Love of Cinema

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Aditya Bhattacharya's Raakh (1989) is a powder keg of a film. The kind of film which you can't stop thinking about for a day or two, every time you watch it. Aditya joins me for almost a 2-hour long chat on his remarkable debut film, the story behind the film, Aamir Khan, and more. Join us! I f you enjoy the podcast...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! One of my favorite Arshad Warsi films turns 20 this week. Writer-director Shashanka Ghosh joins me to talk about Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part 2, a film that was an absolute trip and had banger of a soundtrack that included Kailash Kher's chartbuster Allah Ke Bande. Crazy stories about a crazy film. Join us! If you like the po...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Bejoy Nambiar (Shaitan, David, Solo, Taish) joins us for a deep dive of one of his all-time favorites, Padmarajan's Thoovanathumbikal. We talked about the complex characterizations, Mohanlal's terrific performance, Sumalatha's fascinating Clara and Johnson's timeless background score. Bejoy also shared a c...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Hansal Mehta joins us for a chat on two of his early films, Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and Chhal. One's a black comedy about end of innocence. The other's a sharp action drama centered around betrayal.  Both films had compelling story lines, terrific cast, great music and both attempted something new in their technique. Two...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul, who co-created Scoop and wrote Thappad, joins me for a deep dive of one of her favorite films, Rangeela! We talked about Rangeela's charming old-school writing, the strong lead female character, women in RGV's films, Aamir Khan's method performance, Rahman's generational soundtrack,...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Fanboy moment! On the eve of Satya's 25th anniversary, a 2-hour-long chat with RGV on everything from Shiva and Raat, to Satya and Company, to Sarkar and Bhoot, to Nishabd and Mast. Unfiltered and unabashed as always, RGV shared some cool insights, stories and anecdotes. Join us!   If you like the podcast, do consider su...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Vikram Bhatt's Ghulam, a key 90s film and one of Aamir Khan's most popular film, turns 25 this year. Vikram joins me for a wide-ranging chat on Ghulam, music in his films, Raaz and the horror genre, his early days assisting Mukul Anand and Mahesh Bhatt, his streaming platform, and an interesting round of Shoot, a ga...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Amitabh Bachchan's breakout film was Zanjeer (1973). The film not only proved to be the breakout vehicle for India's biggest superstar and cultural icon, but it also ushered in the Bachchan-Salim-Javed era and the trend of action dramas. Diptakirti Chaudhuri, a lifelong Hindi cinema enthusiast and the author of seve...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! I really enjoyed the new period drama Jubilee, set in the 40s and 50s, and centered on the aspiration and ambition of a group of people from the world of Hindi cinema. I got a chance to pick the brains of writer Atul Sabharwal (Powder, Aurangzeb, Class of 83) and director/showrunner Vikramaditya Motwane (Udaan, Lootera, Trapp...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Tashan (2008) turns 15 this year. Writer-director Vijay Krishna Acharya joins me as we look back on the YRF film that tried to break new ground and tried to do it in  style. We chatted about writing the film, the terrific soundtrack, the nods, the action, and its reception. An hour on Tashan with 'the' Vijay Krishan...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Imtiaz Ali's exploration of romance and relationships stands out among his peers. Kanika Katyal, a freelance culture writer and Imtiaz Ali superfan joins me as we try to deconstruct the filmmaker's storytelling, focussing on his debut film, Socha Na Tha (2005). Join us! Now, you can support the Love of Cinema podcas...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! National Film Award-winning author Amborish Roychoudhury joins me for a deep dive of one of my favorite films produced by Dharma Productions, Agneepath (1990). Directed by Mukul Anand, Agneepath was ahead of its time and was never fully appreciated. This episode is our small attempt to resurrect and present a solid action dra...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Listeners join in to chat about some of our favorite films of 2022! Sandeep Padhi, Amey Pandit and Anirudh Somani join me as we reflect on RRR, Gangubai, Me Vasantrao, Kantara, Monica O My Darling, Jhund, Laal Singh Chaddha, Toolsidas Jr., and Jersey. We also chatted about Rajamouli, RRR's crossover success, SRK's P...