

[00:49:25] We didn't listen to songs.

[00:49:26] And she was like, she literally said if she had listened to Amit Singh Chankila's music,

[00:49:31] like she would have gotten into trouble at home.

[00:49:33] So that was interesting.

[00:49:34] Which is the theme of the movie itself, right?

[00:49:37] That's exactly what the movie is.

[00:49:38] Yeah, she was like, how are we listening to this?

[00:49:41] Amrita is Chankila.

[00:49:43] I know you and me both are classist, Amrita.

[00:49:45] So I don't know if...

[00:49:46] Oh, y'all are classist.

[00:49:49] Yeah, we got accused of being classist the other day.

[00:49:53] That's why I'm asking Amrita, my fellow classist.

[00:49:56] Chankila is on your list.

[00:49:58] Chankila is on my list.

[00:50:00] So I'll be for Amrita.

[00:50:02] Okay, good.

[00:50:03] She's holding her cards.

[00:50:04] Amrita likes the plebs now.

[00:50:07] I'm slumming it for the podcast.

[00:50:11] Okay, so you've said your number two, Amrita?

[00:50:14] Or Amrita?

[00:50:15] She said it.

[00:50:16] I haven't said my number two.

[00:50:18] Oh, you're...

[00:50:18] Okay, sorry.

[00:50:19] Go ahead.

[00:50:20] Number two for me is Lapata Ladies as well.

[00:50:23] No surprises there.

[00:50:24] Yeah.

[00:50:24] You guys have said pretty much everything that is to say about this movie.

[00:50:28] I really liked it.

[00:50:29] It's a wholesome movie.

[00:50:30] Great story.

[00:50:31] Great performances.

[00:50:32] Great music.

[00:50:33] Osaj Nire has been on my playlist all this year.

[00:50:37] And yeah.

[00:50:39] Even Ravi Kishan gets to shine in this movie.

[00:50:41] I really liked it.

[00:50:42] Yeah.

[00:50:45] Okay, so wait.

[00:50:46] You've done number two.

[00:50:47] Amrita, you've done number two?

[00:50:48] Yeah, everybody's done number two.

[00:50:50] So it's my number two now.

[00:50:51] I'm doing a lot.

[00:50:53] I'm doing a lot, guys.

[00:50:54] I have a lot of lists.

[00:50:55] I've made a little bit of a T.

[00:50:59] Okay, my number two is The Buckingham Murders.

[00:51:03] So I know it was higher on your list.

[00:51:05] But for me, it's...

[00:51:07] I was considering should it be crew?

[00:51:10] Should it be this?

[00:51:12] And I feel...

[00:51:13] What's the baby?

[00:51:13] What's the baby flavor?

[00:51:14] Yeah, exactly.

[00:51:15] Which baby do I like, right?

[00:51:16] And I like more baby.

[00:51:18] That's the answer.

[00:51:19] Right, yes.

[00:51:19] I like more baby.

[00:51:21] So, I mean, just think about it.

[00:51:22] She did crew.

[00:51:25] She did Singham again.

[00:51:26] And she did Buckingham Murders.

[00:51:28] Plus she's on, you know, like selling TVs.

[00:51:30] And like, you know, like whatever else she's doing.

[00:51:33] And just being amazing.

[00:51:34] She has that podcast also, na?

[00:51:36] What Women Want.

[00:51:37] Yeah.

[00:51:38] Like how busy is she?

[00:51:39] And she looks amazing and everything.

[00:51:40] I think Buckingham Murders is just...

[00:51:42] It's not a great movie.

[00:51:44] Like in any way, shape or form.

[00:51:46] It is pretty much like British TV.

[00:51:49] Like there's so many.

[00:51:50] But it's British TV with Bebo.

[00:51:52] That makes it, you know, 100% better than...

[00:51:55] You know, at the moment...

[00:51:57] I think number one at the moment is Black Doves on Netflix.

[00:52:00] Which is British TV with Keira Knightley.

[00:52:02] This is British TV with Bebo.

[00:52:05] Which is better than Keira Knightley, right?

[00:52:09] I hope, I hope...

[00:52:10] And it's probably not going to happen.

[00:52:12] Is that they make a sequel or kind of can continue with the story.

[00:52:16] And maybe find a way to do it with Netflix or however else they want to do it.

[00:52:19] I also really, really liked...

[00:52:21] Because they were doing these roundtables.

[00:52:23] And they were doing these short reels.

[00:52:24] And asking everybody on the roundtable.

[00:52:26] Which is your favorite movie of the year?

[00:52:28] And Bebo says Buckingham Murders.

[00:52:30] And I thought, how Bebo is this?

[00:52:33] And how amazing is this?

[00:52:35] I think...

