Maa Behan, Alpha, Bandar and Bollywood’s Bad Men

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

[00:00:39] Every dollar goes towards creating more and better content. Visit us at patreon.com slash Khandaan Podcast. Hi and welcome to a new episode of Khandaan Podcast. My name is Asim Burney and I'm joined with my lovely co-host Amritha and Sujoy. Hey Amritha, hey Sujoy. Namaskar. Hello.

[00:01:03] New episode, we're talking about a few things and but mainly the main review of this episode is going to be Mabhen, which came out on Netflix. And I think when a movie comes out with like three amazing female leads, I think it deserves a main review on the show. You know, I don't think it just be like some of the random stuff you watch. We need to make space for Queen Madhuri, right? And being huge fans. So Mabhen is going to be our main review. And I think also a few people on Patreon were really looking forward to our thoughts.

[00:01:32] So we have many as usual. But what else do we want to talk about? The trailer literally 10 minutes ago of Alpha dropped. The news. Is it a teaser? It's long enough to be a trailer, no? Is it a teaser? It's a taser. I feel like words no longer have meaning. I mean, the trailer will have more of the movie. I guess they will literally give away the plot.

[00:02:00] And then you go watch the extended version of that trailer at the cinemas. Yeah, I think this is a moose-bouche of what the movie will be. It's the appetizer, you know? So yeah, it just dropped follow-up to, I guess, the Yashraj spy universe is still a thing that exists. And yeah, Amrita, what were your thoughts on Alpha?

[00:02:27] I like the fact that they presented Alia as an 18-year-old in Batiza. That's actually really smart because she spent, I think, the first 10 years of her career just being aged up after student of the year. So I really appreciate the fact that they really leaned into the baby face that she has.

[00:02:54] But it's also like AI or something like that, right? Like I quickly looked at it, but I don't know if it's just makeup or there's some like AI going on on it. I mean, I wouldn't put it past people to put AI in and where like nobody asked for it and nobody wanted it. Especially since Yashraj is trying to sell their crappy like CGI services that, you know, like nobody wants.

[00:03:21] But I honestly feel like Alia could pass for 18 with a little bit of makeup. Like she's very youthful looking, you know? So I don't know. I didn't pay as close attention as you did. I actually watched it on my phone and I didn't even watch it at like, you know, landscape mode. I watched it in portrait mode. Jesus Christ. Oh my God. The respect for cinema has an artwork. Like Aditya Chopra intended you to.

[00:03:51] I watched it when Amitabh retweeted it on the Twitter screen. Genuinely, like this is what Aditya Chopra wants for the spy universe. And that's what I'm giving him. Like, you know, the energy that you're asking for is what the energy that I'm giving back to you. But yeah, Bobby D.O. doing like the weird Haryanvi accent. Or I assume that's a Haryanvi accent because it's, it sort of comes and then it goes.

[00:04:20] And then it comes back again. So I don't know. And yeah. And then I genuinely thought that she would be playing like an anti-hero of some kind. But then apparently it's supposed to be like you're a murderer for India. Which, wow. Like I really enjoy this normalization that we have of like, it's criminals for India. Like, hooray.

[00:04:48] Hey, I'm like, you know, like I'm not even that old. I remember a time when people were, you know, had a little bit of shame. So that's good. Remember when people wanted to be the good guy? Yeah. We wanted to be good people. Quaint, quaint concept. But also like Alia does really well with the action, I thought, you know. And she does it in a slightly bit of a psycho like vibe, which is enjoyable. And I really liked it.

[00:05:18] Because I think in Heart of Stone, she was a little bit like very like, you know, like, oh, I've got the, you know, the weight of the world on my shoulders when she was doing all the action bits. So I enjoyed the fact that she was having a little bit of fun with the action. And it's a feat for somebody that tiny or that petite, basically, to pull off the kind of action that this movie demands.

[00:05:47] So good luck to her. Although Tom Cruise is pretty petite too when you think about it. Yeah, sure. That's what I'm saying. Why put that on women only? Hey, Tommy. Hey, Tommy. No, but like when you see the other women that have been in the spy universe, it's like Katrina and Deepika, both of whom are like statuesque. You know, like when Katrina is in that palace, you know, like beating up and shooting at men, you believe it.

