Bollywood is For Lovers

Happy (belated) Halloween Lovers! We may be late but our tradition of exploring all things spooky that Hindi cinema has to offer lives on! This year we are sinking our teeth into Netflix's romantic horror-comedy Tooth Pari . Show notes: This episode is quite late as we were our of the country and Erin got sick Neighbours  trailer Tooth Pari: When Love Bites Pratim D. Gupta and X: Past Is Present N...

We welcome writer Sunny Singh to the show to discuss her fascinating new book A Bollywood State of Mind ! Show notes: Thank you Sunny Singh for joining us! A Bollywood State of Mind: A journey into the world’s biggest cinema Heads up, we discuss some spoilers for Jawan if you haven't seen it yet NEXT TIME: Hindi Horror Halloween Find us on Apple Podcasts ! and Stitcher ! and audioBoom ! and iHeart...

We return to the career of Yash Chopra with two iconic mid-70s blockbusters: one, the first film to carry the YRF name and the other, maybe the most influential Bollywood film ever made. Show notes: Past Yash Chopra films we have discussed: Netflix and Dil: High and Low - Cinema Marte Dum Tak  and The Romantics and Yaasssh Chopra:  Lamhe  &  Veer-Zaara  with Manish Mathur Zanjeer and the Angry...

We go to the lawless deserts in Homi Adajania's blood-soaked Hotstar crime drama, Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo , to find out who Dimple Kapadia will choose as her successor, and see if they will even make it out alive to enjoy their inheritance. Show notes: Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo Homi Adajania We Want To Be Dimple Kapadia’s Friend:  Bobby, Saagar,  and  Rudaali Netflix and Dil: Forget it, BiFL. It’s ...

After bemoaning the state of Bollywood in our last episode, Karan Johar has given us something worth celebrating! Show notes: Thank you Manish Mathur for joining us (and suggesting we record this surprise episode)! Listen to It Pod to Be You Rocky Aur Rani Prem Kii Kahaani NEXT TIME: Netflix and Dil Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo Find us on Apple Podcasts ! and Stitcher ! and audioBoom ! and iHeartRadio...

Somehow we are more than halfway through 2023, which means it's time for the midyear review where we discuss 11 Hindi-language films that have come out so far this year. Show notes: Pathaan ( Supplemental 14 ) Almost Pyaar with Dj Mohabbat Shehzada Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar Mrs. Chetterjee vs Norway Bheed INTERVAL ("Bandaa Title Track" from Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai ) Bholaa Gaslight Kathal Sirf Ek B...

It's been a rough year so far for Bollywood, but luckily there are plenty of new streaming shows that have caught our attention, some might say too many though. That means it's time for another pilot season where we watch the pilot of six shows and choose which one we are going to watch, and review, a whole season of! Show notes: The Streaming Show Bestseller The Night Manager Tooth Pari: When Lov...

We welcome Canadian musician and playback singer Shashaa Tirupati on to discuss her career in Indian cinema, as well as winning a National Film Award and what it's like to work with A.R. Rahman and other top composers. Show notes: Shashaa Tirupati and her Youtube channel Shashaa's beautiful Tamil interpretation of Bon Iver's "Perth" #BollywoodMonster Mashup 2023 IG Meet and Greet live on Instagram...

Strap in Lovers, we’re going on an international chase to catch Asia’s biggest criminal mastermind, Don.  Show notes: It's not only difficult to catch Don (1978), it's impossible “Bachchan ‘76 - ‘78″ The Making of Don Don: The Chase Begins Again   Petronas Towers , as seen in Entrapment Songs: “ Yeh Mera Dil ,” “ Main Hoon Don ,” and “ Khaike Paan Banaraswala ” Comparisons to contemporary Bollywoo...

We go back to the swinging sixties to get our groove on and maybe solve a murder or two, or ten, if we don’t end up dead ourselves! Show notes: Erin forgets why they wanted to do this episode Ranveer Singh was in a ‘60s pastiche, and it was terrible Ghost World and And Then There Were None Gumnaam Pran is a fashion king Songs: “ Hum Kaale Hain To ,” “ Is Duniya Mein Jeena Ho To ,” and “ Peeke Hum...

We go back to the golden age of filmmaking in Bombay with Vikramaditya Motwane’s period drama Jubilee . Show notes: 68th Filmfare Awards Breaking Free: Vikramaditya Motwane’s  Udaan ,  Lootera , and  Trapped Jubilee “ Jubilee Is a Beautifully Mounted Show About the 1930s but the Women Pioneers Have Been Erased ” Next time: 60s murder mysteries Thank you to Magic Mind for sponsoring this episode. U...

Who better to play actors in Bollywood, than Bollywood actors? We discuss two films that present a very different take on the lifestyles of working screen actors. Show notes: Episode 3: Bollywood on Bollywood Should we redo or “react” to our early episodes? MST3K Khamosh Kaamyaab Super-R/geriatric cinema We were also surprised to find ourselves on IMDb (INTERVAL (“ Aap Jaisa Koi ” from An Action H...