[00:52:36] Yeah, she's amazing.

[00:52:38] She's your favorite.

[00:52:40] Yeah, meeri-mi favorite.

[00:52:41] Meeri-mi favorite, actually.

[00:52:42] Exactly.

[00:52:44] Yeah, so that's one on Buckingham.

[00:52:46] Is there...

[00:52:47] Anybody wants to...

[00:52:48] We talked about it already a little bit, right?

[00:52:52] Amrita, number one for you then, right?

[00:52:54] Yeah, it's Amasin Chankeela.

[00:52:58] I really, really liked it.

[00:53:01] When I saw this earlier this year, it just really blew my socks off.

[00:53:06] It was a return to form for Hintiazali in so many ways.

[00:53:12] I think he just really got into a routine of making these really philosophical, incel-ish,

[00:53:23] the pain of man, you know, sort of movies for like a long time.

[00:53:28] And then all of a sudden...

[00:53:29] Anything man-child type of characters.

[00:53:31] Exactly.

[00:53:31] Starring Danveer Kapoor.

[00:53:33] Yes.

[00:53:34] And now he suddenly had this character who he not...

[00:53:39] It was clear that he really, really connected to this character, right?

[00:53:42] Like even in all the interviews in BTS, he was like talking about the amount of research

[00:53:47] he had done.

[00:53:47] And he'd been having...

[00:53:49] He'd had this idea for a very long time and he'd been working on it subconsciously for

[00:53:55] a very long time.

[00:53:56] And it showed, you know, that connection that he had with this character really showed.

[00:54:00] And it did such a really great job of like weaving in the politics, the social-cultural

[00:54:08] things that were happening.

[00:54:10] The fact that Amas Singh Chamkeela was a Dalit.

[00:54:13] It didn't go into as much detail maybe as I would have liked about certain factors of

[00:54:21] Chamkeela's life.

[00:54:22] But it was...

[00:54:23] It was an engrossing movie.

[00:54:27] Like it was something that gave you things to think about, to look up, to learn more.

[00:54:35] Because I think like, you know, those of us who are not Punjabis, like we didn't grow up

[00:54:39] with Chamkeela's songs.

[00:54:41] Whether or not we say that we were listening to them or not, like we really wouldn't.

[00:54:46] Like I didn't know who Chamkeela was.

[00:54:48] And I'm from Delhi.

[00:54:49] Like I should know who Chamkeela was because Delhi is such a Punjabi town.

[00:54:54] But it was before my time and I had no idea.

[00:54:56] And I got to learn something new.

[00:54:59] And it was...

[00:55:02] It was just a very well-made movie.

[00:55:05] And also Diljit's performance in this is very different from any of the other movies that

[00:55:09] he's done so far.

[00:55:10] And he killed it.

[00:55:12] Like what a performance.

[00:55:14] There are times when he...

[00:55:17] You know, he...

[00:55:19] You almost want to believe that he's this wide-eyed kid from the village who's lucked

[00:55:26] out into a career.

[00:55:28] And you were just like, oh...

[00:55:29] And then you see that little, you know, that Kameenapan come through.

[00:55:34] And you realize like that's the reason why he became like the big star that he was.

[00:55:40] And that's the sort of nuance that I think only Diljit could have brought in.

[00:55:44] Because in many ways, Diljit has that sort of mirroring, right?

[00:55:51] Of like how he...

[00:55:52] Like the image that he puts out into the world for himself.

[00:55:57] And also just, you know, just basic common sense.

[00:56:01] You think about like what it takes to become a superstar on the level that Diljit has become.

[00:56:08] You...

[00:56:08] Like, you know, I'm sure he's cracked a few eggs in his time, you know?

[00:56:12] So it's just really interesting.

[00:56:15] And it was very meta in many ways.

[00:56:18] Just watch Diljit play that character.

[00:56:21] So I enjoyed it very much.

[00:56:25] Great.

[00:56:27] Number one then for you, Pitu.

[00:56:28] It was Lapata Ladies.

[00:56:30] Like I blabbed at the beginning.

[00:56:32] It was like, no, Lapata Ladies.

[00:56:34] You're like, no, we're talking about number five.

[00:56:35] It's like, okay, fine.

[00:56:36] I'm not woken up yet.

[00:56:38] Just so wholesome.

[00:56:39] So sweet.

[00:56:40] You know that emoji on your phone that is like the heart eyes?

[00:56:43] That was me.

[00:56:45] Literally from the first frame to the last.

[00:56:47] I just had a big smile on my face.

[00:56:48] And I was like, I just hope these kids are going to be okay because they're kids.

[00:56:52] I was like, these are children.

[00:56:55] Like they're getting married.

[00:56:57] And everyone is such a child.