[00:06:13] When Deepika is doing like a fight and like a shootout with Pathan, again, you believe it. So for Alia to come in, like she needs to bring in this crappy energy, which I feel like she did. If she had tried to do what those two ladies were doing, I don't think it would have worked at all because, like I said, she's too petite for that. So I do enjoy the fact.

[00:06:38] Actually, I would like to give the spy universe this props because whoever's doing the fight choreography that we've seen from all the women in this universe so far, they've really worked it according to the physicality of the women in that movie, right? And it just really popped in this particular teaser for me because, like I said, Alia has a completely different body type than the other two. So, yeah, good job.

[00:07:07] So, you literally just watched it a couple of minutes ago. What are your quick thoughts about him? The immediate reference that I got was Hannah with Eric Bana and Shoshir Ronan, like a father raising a warrior child, I guess. I'm quite surprised that that's the route that they're taking because I didn't know what to expect, to be honest.

[00:07:29] But I'm surprised that they took that route because Hannah is a very high bar and there will be direct comparisons to it. I am pleasantly surprised at the casting of the younger child who looks very much like Alia. I'm very happy that they found that little girl. It'd be interesting to see how Bobby Dole's accent jumps back and forth.

[00:07:57] Action, I want to judge it once I see the whole movie instead. And, yeah, a lot of people online were chattering, like before the teaser released, obviously, about there's been trouble at YRF camp post-Dhurander about what the future of the YRF spyverse looks like.

[00:08:17] Because they can't just do fantastical missions anymore and, you know, Mission Milab and all of that because it's all very gritty now. It's a ridiculous argument, if I can just say. I think it's like the most stupid thing you can ever say. I mean, there's a bit of wish, like a fantasy thing to that line of argument, right? Like they want, like it's not so much that Aditya Chopra is feeling those things.

[00:08:46] They want Aditya Chopra to feel those things. There's like a lot of like, you know, like, oh, like they must be so jealous and they must be. And I'm just like, this man made DDLJ. He's not jealous of mine. It's still running at the cinemas. I know. But also, like, I don't see why everything needs to be about Pakistan. Like if they want to do like fantastical things, then they can just go and like do it.

[00:09:13] I don't know, with the Russians, with, you know, everyone's best friend, the Israelis. Like there's always like wars for Indian operatives to fight here. People in Canada, you know, like. There you go. You know, Salman Khan is in Canada, like fighting. Like, you know, like not the Mishnoi, but like, you know, the Sishnoi is like one step further. Like things that are possible.

[00:09:42] So I don't really see this whole. Yeah. I have high hopes, to be honest. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I wasn't blown away by this teaser specifically, I think. But I was just happy to see Alia and Bobby. And I do like the stunt work. Actually, I was thinking of ballerina more than Hannah. Yeah. There is a bit after the whole, you know, setup and the action.

[00:10:09] There is a bit where they actually go when Bobby enters the teaser and says happy 18th birthday. And you see her shoot somebody. The whole color scheme of that is very, very ballerina. Yeah. The blue and the pink lights and all that. Yeah. Which people should watch ballerina. It's a really, really good movie. And I think a lot of people have missed that one. But again, I also hate myself for always referring to other movies when I'm talking about this thing.

[00:10:39] Because it's such an easy shorthand. Oh, it's Hannah. It's this and that. Well, I think she does a great job. And I think actually her body type suits really well for wire work. You know, it makes it very fluid and graceful. And I think that is going to really kind of... And I agree with you. I think it needs to have some sort of adaptation. I think we have seen her do a lot of like gritty action even in Jigra, one of our favorites. Right? Right? So we have seen her do it.

[00:11:05] But this is a kind of like sleeker way of doing action, which is going to be interesting. I am also just very interested how this is going to slot in in the entire Yashraj kind of universe. Spy universe. Because the main problem I have, which they probably are solving with this one, is I feel that all of the spies are basically spies. Like what else are you adding? You know, like when you have the Avengers, one has the shield, one has, you know, the anger. This, that.

[00:11:34] But like here they're all amazing spies. So what are we, you know, making any... What's the differentiation between them? But obviously when you add a female character in there, that completely changes their dynamic. I did see a tweet, somebody who had posted the song that Sharwari had done in one of the previous movies she was in. That dance song she did in black. I don't know what the name of it was. Oh, right, right, right, right. I know the one that you're talking about. Not Nadia Par. No, no, no.

