Queen is Dead - A Film, TV and Culture Podcast

In this episode, podcast hosts Sanjeet, Dhruv, and Aryan get down to talk about the best Hindi films in a year that hardly gave us any. More than the individual films themselves, the three discuss the declining quality of Bollywood films, and the sad predictability of the good films only coming from the people we usually associate with quality films. Because we need to actually make an episode tha...

In this Christmas special, we choose to cover (courtesy, Criterion Channel’s curation) not merriment but murder. Hosts Sanjeet & Dhruv join regular collaborator Arijit for yet another descent into horror/thriller/dark comedy madness. This time, gushing over their collective (and specific) love for films directed by the “master of suspense,” Alfred Hitchcock. Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you h...

In this episode, Dhruv and Sanjeet invite Youtuber, and fellow podcaster, Sanket Mistry, to talk about three films each that the three of them saw during the past month and would recommend. We also answer some questions that we received from the latest Instagram Q&A.  To participate in future Q&As and for contacting us, follow our Instagram page : @queenisdead.filmpodcast.  Do hi...

In this episode, Dhruv, Aryan, and another returning guest, Vashist, discuss the audio-visual triumphs and the (potential) narrative and thematic shortcomings of Edgar Wright's latest release. Positioning Last Night in Soho as a brave departure from Wright's usual style, the three welcome the switch-up in style, tone, and genre while also questioning if the director needs to entirely sacrifice som...

In this episode, host Dhruv and regular collaborator Aryan gush for the entirety of the episode about Mr. Wright's stellar filmography to celebrate the release of his latest film, Last Night in Soho (which will get an episode of its own!). Unlike the director's trademark precision, this episode is much more rambling, with most attention given to the ingenious Cornetto Trilogy, especially Shaun of...

In this episode, podcast host Dhruv and regular collaborator Aryan try to make sense of Marvel's newest extravaganza, "Eternals." Looking at the film as an unsuccessful mishmash of indie filmmaker Chloé Zhao's directorial sensibilities and the Disney offspring's tried and tested formula, both Dhruv and Aryan question the "comfortable" state of modern-day commercial cinema before picking apart...

In this episode, Dhruv, Sanjeet, and Arijit celebrate the arrival of Halloween 2021 more productively than David Gordon Green and Co. did by cohesively (relatively, ofc) demonstrating their love and admiration for the horror genre and some of their favorites from it. Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people! Follow our Instagram page: https://instagra...

In this episode, podcast hosts Sanjeet and Dhruv invite frequent guest and collaborator Aryan to monologue their way through Mike Flanagan's latest, most personal project, "Midnight Mass." They briefly discuss Flanagan's filmography and his brand of "art-house meets mainstream" horror that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Championing his patient approach to storytelling and his little (to n...

In this episode, Sanjeet, Dhruv, returning (at least for one episode) host Hemant, and returning guest, Amartya, discuss Denis Villeneuve's ambitious science-fiction adaptation of Frank Gerbert's "unadaptable" Dune. The usual discussion about the theatrical experience abounds, with two of the hosts championing the visceral experience that only an IMAX cinema can provide for such a film. The two ot...

In this episode, Sanjeet, Dhruv, Karthik & Arijit each recommend three new films/TV shows they watched this month. The diverse selections lead us to specifically discuss the docu-fiction nature of popular Iranian films, the understated stylisations of Ozu’s color-films, and the rocky recent output from Pixar. Most importantly though, Karthik claims that the best way to watch a David Lynch film is...

In this episode, Sanjeet and Dhruv champion the ambitious (and mostly successful) subversions of Shoojit Sircar’s new Amazon Prime release, “Sardar Udham.” Positioning the film as a response to the stale biopic story template, the hosts applaud the film’s non-linear storytelling structure, its consistently somber tone, and its courage to portray a revolutionary figure as every bit the complicated...

In this episode, Sanjeet, Dhruv, and Karthik welcome Hindustan Times’ chief content producer and film critic Rohan Naahar to discuss what it means to be a film critic today. We interview him about his life as one for a major publication before delving into the dwindling state of online criticism that increasingly seeks to propagate fanaticism rather than constructive criticism. Do hit 'Follow' on...