[00:56:58] And then, you know, some of the scenes just broke my heart where she was like, you know,

[00:57:03] the gown that I'm supposed to go to, it has the name of a flower.

[00:57:06] And these people are like ad lipping.

[00:57:08] Like, which flower can be a flower?

[00:57:09] And eventually it turns out to Suraj Mukhi.

[00:57:11] But I was like, how clueless are you?

[00:57:14] How unprepared are you for the world?

[00:57:15] And of course, I'm not saying it's her fault.

[00:57:17] I'm saying it's her family's fault.

[00:57:19] Her society's fault.

[00:57:19] Her upbringing's fault.

[00:57:20] It's society at large that has made her so helpless.

[00:57:23] But I was so scared for her.

[00:57:25] Like there were scenes where I was like, girl, this is going to be like some Ramteri Ganga

[00:57:30] Melly-esque scene where you're going to get like trafficked or something.

[00:57:34] So I was terrified for her.

[00:57:35] And the sigh I heaved when Chaya Kadam came on screen.

[00:57:40] She's the Manju who kind of like looks out for her and is sort of like, she's like the

[00:57:45] Gandalf of this movie, you know.

[00:57:47] She's like guiding and helping and giving philosophy and everything.

[00:57:51] And I was like, we all need a Manju in our life, okay?

[00:57:55] But it was just so sweet.

[00:57:56] And the songs in it were adorable.

[00:57:58] It was just a feel-good movie.

[00:58:00] But it also had like a very good message, I think.

[00:58:03] And I think one thing they did really well is that they did it without making it preachy.

[00:58:08] Because if you make it preachy, then it turns people off and then they don't want to watch it.

[00:58:13] So I think the fact that there was a lot of lighthearted humor in it and there was so much

[00:58:17] cuteness in it.

[00:58:18] I think that really helped get that message across.

[00:58:21] Like, you know, a spoonful of honey, spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.

[00:58:24] So just a fabulous movie.

[00:58:27] I would recommend everyone watch it.

[00:58:28] I think all young girls should watch it.

[00:58:30] I think anyone who thinks that, you know, your path to success in life is just like coasting

[00:58:35] should watch it because it's fantastic.

[00:58:39] I loved it so much.

[00:58:40] And I fully supported it going to the Oscars.

[00:58:44] Now, whether it gets nominated, I know it's out of the race.

[00:58:47] But also, like Asim, I think that the Oscars are rubbish anyway.

[00:58:49] So I don't really care.

[00:58:51] Not particularly interested in that.

[00:58:52] But I thought it was a great choice to send to the Oscars because it's very desy.

[00:58:58] But at the same time, it has such a good message for the world.

[00:59:02] It's about you have to learn how to stand on your own feet and what could be better than

[00:59:06] that.

[00:59:07] You know, don't be this lost little deer in the woods.

[00:59:10] Yeah.

[00:59:11] Yeah.

[00:59:12] It's also one of those movies that I was like, my daughter has to watch this movie.

[00:59:16] Right.

[00:59:17] I made her watch the movie.

[00:59:19] Yeah.

[00:59:19] And yeah, because it's important, right?

[00:59:23] And I think especially with, you know, especially in America, we've been seeing like this rise

[00:59:27] of, you know, there's a big gender divide happening right now where Gen Z young girls are very left

[00:59:33] leaning and Gen Z young boys are very right leaning.

[00:59:36] And, you know, Joe Rogan and Andrew Tate and all of these stupid people.

[00:59:40] I think it's not just young girls who should watch this movie.

[00:59:43] I think it's young boys who should also be watching this movie.

[00:59:45] And this message is for everyone.

[00:59:47] And it is for young people, middle-aged people, old people, anybody who thinks that you're doing

[00:59:52] women or young girls a favor by coddling them and protecting them and not giving them the means

[00:59:59] and the wings to fly.

[01:00:00] I think this movie is a must watch for all those people.

[01:00:03] You need to, I mean, you just, everyone should watch this film.

[01:00:07] Go watch it.

[01:00:08] Yeah.

[01:00:09] Yeah.

[01:00:09] One more thing also.

[01:00:10] I wanted to also shout out the other actress, Jaya, played by Prati Bharanta.

[01:00:15] Because I think a lot of the praise goes to Pool.

[01:00:18] She was so good too.

[01:00:19] Because she's a sweeter character.

[01:00:20] Nidanshi Goe.

[01:00:21] And also then goes to Manjumai.

[01:00:23] Those are the kind of pivots.

[01:00:25] But I think her, she did Lost 80s and she did Hiramandi in the same year.

[01:00:31] So again, just great to see kind of female performers break through and do these really,

[01:00:37] really exciting pieces.

[01:00:38] So doing both of these in one year, I think she does deserve praise.