[00:12:03] The one that looks like Nadia Par. Exactly. And they were like, oh, she's going to just mog Alia, you know, like because she's such a good dancer. But I was like, I want to see this kind of... Like Sharwari is so... She's like the Ranveer... Tarasni. Yeah, exactly. That one. Sharwari has that Ranveer Singh energy going for her. Like she wants it so bad. Yeah. And I think it'll be good for Alia to have somebody like, you know, behind her heels, right, really pushing her on.

[00:12:33] So I'm really interested in seeing that dynamic kind of play out. So obviously we haven't seen her in the teaser yet. So those are the two, three things that I was... I'm hoping to see in the movie himself. And even if the teaser didn't necessarily blow me away, I'm going to watch it anyway. You know, it's Alia. It's Yash Raj. It's a universe I've kind of committed in. But also we are a very pro-Sharwari podcast.

[00:12:58] Like I remember when that, you know, her debut was the sequel to Bunty or Bubbly. And I remember when the teaser for that movie dropped, all of us were just like, wow, like, you know, she's great. Like she does so much. I remember I watched Forgotten Army. Remember that show that came out? I had that on screener and she was the one that popped for me. And I didn't even remember her name. And then when I saw her later, I was like, where do I know her from? Because she stood out to me.

[00:13:28] And then I was like, oh, I'd seen her in Forgotten Army. So yes, we have been on the Sherwari train for a while. She's amazing in that Mascara song also. I don't know if you've seen it. Amazing, amazing, amazing song, that one. So yeah. And you know that she's on the cusp of like great success because Reddit is just like, is that plastic surgery? Because like that train is never late, you know, like you can tell when somebody is doing about to do really well.

[00:13:58] Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I think we're all kind of excited for that one. Suja, you also saw Bandha, right? I did. Yeah, a very last minute decision to watch. What happened? You were just like, yeah, I watched it. No, no, no, no, no. I'm quite excited about Bandha, actually. Where do I start?

[00:14:26] Okay, Bandha released internationally as Monkey in a Cage at, I think, Toronto International Film Festival last year. It's the latest Anurakash movie written by, I think, Sudeep Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, who is also an actor that we have seen in other movies. The film stars Bobby Deol alongside Sanya Malhotra and Sabah Azad, among other actors.

[00:14:55] The main story is an aging television star who gets accused of rape by his ex-girlfriend and how he, you know, the events that unfold after that, basically. It's one of the strong Anurakash movies that I've watched in a while.

[00:15:12] And it really, yeah, Nishanchi was great, but I think this is sort of a callback to his ugly days or even Black Friday in a bit. Because the first half is just pure, like the antithesis of the Rohit Shetty Copaganda universe. It's just, it throws you in a world of, you are fed to the system and you are helpless.

[00:15:43] These people, these cops are the most unhealthy people, like physically, they are pot-bellied. They are not the heroes, they are not the Chulbulpandes of the world. These are just regular people who possibly if you slapped, they would die on the spot. But the power that they hold, because they are so intrinsic to the system that they can completely destroy your existence. You will be gone.

[00:16:12] It's just insane, like the amount of power that these people hold in a country like India. And the things that they can go, the things that they can get away with, basically. And the corruption at the grassroots level and all that entails. Bobby Deval is phenomenal.

[00:16:39] He is, this is the performance of his life. I think, like, it's the best I have seen him do. I have not seen Ashram with people, you know. Better than Shaka Laka Bum Bum? I have not seen Shaka Laka Bum Bum. Better than Bum. Another Anurag Kashyap classic, by the way. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. Yeah, this is not the Guptuala Bobby Deval who goes to prison.

[00:17:07] The prison drama that unfolds in the second half is very, very different from the Guptu universe. This is very much like Black Warrant. Like what happens in an Indian prison. And not just any prison. This is all people who are under trial, basically. None of them have been proved guilty, right? So they're just waiting for their court dates, one after another.

[00:17:31] And even then, there is a hierarchy to the things and how awfully treated they are and how it crushes people, basically. Yeah. I don't want to reveal anything more because that will be, I guess, spoilers. But yeah, it's insane. Insanely good. I really, really enjoyed it. I would definitely re-watch it when it comes out on streaming.

[00:17:57] And that's something that I've not spoken about an Anurag Kashyap movie in a very long time. Hmm. Okay. But like how, there's this thing with Anurag Kashyap movies though, where you come out of it and you feel more depressed than when you went into them. Does it kind of follow that same pattern or like? Yeah, it's not an uplifting movie by any stretch of imagination. There is no redeeming arc here.

