Desi Talkies

Today, our hosts, Ananya and Aneesa, are recapping all the South Asian films and TV shows they've watched and haven't discussed yet. Join us as we debate the representation of Pakistan and Muslims in Siddarth Anand's Fighter , the controversies revolving around Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal , and our opinions on many more recent releases.

Today we're talking about Love & Robots by discussing the latest Bollywood sci-fi release, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024) . [ This story follows a robotics engineer (Shahid Kapoor), who falls for the human-like robot SIFRA (Kriti Sanon), created by his aunt, leading to a rollercoaster of love, deception, and the blurred lines between man and machine. ] Our hosts reminisce about pa...

Today we're talking about Murder Mystery through the camera lens by analyzing one cinematographer in particular, K.U. Mohanan. He is responsible for the cinematography in Talaash (2012) , and Andhadhun (2018) . Two very different films, both capturing Murder Mystery with the same DOP in different ways. Join us this week as our hosts, Ananya and Aneesa carry on an in-depth discussion of these t...

Welcome to Season 3 of Desi Talkies! We're back just in time for Valentine's Day to revisit the classic Yash Raj Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) , directed and written by Aditya Chopra. We're trying an entirely new format this season: lots of hot takes, and debates, and in this episode, we welcome our first guest, Sarah Anwer Khan ! Join us this week as our hosts, Ana...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Netflix’s first female-led Saudi Arabian original series, Crashing Eid , now available to stream on Netflix. [ This series follows an independent Saudi woman (Summer Shesha) as she attempts to convince her family that her British Pakistani fiancé (Hamza Haq) is her suitable match after he crashes her Family's Eid celebra...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about the Netflix India film  Khufiya , directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, and now available to stream on Netflix. [ Set in 2004, an operative (Tabu) of the Indian spy agency known as R&AW is assigned to track down a mole (Ali Fazal) who is selling defense secrets while grappling with her dual identity as a spy and a lover. ] Ananya...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Sarmad Khoosat's  Zindagi Tamasha (2019) , released publicly on YouTube on August 4, 2023. Despite being approved by the censorship board, the film was unlawfully denied a theatrical release in Pakistan in 2019. Four years later, Sarmad Khoosat released this film for the public and therefore, fueled conversation about ho...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Atlee’s  Jawan , released in theatres on September 7, 2023. [ A high-octane action thriller that outlines the emotional journey of a man (Shah Rukh Khan) who is set to rectify the wrongs in Indian society. ] Ananya & Aneesa go through their thoughts on Atlee’s directing style along with SRK's new avatar. Our hosts al...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about the seven-part series  Guns & Gulaabs , directed by Raj & DK, and now available to stream on Netflix. [ Set in the nineties, in the cartel-run town of Gulaabgunj, an opium deal pulls a big-city police officer (Dulquer Salmaan) and a lovesick mechanic (Rajkummar Rao) into its chaotic clutches. ] Our hosts, Ananya &amp...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Karan Johar’s  Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani , released in theatres on July 28, 2023. [ Flamboyant Punjabi Rocky (Ranveer Singh) and intellectual Bengali journalist Rani (Alia Bhatt) fall in love despite their differences. After facing family opposition, they decide to live with each other's families for three months bef...

We're back with Season 2 of Desi Talkies! There's so much that's happened in the past three months, so our hosts Ananya & Aneesa are here to fill in the blanks. Join us as we discuss our life updates, what we've watched during our break, and hear our thoughts on the announcement of Ranveer Singh taking on the role of Don in "Don 3." Listen to the full episode for more...

Welcome to our Season One Finale of Desi Talkies! As a reward for our audience's consistent support, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa finally explain what they're up to in their professional lives. Then, they talk about the Action-Comedy film,  Polite Society , directed and written by Nida Manzoor, and wide-released in theaters on April 28th. [ An aspiring stunt woman plots to save her older...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about the historical drama series  Jubilee , directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, and now available to stream on Amazon Prime. [ Set in the golden era of what we know as 'Bollywood' or the Hindi film industry, the series follows a fictional production house called the Roy Talkies, through their trials and tribulations during...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s  Rang De Basanti (2006). [ The story of six young Indians who assist an English woman to film a documentary on the freedom fighters from their past, and the events that lead them to relive the long-forgotten saga of freedom. ] Ananya & Aneesa go through their thoughts on Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Luv Ranjan’s  Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar , released in theatres on March 8, 2023, and coming soon to Netflix. [ Both belonging to wealthy Delhi families, a Punjabi man is breath-taken by a Punjabi woman the moment he sees her on their Spain vacation. The two hit it off in no time but modern love has a way of complicating t...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about the Netflix documentary series The Romantics , now available to stream on Netflix . [ The cultural legacy of iconic Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra who is regarded as the father of romance in Indian cinema. ] Our hosts, Ananya & Aneesa, carry their in-depth analysis of the series with a scene-by-scene analysis, casting brea...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about the Netflix India series Class (CLA$$) , now available to stream on Netflix . [CLASS is a remake of popular Spanish Netflix series, Elite . Class follows the dramatic dynamics of this upmarket school and the tumultuous events that follow.] Ananya goes through the similarities and differences between Elite and Class . Our hos...

Desi Talkies is back and so is SRK! First, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa explain what they've been up to on their time off and then they reveal their Top 5 South Asian films of 2022 (00:01:00 - 00:13:33). The rest of the episode we talk about Siddharth Anand's PATHAAN , SRK's comeback, and the revival of Bollywood fans through this film. [ An Indian spy takes on the leader of a group of mercenarie...

In this episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Anirudh Iyer’s An Action Hero , released in theatres on December 2, 2022 and coming soon to Netflix. [ After getting caught up in an accident while filming in Haryana, Manav, an action hero and superstar, uses his action skills to escape from the authorities, along with the public. ] Ananya & Aneesa go through the 'meta'...

In this episode of Desi Talkies , our hosts Ananya & Aneesa talk about Anvita Dutt's Qala , which released exclusively on Netflix on December 1, 2022. [ Set in 1930s India, the film revolves around a talented singer who's haunted by her past while reaching successful heights in her career. ] Ananya & Aneesa go through Dutt's past work, her successful director-actor duo with Tripti Dimri ("...

In our first episode of Desi Talkies, our hosts Ananya & Aneesa introduce themselves, how they know each other, and how Desi Talkies came to be. Coming from "rival" cultural backgrounds, our hosts comment and analyze Pakistan-India media relations.  And most importantly, they do an in-depth film review of Saim Sadiq's "Joyland," a 2022 Cannes Festival award winner. The film has taken the...