[01:00:42] And it's just a good character.

[01:00:43] I like the way she kind of Sherlock homed her way out of her own misery.

[01:00:47] You know, it's really cool.

[01:00:49] And I love her goal.

[01:00:50] She wanted to go and study agriculture.

[01:00:52] And I was like, yes, you do that.

[01:00:53] Yeah.

[01:00:55] So join.

[01:00:55] Number one for you.

[01:00:57] On the opposite end of the spectrum of, you know, wholesomeness is my number one.

[01:01:02] I probably the most excited cinematic experience that I had this year was watching Kill on the big screen.

[01:01:11] So Kill is my number one pick of the movie.

[01:01:14] I don't know if anybody else thinks it's the number one movie.

[01:01:18] It's not on mine, but yeah, I understand.

[01:01:21] Yeah.

[01:01:21] I'm an action nut and this movie just, you know, scored so much high on all of my want to watch in an Indian action movie.

[01:01:33] This movie surpassed all my expectations of, because this movie came with a certain hype.

[01:01:38] Like when we were making the future predictions for movies of 2024, this already had premiered in Toronto and, you know, had like won people's choice awards or something.

[01:01:51] And then it was doing the festival circuit.

[01:01:54] So there was a huge hype amongst action nerds about, oh, there's this indie movie that has come out of India and it's probably the next raid or the next John Wick.

[01:02:04] And it came with that hype and it found, like I found the initial 30 minutes or so, you know, I took some time.

[01:02:15] The movie takes some time to settle the audience in into the world.

[01:02:18] But once it kicks off, man, it's relentless.

[01:02:21] It's just bone breaking, you know, lots and lots of blood, lots of innovative kills, just something that we haven't like it's it's a global action movie.

[01:02:34] Like it's not just good for an Indian action movie.

[01:02:37] It's it's it's at par with other action movies that I watch on a daily basis.

[01:02:42] You know, it's it's really that good.

[01:02:44] And it also introduced us to Raghav Jual, who plays Fanny, the villain.

[01:02:48] And he's one of the most memorable movie villains we've had on Indian cinema.

[01:02:53] I think he plays it with such delicious evilness.

[01:02:58] And yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed Kill and it's my number one pick of the year.

[01:03:02] Yeah.

[01:03:03] And you mentioned Kill and I was like, why is this not on my list?

[01:03:06] Like maybe I should have like ranked them as slightly better.

[01:03:09] But it's a definitely deserves to be on that list.

[01:03:12] Like it's so, so good.

[01:03:13] And I'm so excited that it's like, you know, Indian movies have cracked something that they hadn't been able to crack before this kind of action genre.

[01:03:22] And it's something that every other country has been able to do.

[01:03:25] Right.

[01:03:25] France can make these movies.

[01:03:26] America can make these movies.

[01:03:28] And India hasn't been able to.

[01:03:29] And Korea makes this by the dozen.

[01:03:31] Yeah.

[01:03:32] Yeah.

[01:03:32] Yeah.

[01:03:33] Yeah.

[01:03:34] It's literally their invention to a certain degree.

[01:03:36] Right.

[01:03:36] So it's like why had India and it was a pet peeve of mine.

[01:03:39] Like I love action movies and I cannot get that same kind of action hit from Indian movies.

[01:03:45] And I think it really delivered on that front.

[01:03:48] You're last sleeping on 90s and 80s Sunny Deol films.

[01:03:53] Have you seen how he breaks open the jail bars?

[01:03:57] What about you?

[01:03:58] Have you seen?

[01:04:01] Ghatak is one of my favorites.

[01:04:03] Yes.

[01:04:03] Also Ghyal.

[01:04:05] Ghatak still.

[01:04:06] We don't want to get into a Sunny Deol discussion here.

[01:04:09] But yeah.

[01:04:09] There's something.

[01:04:10] We would have to call Salak Hay Deol to rescue us.

[01:04:14] No.

[01:04:15] It's the combination of an amazing director, a concept and then also action stars that can deliver.

[01:04:23] Yeah.

[01:04:23] And that Venn diagram doesn't happen often.

[01:04:26] Right.

[01:04:26] Like we have Tiger, we have Vidyut.

[01:04:28] But they don't want to.

[01:04:30] Tiger doesn't want to go this gritty.

[01:04:32] Yeah.

[01:04:33] Now he seems to with Baagi 4.

[01:04:34] But he just wants to be pretty in his action.

[01:04:36] And that's a very Jean-Claude Van Damme type of action.

[01:04:39] Right.

[01:04:40] And that's not what this is.

[01:04:41] And this is gritty.

[01:04:42] So I really, really enjoyed it.

[01:04:44] It's like we've had Korean remakes of movies like John Abraham did Rocky Handsome, which is a remake of A Man from Nowhere.