In this episode, hosts Sanjeet and Dhruv welcome die-hard (pun not intended) 007 fan, and film reviewer for High on Films and Popcorn Pixel, Amartya Acharya, to discuss Daniel Craig's latest outing as James Bond. What begins as an articulated, non-spoilery, discussion about the joys and exhaustion of his latest adventure gradually becomes more of a spoiler-y "articulated meandering" on the entiret...

In this episode, hosts Sanjeet and Dhruv welcome professional software engineer and aspiring filmmaker, Vashist Thakwani, to discuss the newly released films in Indian cinemas (yes, they do exist!). The majority of the discussion involves a spoiler-filled discussion of Mr. Shyamalan's latest film, "Old," because it is near impossible to constructively critique it without revealing its many, many,...

In today's episode, podcast hosts Sanjeet and Dhruv invite guest Aryan (once again!) to discuss the new Amazon Prime show Mumbai Diaries 26/11. They talk extensively about its many positives and its equally noticeable negatives. Before, as usual, ending up in another place all together, discussing the cult of RGV…because why not? Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcas...

Joining us on this episode is special guest Arijit Paul, student at Satyajit Ray Film Institute, Kolkata. We talk to him about his experience as a student in an Indian film institute, the perks of film school, and what made him get into filmmaking. We also spend way too much time answering the latest questions sent in by our listeners. BONUS: Some juicy technical difficulties... Watch out for Part...

In this episode of Queen Is Dead, podcast hosts Sanjeet and Dhruv join guest Ashwani Kumar Tiwari, writer for the acclaimed film blog High on Films, to discuss the anomalous filmography of director Anubhav Sinha. While most filmmakers in Hindi cinema have had a downward trajectory in terms of quality of films, Anubhav Sinha's segue into becoming a socially conscious filmmaker over the past decade...

In this semi-coherent, semi-rambling episode, Sanjeet and Dhruv briefly critique Amazon prime blockbuster “Shershaah” before delving deep into its discourse that, once again, massively divided fans and detractors. As non-fans, the hosts try to understand the immense love for the film while also bemoaning cultish fans who refuse to accept any form of criticism. You can follow us on Instagram at htt...

In this episode, podcast hosts Sanjeet and Dhruv invite guest Aryan to talk about the best Hindi films this year (up till and including July). More than the individual films themselves, the three discuss the declining quality of Bollywood films, and the sad predictability of the good films only coming from the people we usually associate with quality films. Check out this episode to know more. Fol...

In this episode of Queen Is Dead, we talk about three movies each that we saw during the past month and would recommend. We also answer the questions we received from the latest Instagram Q&A.  To participate in future Q&As and for contacting us, follow our Instagram page : @queenisdead.filmpodcast.  Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Here are our thoughts on this week's next major release on Amazon Prime, Toofaan, the much-awaited boxing flick starring Farhan Akhtar, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.  Please consider supporting the podcast and follow us on Spotify and on Instagram (@queenisdead.filmpodcast) for the latest updates!

In this episode, we discuss the strengths and pitfalls of the new Malayalam film, Malik, an Amazon Prime Video Release, starring Fahadh Faasil and written/directed by Mahesh Narayanan. We are joined by guest host Rohit Satish Nair, a critic and film enthusiast, to talk about this much-hyped release. Please consider supporting the podcast and follow us on Spotify and on Instagram (@queenisdead.film...

In this episode, we talk to a professor of media studies, Nithesh Kalnad, who has an upcoming film release on OTT. We discuss the relatively less talked about Kannada film industry and recommend some good gateway films to get into exploring the same. We also answer some fan questions from our Instagram stories' Q and A. If your question hasn't been answered, please stay tuned as we will get to the...

Netflix just released 'Ray', a four-episode adaptation of Bengali writer/director and auteur Satyajit Ray's short stories, on the occasion of his centennial celebrations. We discuss what we liked, disliked and abhorred in this mini-series. The series stars Harshvardhan Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Gajraj Rao, Kay Kay Menon and Ali Fazal in major roles. The segments are directed by Srijit Mukherjee, Abh...

Sherni, Amit Masurkar's sophomore effort after 2017's Newton, has been streaming on Amazon Prime Video and opened last week to mixed reviews. The film stars Vidya Balan in the lead role, along with Brijendra Kala, Sharat Saxena, Vijay Raaz and Neeraj Kabi among others. Podcast hosts Sanjeet and Dhruv discuss what they liked and didn't like about the film, in this short episode of Queen Is Dead.  P...