[00:18:27] There are no big lessons. I would say that it's more of a commentary on the frustration he feels against the system because he's been a victim of that as well. Like many, many times, you know, he would say something against the system and the system, you know, barks back. Not just barks back, but hunts him down and that's why he escaped to like outside Mumbai now. He does not live in Mumbai anymore.

[00:18:54] So it definitely comes out of that space. I guess you can view it as an audience to that rather than be sort of depressed by it because you're not part of that ecosystem, I guess. But if you are, then I don't know if this might be triggering. Yeah. Right. I mean, I'm always excited to see what Anur Akashab does. Like, so this has gotten also really good buzz.

[00:19:24] Like, I think even in the pre-release phase when it was going to festivals and things like that, it was kind of building a lot of buzz. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that one. So that was Bandar, which is playing still in theaters, which I didn't get a chance to watch, unfortunately. And he also didn't get to a chance to watch Varun's latest movie, which feels sacrilegious to me not going to that. But it's not getting good reviews, unfortunately. No. But let's move on to our main review, which is Mabhen.

[00:20:21] Yeah. He had done Jalsa and Tumari Sulu. I think both movies, Jalsa I definitely liked. And he also wrote Subedar, which I also quite enjoyed. So, pretty good track record for, like, streaming movies, at least. And, I mean, should I just read quickly the plot description here?

[00:20:46] Rekha and her daughters, Jaya and Sushma, controversial figures in their conservative neighborhood, discover a dead body in their kitchen. The struggling, squabbling daughter-mother trio must work together to cover up the crime. Yeah, Amrita, let's start with you. Before you say it, before you say anything, like, I have not watched the movie. I watched, like, five minutes and then I fell asleep and I was too tired to catch up.

[00:21:12] So, I don't know anything about this movie other than the murder happens and that's when, like, or the dead body appears and Madhuri is crying. But I just want to praise the name of these characters, Rekha, Jaya and Sushma, because this is from the Nirma song and I just love it. I'm so glad you caught that because I don't want to spoil it for you. So, now that you've already, like, seen it by yourself, that's okay. Because there's a Hema also. So, there's a Hema.

[00:21:42] There's also a Rati Agnihotri joke, which is, like, top tier. Which is top tier, which, again, I don't know, spoil for... Let's dance around without spoiling too much. But, Sujo, you didn't do your homework. So, we're going to have to talk about the movie now. That's okay. It's my fault. Yeah. Kick us off, Amrita. No, but, like, it's such a...

[00:22:05] Like, I've been reading these posts on the internet about, like, how this film is such a... Because this film is also set in Adarsh colonies. You know? And it's about these women who are not Adarsh in any way. Right? And Ravi Kishan's name is Charitra Gupta. Charitra Gupta.

[00:22:33] And it is such a good play on words because his Charitra is Gupta, you know? Like, it is amazing. But it is, like, for a long time, Madhuri's been trying to make the whole, like, you know, streaming platform thing happen for her. And it's always been, like, almost, you know? Like, you're almost there.

[00:23:00] And I think in this particular movie, she really nails it. Like, she really gets it, you know? Like, you are sort of, like, sitting there watching it happen. And she's sort of also, like, it starts with her being a very young bride. And then, like, you know, it ends with her being the mother of these two grown women. Right?

[00:23:21] And she's still believable as, like, the young woman, like, in her 20s that's, like, coming to this particular conservative colony. But it's also, like, it's whimsical. Like, the storytelling is whimsical. But it's also sort of, like, fairytale-ish. But it also sort of goes back to the storytelling techniques from, like, the 70s and 80s, you know?

[00:23:48] Like, when they're trying to explain the characters of these women and the different characters that you see in this film. And they give you a little bit of a backstory of, like, who these people are and what their motivations are. And it's so well done because it's not nostalgic for no good reason.

[00:24:09] It evokes nostalgia, but it evokes nostalgia at very specific things for very specific, like, situations and characters. Like, there's this scene where Madhuri comes, she's just gotten married and she comes to her new house. And as she does, like, peripona, like, her sari slips a little bit and you see that she's wearing sleeveless.

[00:24:38] And her mother-in-law is, like, faints away. She's like, oh, no. Amara to, like, ghar hi barbad ho gaya. Like, you know, she's, like, having... And I remember how it was such a, like, you know, it was such a big topic of discussion in the 80s when women would wear sleeveless blouses.