[01:04:52] But it's still not at this level.

[01:04:53] Do you know what I mean?

[01:04:54] It's original.

[01:04:56] It's like it delivers on every single aspect of what I aspire an action movie to be.

[01:05:03] It's kill.

[01:05:04] And in that round table with, I think, is it?

[01:05:08] No, it's not Anupa Machopra.

[01:05:10] It's Sneha, I think.

[01:05:11] She does the technicians.

[01:05:13] They show the background reel of how they built the train.

[01:05:16] Okay.

[01:05:17] And it's amazing, man.

[01:05:18] Like this was a whole set and they were moving it.

[01:05:21] It's insane because obviously you can't shoot this on a train.

[01:05:23] Right.

[01:05:24] So, yeah.

[01:05:25] Amazing.

[01:05:26] And also like on repeat watches, this movie like rewards the audience by you can sort of extrapolate the story.

[01:05:34] of the side characters, which it's trying to tell a larger story of how the social structure is and why they absolutely need to kill on the train.

[01:05:43] You know, outside the train, the whole societal structure changes, the hierarchy changes.

[01:05:48] And so they are pretty much screwed if they leave the people alive on the train.

[01:05:54] So it's really, really interesting on that level as well.

[01:05:58] It's not just, you know, blood and gore.

[01:06:01] Who's the writer-director of Kill?

[01:06:04] Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt.

[01:06:06] Okay.

[01:06:06] And written by Nikhil and Ayesha Saeed.

[01:06:09] So is he like a debut director or something?

[01:06:12] I think he's done, he's done some other stuff.

[01:06:17] Like he's done like web series and stuff, but this is his like directorial debut, like feature film debut.

[01:06:23] Yeah.

[01:06:24] Yeah.

[01:06:24] But yeah, it's like it was produced by Dharma and group Neet Monga's company.

[01:06:31] Oh, okay.

[01:06:32] My number one is, was it your number five?

[01:06:35] Merry Christmas.

[01:06:36] It's my number one.

[01:06:37] Oh, wow.

[01:06:39] And now we can talk about Katrina because we wanted to talk about it early on.

[01:06:44] I think when I go through, like I said before, these are not necessarily the year that I'm thinking about our great movies.

[01:06:51] But I think the one movie that I want to rewatch is Merry Christmas.

[01:06:55] It's the one I want to keep revisiting because it's just, it has all of those things together of, you know, the story in one night.

[01:07:02] You know, these two characters kind of coming together, the beauty of the twist, the narrative, the setting, like it's such a specific setting to like that bakery where it's happening like three levels and the suspense of it, the dialogue of it.

[01:07:19] And I think, I think, Pitu, you pinpointed the main problem that people have with this movie is if you buy Katrina Cave or if you don't buy Katrina Cave.

[01:07:28] And I've bought tickets and stocks to the Katrina Cave train way, way earlier than anybody else.

[01:07:34] So I am invested.

[01:07:36] But I, you know, it's, she's in a tough stage career wise where she has to drive these projects herself.

[01:07:46] Yeah.

[01:07:46] And she did this with Merry Christmas.

[01:07:47] She drove this project.

[01:07:49] She wanted that project and she delivered on it.

[01:07:52] You know, it's, I don't necessarily feel somebody else could have done this role of kind of a femme fatale mystery kind of girl that you can't really figure out.

[01:08:03] And also just the juxtaposition of being so pretty and then having Vijay Sittupati with her spending that one night together.

[01:08:11] Right.

[01:08:12] Like, I think that juxtaposition is so interesting to watch on screen and it makes it.

[01:08:18] And I don't think anybody else necessarily could have added that same cachet if it hadn't been Katrina.

[01:08:24] Other people can do that role, you know, but Katrina added something that it had to be Katrina to do this.

[01:08:30] So I really, really like it.

[01:08:32] I was really listening at the reel that we made earlier when we were recording about this,

[01:08:37] where Amrita was saying about, you know, just that sequence of being in a taxi and Katrina's hair blowing.

[01:08:42] And it's just like a 30 second moment in the movie.

[01:08:45] But it's like a movie taking a moment where it's just breathing for a minute.

[01:08:50] And that's what makes Merry Christmas so beautiful for me, that it has this action.

[01:08:54] It has this twist.

[01:08:55] It has this complicated narrative, but it also takes time to just breathe and be in the city.

[01:09:01] That's why Merry Christmas is my number one movie of the year.

[01:09:06] Peetu, did you have any thoughts about that argument for Merry Christmas?

[01:09:11] No, I've never heard anyone say such an impassioned defense of Katrina.

[01:09:17] So that was interesting to hear.

[01:09:20] You clearly haven't been listening enough to ask them.