In our second annual Madhuri Madness we discuss two awards-nominated performances from the early 90s. Show notes: Madhuri Madness 2022: Parinda  and Dil and The Fame Game   Sadly The Fame Game  has been cancelled Saajan “ playboy-operator type “ Comparisons to Cyrano de Bergerac Is Sanjay Dutt a convincing romantic lead? Songs: “ Bahut Pyar Karte Hain ,” “ Pehli Baar Mile Hain ,” “ Mera Dil Bhi Ki...

We welcome The Romantics director Smriti Mundhra on to discuss her new Netflix docuseries on Yash Raj Films, Bollywood stars' bookshelves, the nepotism question, and whether Befikre will ever find its audience.  Show notes: Thank you Smriti Mundhra ! Netflix and Dil: High and Low -  Cinema Marte Dum Tak  and  The Romantics NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness Bollywood is For Lovers is a member of the Alber...

We go behind the scenes to learn about the making of some of Hindi cinema’s most famous and infamous films with two new docuseries. Show notes: Thank you Rakesh KT! Cinema Marte Dum Tak Vice Media The Romantics Smriti Mundhra Yash Raj Films NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness! Bollywood is For Lovers is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network Check out Telus Storyhive and Edmonton Public School’s Open Hous...

Is Shah Rukh Khan here to save Bollywood? A special guest drops by to weigh in on Pathaan ! Show notes: Thank you Nim aka MapleBrownie for inviting us out and joining us for this review! “ Cinema in northeast Edmonton closed permanently “ via CTV “ India’s Right Wing Tried to Scuttle a Film. Fans Helped It Break Records ” via the New York Times Mike McCahill’s take “ The spy who came in from the c...

Well we are a month into the new year, but before we see if SRK can save Bollywood, we are looking back at the last six months of 2022.  Show notes: 2022 Midyear Review Jugjugg Jeeyo Ek Villain Returns Good Luck Jerry ( Episode 136 ) Darlings ( Episode 136 ) Laal Singh Chaddha Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (INTERVAL (“ Piya Tu Ab To Aja ” from Monica, O My Darling ) Chup: Revenge of the Artist Doct...

We celebrate the work of iconic masala director Manmohan Desai with two of his films, made twenty years apart.  Notes: Our episodes on Amar Akbar Anthony and Mard Masala film Manmohan Desai The source that Erin looked at that had different information on Desai than what’s online is Tejaswini Ganti’s Bollywood: a guidebook to popular Hindi cinema 1st edition Chhalia 1977 Bluff Master We are concern...

It’s that time of year where we polish our guns and light up our cigarettes, it’s Noirvember time and we are up to no good with two Ashok Kumar classics. Notes: Apologies for the sound quality, we discovered after recording that we had set up our mic improperly Noirvember and our Noirvember playlist Park Chan-wook isn’t a fan of Noir Film Noir Thank you tommydan55 Gyan Mukherjee Ashok Kumar Kismet...

We return to the mean streets of Delhi with season 2 of Netflix’s Delhi Crime . Show notes: Thank you Veedee24! Delhi Crime Netflix and Dil: Delhi Crime, or These Are Their Stories Dun Dun The year of Shefali Shah Kachcha Baniyan Gang Denotified Tribes Spoiler Zone: 31.17 - 40:12 NEXT TIME: Noirvember Bollywood is For Lovers is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network Check out connectfirst Credit...

It’s October and by now you probably know what that means, it’s time for Hindi Horror Halloween! This year we check out three scary movies that are remakes of popular Hollywood horror films. Notes: It’s Hindi Horror Halloween time! Khooni Murda and Mahakaal Sangharsh Is The Silence of the Lambs actually a feminist workplace drama? Hawa Rakht Dobaara: See Your Evil , Khamoshi , and Mike Flanagan Pa...

We go back to the 1980s to catch up with two testosterone-tastic action films featuring your favourite hero and ours, Amitabh Bachchan. Notes: The Bachchan Series The never-ending search for movies with subtitles We couldn’t find 1986 or 1988 Mard Best horse and best dog Is Amrita Singh into BDSM ? Jabisco’s many costume changes Hitchcock’s pure cinema Is this The Mummy of its time “ Mard Tangewal...

It’s back to school season, at least for some people, and we are hitting the books with two films about the right to education.  Notes: Paani on launchgood.com , donations to Pakistani refugees floods.pk , a list of charities in the region trying to help 67th Filmfare Awards These awards are just copying the BiFL Awards We need to watch Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi Erin loves back to school shopping and Ca...

We do our best to not feel the wrath of these women scorned as we check out three recent(ish) black comedies with female leads. Also lots of good music recommendations in this one. Notes: Black Comedy That Mel Brooks quote was basically right: “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.” Pushing The Envelope:  Being Cyrus  and  Delhi Belly , with Suchin Me...

After a four year hiatus, Ranbir Kapoor is back! So we’re going back to look at a couple of his early roles.  Notes: Mother India is obviously the Mother of the Year Ranbir Kapoor Method acting and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute We are discussing method acting in America where Kapoor studied, and not method acting in India like Dilip Kumar Marlon Brando Do you want to hear us discuss...