[00:25:00] I remember everyone talking about, like, Bengali women who always wear sleeveless blouses and, like, how that was so scandalous and everything, right? It was, like, it was, like, a thing. And in this thing, like, I just saw it and I immediately, I was just like, oh, yeah, I remember when that was, like, a huge deal for women to be wearing sleeveless blouses. Or, like, when they are talking about, like, the sexualization of Rekha, which is Madhuri's character.

[00:25:30] They, you know, they also talk about how the sexualization of a woman is also about making her an outcast and also, like, saying that she has supernatural powers, which is a very desy thing to say, you know? It's never that, like, she is, you know, like, sexy and therefore, like, you know, I have... There's something wrong with me the way that I am objectifying this woman.

[00:25:56] She is making me objectify her and therefore she is a die-in, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, like, this movie does that without, like, in a very visual way without coming and, like, beating you over the head with it. Like, nobody's giving a monologue about this. You just sort of, like... That whole recap thing I did manage to watch.

[00:26:20] You know, when in the recap, Madhuri is introduced as this die-in, as this fable kind of of the legend of this sexy Rekha that has come to Adarsh colony and she's causing all these problems. She killed her husband, apparently. And then in that same recap, you see her feet is grown backwards and the camera pans up.

[00:26:41] And it's narrated by the same Sansani guy who is infamous in the 2000s on Star News, you know, of all these murder mysteries that happen in small towns of the girl who killed the entire family and ran away with all the money. It's basically that. And to appoint that same guy to do this is hilarious. I just managed to finish that bit and then I fell asleep.

[00:27:05] But also, like, you know, like, the fact that these are the names of the women from the Nirma washing powder ad. Like, the names of the... Like, in the jingle, you know, like, they present these women as, like, a glamorous because, you know, it's Jaya, Hema, Rekha. Like, you know, Sushma Pata Ni Kaon Thi, but, like, Inhi Ek Sushma Bhi Thi. And, but they're also supposed to be, like, Ghar Ghar Ki Aurate. Right?

[00:27:34] Like, it's supposed to be, like, the ordinary women. So, they're sort of, like, drawing that parallel between, like, okay, so these are, like, not extraordinary women. These are just everyday women. So, like, it's a reflection of society as we see it today. But also, it's just very, like, I love the Easter eggs in this film. Like, the fact that Madhuri is playing Rekha.

[00:27:55] And Rekha is, like, the Diane that ate her husband and, like, you know, has, like, all these men who are, like, you know, like, Adarsh men who are, like, losing themselves in lust for her. And she's the one who's somehow, like, making these men behave this way, etc. And I was, like, ooh, do we know Rekha? That is being, like, slandered like that. I wouldn't know. Like, who is that? And, you know.

[00:28:24] So, it's just a very, very clever film. And for once, like, sometimes films are just so clever that they just sort of disappear up their own butt. And I don't think Mabehen is one of those. Like, I think it just, it understands where it is. And also, like, the performances are fucking amazing. And what a title, though. Hannah? Hannah? Love it. It's the next level up of Vidwa Maha Andi Vahen.

[00:28:54] Right. I think this is one of those movies that you will get out of a lot if it has an immense rewatchability. Like, it's a movie, if you keep rewatching it, I'm 100% sure there's so many references, jokes, and nuances that I've missed. Because you're kind of focused on the main thread of the story. But there's so much packed into it. Like, a lot of the references that you mentioned, I wasn't even aware of them. Because I don't know about the written in my ad.

[00:29:23] I was thinking these are Hema and Jaya, like, the actresses. Like, that's what I was kind of thinking about. Because this whole colony is kind of has put them up on a pedestal where they become unreachable. But also, they want to pull them down and, like, lower them, right? So it's always this dynamic. And I think what's really interesting about this movie is how cartoonish, in a way, it is. Like, you mentioned over the top. But there's this cartoonish element to it in the comedy and the setup.

[00:29:53] Because the horror that these women are going through is also cartoonish. Like, what men put women through, the way they look at them, the way they treat them. It is horrific. But the horror is almost in a cartoon level. It's, like, almost funny, like, how ridiculous and stupid it is, right? And I think the movie kind of confronts us with the way the story is told and the tone of it.

[00:30:21] Because the way the neighbor lady is acting, you know, the little scene with her mother-in-law. Or even, like, a lot of the men character portrayed around it. It has that comedic element. But it is horrific, right? Like, you come as a woman into a household which should be welcoming you. But it ostracizes you immediately. And not only your household, but it has a repercussion on your entire neighborhood. Like, when you step away from it, it is...