[01:09:24] No.

[01:09:26] I swan out and need to know about Katrina.

[01:09:32] Let's do honorable mentions and then we'll do the rest in the next episode because this one is getting long.

[01:09:39] So let's do honorable mentions.

[01:09:40] Were there any movies or with honorable mentions?

[01:09:43] I also want to say, are there any movies you thought, shit, I wished I had seen that movie.

[01:09:48] So I could have maybe included it in my top.

[01:09:51] Like I have not seen all we imagine is light.

[01:09:53] So there was another one.

[01:09:55] People are talking about Girls Will Be Girls, which I'm getting a lot of praise about.

[01:09:59] I haven't seen it.

[01:10:00] There was a Sector 36.

[01:10:03] I'm seeing it on a lot of lists.

[01:10:04] I haven't seen it.

[01:10:06] That's on my honorable list.

[01:10:08] Yeah.

[01:10:09] Yeah.

[01:10:10] Go ahead.

[01:10:10] Which are your honorable mentions?

[01:10:12] So honorable mentions are mostly like non-Hindi movies that I thought I would mention in the honorable list.

[01:10:19] That I want to do on the next one, dude.

[01:10:20] I want to do non-Hindi on the other one.

[01:10:22] Okay.

[01:10:24] Then just from Hindi, I would say like Sector 36 and Crew would be on my honorable mentions.

[01:10:30] Yeah.

[01:10:31] Pitu, honorable mentions for you?

[01:10:33] None really.

[01:10:34] This is the five you've locked into.

[01:10:36] This is it.

[01:10:36] Because like, for example, okay, Kill, I was interested in watching because I had read so many good things about it.

[01:10:42] And I had attended a film festival where Mahesh Manzakar was talking about it as well.

[01:10:46] So I was like, oh, okay, I want to watch this.

[01:10:47] But then when I read about how much violence there is in it, I was like, I just don't think that I'll be able to stomach that.

[01:10:53] So that's more a me thing.

[01:10:55] It doesn't mean that I'm saying that that movie shouldn't be made or anything.

[01:10:59] Like I'm not moralizing.

[01:11:00] I'm just saying, I don't know if I have the stomach to handle it.

[01:11:03] It's very heavy on violence.

[01:11:05] Right.

[01:11:05] So I think it would be a no for me just for that reason.

[01:11:09] And then Merry Christmas, I just didn't find it particularly interesting.

[01:11:13] I'm not really into that kind of script either.

[01:11:16] So I was like, eh, not going to bother.

[01:11:18] Did Animal come out this year?

[01:11:19] Because I didn't watch that either.

[01:11:21] It was from last year.

[01:11:22] They're all blending together.

[01:11:24] Yeah.

[01:11:24] So I don't think there was anything where I was kind of like, why didn't I watch this?

[01:11:29] For example, Beth watched Bad News.

[01:11:31] And I was like, absolutely not.

[01:11:34] And I'm glad I didn't see it.

[01:11:36] And I probably won't see it either.

[01:11:38] I do want to watch Bhol Buleya 3.

[01:11:40] It left the theaters before I could go see that.

[01:11:42] But I really mostly just want to watch it because I want to see Madhuryan.

[01:11:46] They're dancing together and Aami Jai Tumar.

[01:11:48] That's the main thing for me.

[01:11:50] It's not really, I'm not watching it for Kartikaryan.

[01:11:52] Which they've uploaded in totality on YouTube now.

[01:11:54] Which I will be able to see.

[01:11:56] I can still watch it just because I like the original Bhol Buleya and stuff.

[01:12:00] And so I'll still catch it.

[01:12:02] But it's not like I have some massive regret about not seeing it in the theater.

[01:12:05] So overall, I'm happy with my choices.

[01:12:09] Amrita, any honorable mentions?

[01:12:11] Yes, actually.

[01:12:12] Like most of them that are movies that have been mentioned in your list.

[01:12:18] So Kill is an honorable mention for me.

[01:12:20] Like it's a very tight 90 minute actioner.

[01:12:25] I've been saying for years that this is the kind of movie that Hindi cinema should be making.

[01:12:30] Like this and the police procedurals.

[01:12:32] Because you can keep your budget really tight.

[01:12:35] You can keep the action really tight.

[01:12:37] And you can make this kind of movie with established names.

[01:12:44] And you can make it with newcomers.

[01:12:46] You know what I mean?

[01:12:47] Yeah.

[01:12:47] It's a very flexible concept.

[01:12:49] And I don't understand.

[01:12:51] Like same as you asked him.

[01:12:52] I don't understand why India has not been able to craft this kind of a thing before.

[01:12:56] Um, so that was one thing.

[01:12:59] I really, again, like, you know, like, Bhool Bhool Aya 3.