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Sanjay Gadhvi directed Dhoom and Dhoom 2, two of the biggest action films of last 20 years. Sholay is not just the biggest film but probably the biggest action film of all-time as well. (More than) an hour on Sholay with Sanjay Gadhvi! Feedback/comments/questions: loveofcinemasf@gmail.com Credits: Produced and hosted by: Hima...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Nishikant Kamat's Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008) is a story of a city, grappling with paranoia and prejudice, that somehow always manages to muster the courage and show good sense in conquering its fears and prejudice. Upendra Sidhaye, who co-wrote (with Yogesh Vinayak Joshi) the film and assisted Kamat on Mumbai Meri Jaan, joi...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Bombay Fables is one of the more interesting production houses. Their first two projects, Serious Men and Decoupled, both, have tasted critical acclaim and wide popularity. Their slate looks equally interesting with the recently released second season of Delhi Crime and the second season of Asur gearing up for release later t...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Writer-director Abhishek Chaubey joins us for a chat on his films (Ishqiya, Dedh Ishqiya, Udta Punjab, Sonchiriya) as well as Omkara and Maqbool, films which he co-wrote/assisted on.   Abhishek and I chatted about adapting classics, writing good story endings, and prioritizing storytelling voice ahead of cinematic chops. He s...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Writer Sudip Sharma (NH10, Udta Punjab, Paatal Lok, Laal Kaptaan) joins us for a Sonchiriya deep dive. Sonchiriya is one of my favorite films of last 10 years.  It's also my favorite Sushant Singh Rajput film. I believe his performance, much like the film, remains underrated and under-discovered. This episode is, in part...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Gupt: The Hidden Truth evokes a wide range of memories for many. The timeless soundtrack by Viju Shah, the smashing reveal, wild dialogue, Rajiv Rai's direction, Ashok Mehta's cinematography, the amusing ensemble of supporting cast and of course, Manisha Koirala, Kajol and Bobby Deol. As the film turns 25, cricket h...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! A senior film journalist once mentioned that Gauri Khan (SRK's wife) once told her that reel-life Sunil of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa was very similar to real-life SRK. Hardik Mehta (Trapped, Kaamyaab, Decoupled) joins me to talk about Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994), a film that holds a special place in the hearts of many 90s kid...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Rajamouli's newest movie is more than 3 hours long.  Can't recall the last time I watched a film that long and walked out of the cinemas wishing it was longer.  Loved it. Film critic Josh Hurtado joins us for a deep dive of RRR as we try to unpack the film's goodness, Rajamouli's arc, and the film's t...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Sagar Haveli, who co-wrote Paatal Lok, joins us for a deep dive of Sriram Raghavan's Johnny Gaddaar (2007).  Sagar and I  tried to unpack how Raghavan excels at building tension and doing it beautifully, while paying homage to classic films and masters of cinema like Hitchcock, Vijay Anand, De Palma and Brij. We chatted...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Rakhee Sandilya co-wrote and directed the engaging 2017 drama Ribbon, starring Kalki Koechlin and Sumeet Vyas. She joins us for the next installment in our series of deep dives with screenwriters/filmmakers on their favorite films. Rakhee chose Mira Nair's celebrated 2001 drama Monsoon Wedding. We tried to unpack why Mon...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! A look back at A R Rahman of 90s with popular music blogger and Rahman super-fan, Karthik Srinivasan. We revisit 16 songs from 90s, curated with the singular goal of showcasing what made Rahman of 90s so unique and special.  The collection includes songs in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam. We've tried to stay clear of...

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! This season, a small series of deep dives with directors/screenwriters on personal favorites, where I asked a small group of directors and screenwriters to talk about a favorite film that they have admired over the years.  First up, writer-director Atul Sabharwal (Powder, Aurangzeb, Class of '83) on J. P. Dutta's Gh...