[00:30:49] What is this, like, ridiculousness, right? Like, having to put women through this. The idea that when you mentioned, you know, that it is believable that she has these young daughters is because she literally says, I had you... Your father died when I was 25. Like, when you think about what this woman had to go through to survive with two beautiful women. Like, I know... I mean, I don't...

[00:31:16] I've not lived in India or Pakistan, but I used to visit. And we used to go to kind of a similar setup in Gulshan where there were houses and everybody knew everybody's house is business. You knew where the auntie was that was kind of a bit coquettish. You knew which house had, like, the pretty daughters. And everybody was constantly in each other's business. And at that time, I was young. So I was like, this is a lot of knowledge. Why do you know all of this?

[00:31:46] Especially coming from Europe where I don't even know my neighbors, right? Like, I don't even say hello to them. But here, you know, everybody's story and everybody has these layers to it. And it is all based on, you know, sexual degradation and virism and where it should be about community and helping each other out. And that is completely devoid of it, right? There is no helping this out.

[00:32:09] And the way the story is told through that narrator is the version that we, again, see in, like, a comedic version. But when you see the reality of what actually happened and the horror hits you, it's like... It really kind of, like, takes the wind out of your sails, right? Like, because it's, like, so... And I think Madhuri's performance really solidifies that. Like, all that she's gone through to just survive. She's not rich.

[00:32:38] She's not, like, beloved. She's not, like, you know, Gangupai where she's, like, you know, everybody's kind of, like, walking behind her in a parade. She is just a woman trying to survive. And what the price she has to pay on a daily, daily day for that. It really kind of, like... It really, like, hit me.

[00:32:56] Like, you know all of these things, but telling it in a light-hearted, comedic, over-the-top, sometimes slapstick way, I think is a very good way to kind of convey the horror of, you know, women's lives, I think. Like, it's really, like... It's really, like, I had a great time. I enjoyed it. I laughed a lot. But I got so much out of it. And I'm already somebody that, like, I get a lot of these themes and things like that. But it's still, like...

[00:33:25] I got so much out of this movie. I absolutely loved Madhuri. It was so good. It does kind of have that... Like, I do have a few criticisms, just to not be too positive. Obviously, because it's a women's movie. Why should I not criticize it, right? It is a world we have seen slightly, in a way. I thought of Darlings. I also thought of Hasina Dilruba, to a certain degree.

[00:33:49] But the movie that I also really thought about, and it's a movie that I've referenced a few times, it's Monica Bellucci's Malena. That is a movie that really kind of, like, brought back, especially, like, Madhuri's character, right? Like, the only crime she has done is being a beautiful woman. Like, you know, that's... And trying to survive, right? And not also be from kind of a high class.

[00:34:14] Like, if you're a high class beautiful woman, I think there's also some layers that give you access to privilege, which Madhuri clearly didn't have in this, right? I do feel there's moments in the movie that there's a few reveals, which I don't want to talk, spoil for Sujoy. But I feel those, A, those reveals don't land. And B, they are stretched out way too much.

[00:34:36] And I don't feel they have the big impact, especially the one in the middle portion, knowing who Dharna's father is. And then the end about what happened, which we pretty much had figured out what had probably happened, right? So having this narration, this story being told three, four times and getting to that point where we knew that she was just surrounded by villains, right? Right.

[00:35:01] Those things were like, that kind of worked a little bit less just because it adds a bit padding to the movie where I feel the rest of the movie was so dynamic in its storytelling. So those are the only two minor points that I may have. I think the nonlinear storytelling came out of left field for me because I didn't know that that was where this movie was going to go, right?

[00:35:26] Because it doesn't immediately set itself up as an unreliable narrator or sort of story. But then once I thought about it in retrospect, I thought it made sense because Rekha herself is fairly unreliable. And she's unreliable in that very Desi mom kind of way, which I think is immediately recognizable to anybody who's ever had a Desi mom.

[00:35:55] You know, where she'll tell you one thing and then she'll walk out of the house and she'll be a completely different person. And you're just like, what just happened to you? Yeah. You know, like she'll come home and she'll tell you that, oh, you know, like this person, like they were treating me like a maid. They were like beating me every day and then you'll see them the next day and you'll be like, oh, this person. And then your mother will be like, oh, my God, I'm so happy to see you. And you're like, what just happened? That sort of like unreliability.