[01:13:03] I don't know if it's like a top five movie.

[01:13:06] But yeah, that climax did take me by surprise.

[01:13:11] And I, like, kudos to the entire team for going in that direction.

[01:13:18] Um, and it was just, I did not see that coming from an Anise Buzmi movie.

[01:13:26] And I just want to give him his flowers for that.

[01:13:29] Um, and what was, uh, Maharaj?

[01:13:35] The Junaid Khan movie that was on Netflix.

[01:13:40] It's a very, like, TV movie.

[01:13:42] But, um, and therefore, like, I don't think it would even make, like, top ten, to be honest.

[01:13:48] But, um, it was a very good debut by Junaid.

[01:13:52] And it was an interesting topic.

[01:13:56] Um, and I, you know, like, I thought that that was brave.

[01:14:01] And also, Merry Christmas.

[01:14:04] Like, um, I don't know if I loved it as much as Asim.

[01:14:08] I don't know if anybody loved it as much as Asim.

[01:14:12] But, uh, I did think that, uh, Vijay Sethupati and Katrina had, like, real chemistry.

[01:14:19] And I thought that they, um, like, Katrina is, like, very interesting to me as a performer.

[01:14:25] Uh, she's always been very interesting.

[01:14:28] Because she's had a real arc.

[01:14:30] And she's, as a, as an actor.

[01:14:33] Um, and she's very good in certain things that she does.

[01:14:38] And she's able to portray.

[01:14:39] And there's a, um, the way that she plays the dancer in distress in this film is just very interesting to me.

[01:14:47] And I enjoyed it.

[01:14:49] So, those are my honorable mentions.

[01:14:52] Yeah, mine are, Maharaj was one that I wanted to mention too.

[01:14:56] Because, A, it's a good debut.

[01:14:58] But it's also such a smart debut.

[01:15:00] Right?

[01:15:00] Like, to do it this way as to launch a Star Sun.

[01:15:03] And have such a, um, like, theme-based.

[01:15:07] Like, a story-based debut.

[01:15:08] Which is, like, on a sleeper.

[01:15:10] Like, a theatrical.

[01:15:11] He didn't make it a theatrical.

[01:15:12] He didn't go all Bobby Deol on it.

[01:15:14] You know, like, sabko bula ke.

[01:15:15] You know, that kind of thing happening.

[01:15:17] And that was very smart.

[01:15:18] Very low-key.

[01:15:19] And I think he really, really delivered.

[01:15:20] It's an important movie also.

[01:15:22] When we talk about La Pata Ladies.

[01:15:24] I think Maharaj is another one.

[01:15:26] That is a very, very important thing.

[01:15:28] That, a story that I had no clue about.

[01:15:30] I don't know this used to happen.

[01:15:32] I didn't.

[01:15:33] I was shocked when I heard about it.

[01:15:35] And it's, uh, that this is based on reality.

[01:15:38] Like, that kind of all.

[01:15:39] All of those elements really blew me away.

[01:15:42] And I think it's very smart to do it.

[01:15:44] Um, the others that I have on my list.

[01:15:48] That I enjoy.

[01:15:49] These are movies that I enjoyed.

[01:15:51] Um, they, I could not fit them in my list.

[01:15:55] Um, uh, Teri Baato Me Ulja Chia.

[01:15:58] Oh yeah, I saw that.

[01:15:59] Really liked that one.

[01:16:00] I really enjoyed this movie.

[01:16:01] Like a light-hearted rom-com.

[01:16:03] There's some themes that I'm like, this is not okay.

[01:16:06] But it was like fun.

[01:16:08] Kind of like Bollywood kind of rom-com thing.

[01:16:10] I'm still listening to the soundtrack.

[01:16:12] It's kind of fun, you know.

[01:16:13] Uh, good to, for Shahid to have a hit.

[01:16:16] Uh, I think Kriti was amazing on it.

[01:16:18] Uh, and actually this movie came back on.

[01:16:20] Because Haroon, our friend from BBC.

[01:16:23] Mentioned it as the best performance female of the year.

[01:16:25] And I was like, yeah.

[01:16:26] As a robot.

[01:16:27] Uh, that was kind of cool that he put that on there.

[01:16:30] So I was like, yeah.

[01:16:30] This is the, I need to rethink about this.

[01:16:33] Uh, Madgaon Express is on there.

[01:16:34] Uh, we've discussed it a little bit.

[01:16:36] Um, then Chamkeela is on my honorable mention.

[01:16:40] Uh, and then two that you will, Jute Maregi Amrita.

[01:16:44] But, uh, Chalo.

[01:16:46] Uh, uh, Do Patti.

[01:16:48] Again with Kriti Sanand.