[00:36:25] And therefore her daughters being like, I don't believe a single word that's coming out of your mouth. And then her having like different versions of the truth. And then finally you see her actual like, you know, like, OK, so this was the version of the truth that was like actually true. And it had like a real emotional impact on her. But it's so believable that women on the subcontinent just like make up their own realities on a daily basis.

[00:36:55] It's a mean for survival too, right? Like that's the only way you can survive. It's a survival, yeah. And the other movie that I also thought about is Life is Beautiful, right? There's a scene here in this one where they're playing Ludo in a very kind of. And like that really made me think about why is she creating stories and fantasies? Because that's how literally she has survived, right? Because you see what the danger and violence can be for these beautiful women.

[00:37:23] And you know where it can go. And you know that them just saving themselves in this world is a big, big task. And a lot of time that task has been solely on Madhuri's character, right? And she's just not even allowed to be weak. She's not allowed to be vulnerable until the last moment where there is nothing else left to accept her vulnerability. And that's why it's so heartbreaking, right?

[00:37:50] Like you almost miss the lying, conniving Rekha because the one that is the real Rekha is heartbreaking to see what she has gone through, right? And what a role for Madhuri. Like in what a career. Like we've seen her in every shade. And apparently there was a shade of Madhuri that we had not seen yet. We still discover new Madhuri's, right? She's like, she's funny. She's brash. She's accented.

[00:38:18] Like this combination of, and still being like pretty, not Aja Nachle pretty. Like, you know, like, oh, this pretty woman that came back from America. But like a really beautiful woman of a certain age. And she's just amazing in it. And then Tripti, who clearly is going for Madhuri's angry woman crown. Like if there's anybody that can take over the crown, it's Tripti Dimri.

[00:38:43] But what I like also is that a lot of times when we're talking about characters, it's how the outside perceives them or how they perceive themselves. But what this movie also does very smartly is the dynamic between those characters. And I like how they specifically say about Tripti is that, oh, she has the beauty of her mom, but none of her characteristics. And that's how she's positioned herself in the world.

[00:39:09] Although it's not true, but that's how she's like put her bracket of how I'm going to live my life. Okay, I'm pretty, I'm beautiful, but I'm not like my mom. I'm not like my sister, right? And to the point where even that world, that idea of her that she's created, when that shatters, it comes with a lot of, you know, violence and destruction for her, which she again performs amazingly. How is Dharna in it? She's really good.

[00:39:39] I thought she was really good. I don't know how much acting was involved in it because it seemed very like close to reality for her. I don't know. I don't know her content like that, but like she plays like somebody who's just very, like it's a very believable character for 2026, you know?

[00:39:59] And it's also really funny because they talk about like how her biggest flaw was that she just wanted to go viral. And that's all she's ever wanted out of her life. And you, and then you see, and that's also like one of the funny things, right? Because you see her going viral, but every time she goes viral, it also comes with abuse. Yeah. Right.

[00:40:25] It's never that like she's going viral and everybody, because the, the idea is that you go viral and everybody loves you. But as we know, you go viral and everybody is just cussing you out. I literally sent a screenshot or to our friend Haroon Rashid. And I was like telling him, dude, I think you're going viral on Twitter again. And he goes, oh my God, no, I don't want it. I don't want it. I don't want it. I think I don't want it.

[00:40:53] So yeah, it's not something that it comes at a cost, you know? So yeah, I think she's good. But I think I was just blown away by Tripti. I don't know why you are, Mirtha. I mean, Tripti is the full package. She is beautiful. She can act. She can elocute. Like she is, she is just fantastic. Like, like she does these monologues. Like we've seen that from like Bulbul, right? Like the, the monologues that she does.

[00:41:19] And she like angry Tripti, beautiful Tripti, sexy Tripti, innocent Tripti. I will take Tripti in any way, shape or form. Even broad comedy Tripti, which she has a few moments. She doesn't have as many as Madhuri does or Dharna does. But there are a few moments where she can and she's even really good at those. Like it's, it's crazy. She's so talented. Two more notes that I had about this. The movie is the men in the movie, right?

[00:41:48] I think the guy that's playing Tripti's husband in this movie might be the most despicable portrayal of masculinity that I have ever seen in my last, like disgusting. Everything that this performer has done from how he walks, talks, eats, it is just fills you with so much ickiness. You're like, oh my God, this man, you know, and then he's married to Tripti.

[00:42:16] Like it is like the, you know, the destiny and faith of so many women. This is your man, you know, unfortunately. He thought, I thought it was it. And the other thing that I also really liked about this movie is his father, Tripti's father-in-law, who we barely see. Yeah, he is literally the voice of patriarchy.

[00:42:37] Like he's on the phone, just, you know, a voiceless, like a imageless voice on the phone that is just like ordering her life, controlling her. And she's kind of fearful and wants to like please him in certain way, which is impossible to do. And I thought that was also kind of a really cool way to portray it.

[00:42:57] I want to also just call out the casting, whoever was doing the casting for this movie, because her husband has these three Nithalle brothers who just sit there eating rotis, right? And it's a, which is like a larger, like, you know, the roti making and the roti feeding and the roti eating is like a larger comment on society and like, you know, what it means.

[00:43:20] But those three guys, I think they're actual brothers or something, because my God, they look like triplets. It was, and they look exactly like the guy that's playing like her husband. So I was just like, wow. But again, very funny, very realistic as was the breakdown. So, yeah. Also the final, final shot of these three women dancing.

[00:43:49] Yeah. It's really touched me because they reclaim. I think, I don't know the way it was shot. Like this is the problem. Yeah, the dress up. Yeah. Yeah. So, Joy, I would suggest do not watch this movie with a phone because this is one of those movies that shot is so short in the flashback sequence about why they, why that wedding was important for them and why they are kind of stepping out again. So you see it in a flashback moment.

[00:44:19] It's very short. But when they reclaim that freedom and dancing again and doing that, like I thought it was really, really touching. Like just seeing women be able to dance with abandon after what they've gone through living in this colony. It made me hate. It made me hate Desi culture to an extent that I've not hated in so long. It's the worst. It's the worst.

[00:45:06] It's the worst. And also, I hadn't seen Arnurda sing in a long time. So, like I was just like, wait. Oh, yeah. I didn't know that he was still acting, you know. So, that was nice. Yeah, he was good. He was good. Like the besotted neighborhood kid, you know. I thought that was also very nice. And also, like the performances, even like the neighbor lady, but also her daughter, Goldie.

[00:45:33] I thought even like it was such a funny thing that why they call her Goldie, you know, like these kind of things. Like there's so many like jokes and things built in in the flashback and the way it's true. So, I really, really liked it. So, Joy, does that make you more excited to go watch Mabin? Yeah. I can't wait to finish work and then sit down to watch it. Yeah. Let us know next episode or the next time we record what you think about it.

[00:46:01] I think people will be looking forward to it. Or maybe we can do it for Patreon. Who knows? Yeah. That's it for this episode. Amrita, where can people find you online? Well, I just returned to Twitter, but I don't recommend it to anybody because it is a wasteland. The best way to get in touch with me remains Patreon, which you can join for as little as a dollar. It is where we do our catch-ups. It's where Asen does this letterbox reviews.

[00:46:29] It's the place where people ask us for, you know, like travel recommendations to now. Like, it's a great place to just sort of like hang out with us. So, yeah. Patreon, I would say. It's patreon.com slash kandanpodcast. Also, like, Patreon has become even more lively. Like, I feel like there's so much interaction. I really love it. I love being like, it's become like, I go every day now to check. Has anybody, like, you know, interacted?

[00:46:59] And there is something always. It's really lovely. Sujoy, where can people find you online? You can find me on Instagram mostly at 983k. But do check us out on YouTube at kandanpodcast for all the video content that we have to offer. And we have some new Patreon members. I'm so happy to see you guys join the community and support us. Thank you so much. Yeah. And we also dropped a new video essay episode on YouTube.

[00:47:28] What did we call it? Priyanka did what? Sujoy, you called it, right? Did you miss me, Priyanka, right? Yeah. All the scandals and rumors of Priyanka. Basically. It was a fun episode to record. So, have a look on YouTube. And I would also say, you know, like, sometimes we talk like the way we always talk. And then we post a little clip on Instagram, on TikTok. And we step out of our own audience and understand how many trolls and bots there are.

[00:47:57] So, if you can come give us some support there, that would also be helpful because we get murdered a lot. So, follow us on TikTok and Instagram and fight the hate, you know. Thank you for listening. Our next episode will be luck by chance. Bye. Bye.