[01:16:50] And then, uh, Ulaj.

[01:16:52] Um, uh, uh, with, uh, Jan B. Kapoor.

[01:16:55] I, I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm like pushing, you know, female movies in the front here.

[01:17:00] You know, I'm trying to do my best.

[01:17:02] You know, I thought both of those movies were, although not great.

[01:17:05] Uh, ultimately.

[01:17:07] But there were good elements in it.

[01:17:10] There were a few themes that I kind of could enjoy and kind of like click on to.

[01:17:14] But there was a lot going wrong in terms of performance.

[01:17:17] In terms of, you know, plot twists and stuff like that.

[01:17:19] So I can't like put it on my list at all.

[01:17:22] But I, I like like for Do Patti that, you know, the whole Kajol track was ridiculous.

[01:17:27] I think, you know, Pito, you guys were on Filmy Ladies.

[01:17:30] You were even making fun of it.

[01:17:31] It is beyond ridiculous.

[01:17:32] But if you come back to the Kriti Sanand bit.

[01:17:35] Yeah, she was good.

[01:17:36] It is like, you know, she was good.

[01:17:37] Like creating these two characters very different from each other and then adding a little twist on it.

[01:17:43] Talking about domestic violence.

[01:17:44] The scene where she does get, is the victim of domestic violence is horrific.

[01:17:50] That was hard to watch.

[01:17:52] Hard to watch, right?

[01:17:53] And doing this on Netflix and then producing it herself, which is something that I'm really, really big fan of, you know.

[01:18:01] That was good.

[01:18:02] Ulaj had some really tense scenes about this woman that gets entangled and is then being, you know, blackmailed and is, you know, sexually blackmailed by this man.

[01:18:15] But there is also that thing that Vijay Varma also sometimes do where the guy is a complete creep.

[01:18:20] But there's also, you understand why there's something attractive about him, right?

[01:18:23] And I thought those were some interesting elements in both of those movies.

[01:18:28] Overall, I'm just glad I watched them at home and I didn't go to the theater to watch these movies.

[01:18:31] But I wanted to add them as my honorable mentions.

[01:18:35] I would put Dopati in my honorable mention as well because I went in.

[01:18:39] So the funny thing is I went in wanting to watch it for Kajal.

[01:18:43] And Kajal actually really disappointed me, especially with her accent.

[01:18:46] I couldn't understand what she was doing.

[01:18:47] It was all over the place.

[01:18:49] I was like, they should, if she can't be bothered to do that, whatever himachali or whatever accent, pahadi accent,

[01:18:54] they should just have portrayed her as a person who got transferred or something.

[01:18:57] Like if she's not going to put in the effort.

[01:19:00] So I went in wanting to watch it for Kajal, but she disappointed me.

[01:19:04] And I am very neutral on Kriti Sanon.

[01:19:06] I've seen Crew this year.

[01:19:08] I've seen Teri Baato Me Sa Uljihajiya, which by the way, that title is very long.

[01:19:13] But she actually really impressed me in Dopati, especially not the good girl Kriti Sanon.

[01:19:19] Yeah, the other one.

[01:19:20] I was like, okay, like this is some spice that I did not know existed because I've always thought of Kriti as very vanilla.

[01:19:27] And I liked that she was able to demarcate those characters so well.

[01:19:31] So although the movie overall didn't work as well for me, I definitely am becoming more positively inclined towards Kriti.

[01:19:39] And I thought it was very pretty.

[01:19:40] It's just Kajal was a disappointment.

[01:19:42] Yeah, yeah.

[01:19:43] Okay.

[01:19:44] I think let's cut this episode here and then we're going to do the rest for it on the next episode.

[01:19:50] I think this is a good time to like, you know, wrap it up.

[01:19:53] So yeah, Pitu, where can people find you online?

[01:19:56] They can find me on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts where Beth and I co-host Filmy Ladies.

[01:20:04] And we have an episode every Tuesday at 5 p.m. Pacific so they can catch us there.

[01:20:09] Sujoy, where can people find you online?

[01:20:11] I mean, I'm kind of sort of online on Instagram and Twitter and Blue Sky at 93K.

[01:20:16] You can also follow Khandan Podcasts on all our socials at Khandan Podcast.

[01:20:20] Amrita?

[01:20:21] But you can mostly find me on Blue Sky at Amrita IQ.

[01:20:24] Yes, I'm on Blue Sky.

[01:20:26] I'm on Twitter.

[01:20:27] I'm on...

[01:20:28] I'm on Blue Sky.

[01:20:31] Hey, hey.

[01:20:33] I'm on Blue Sky.

[01:20:36] I'm on Blue Sky.

[01:20:36] I'm on Blue Sky.

[01:20:38] Girl, you're my...