The Long Take

Thar , the new Netflix film starring father-son duo Anil Kapoor and Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor, might claim to be a “neo-noir Western” but it’s actually an old-school revenge thriller at heart. We talk about the film’s slow-burn storytelling, Anil Kapoor’s immaculate hair and Fatima Sana Shaikh’s immaculate make-up, and a pivotal climax scene that threatens to ruin the entire experience. — Hosted...

Gangubai Kathiawadi —the latest Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, out now on Netflix—proves that the director hasn’t outgrown his worst tendencies. We discuss the Alia Bhatt-led film’s jarring episodic structure, the fantastical visuals, and Bhansali’s problematic romanticisation of female victimhood. We also talk about his fear of depicting sex, his puerile portrayal of Mumbai’s red light district, and...

Every week, we tell ourselves that Bollywood cannot possibly hit new lows, and every week we are surprised. London Files —the new Voot Select series starring Arjun Rampal—is among the worst things we’ve covered on the podcast. We talk about the show’s illogical plotting, the seemingly random twists and turns that it throws at you every few minutes, and its bizarre tendency to forget important char...

Mai —the new Netflix thriller starring Sakshi Tanwar—is a deceptively bad show that actively tries to distance itself from its compelling hook. We discuss the show’s leaps of logic, gaping plot holes, and Tanwar’s two-note performance. We also find time to chat about Abhishek Bachchan and his analysis of Dhoom , and inevitably conclude by shaking our heads at Netflix India yet again. — Hosted...

Pada —the Malayalam next-gen movie, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video—has an unconventional structure and uncommon thematic depth. But does it come together? We discuss the film’s extended opening act, the sudden switch into hostage thriller mode, and the poignant note on which it ends. — Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar , The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating...

Is Sharmaji Namkeen —Rishi Kapoor’s final film, out now on Amazon Prime Video—a noble failure or an unlikely success? We discuss the movie’s unconventional production, which was marred by the tragedy of Kapoor’s death; the differences between the two central performances by Kapoor and Paresh Rawal; and whether the film manages to balance its broad humour with genuine moments of drama. — Hosted by...

And just in the nick of time, here are our predictions in every category at this year’s Oscars. From Best Picture (will it be CODA or The Power of the Dog ?) to Best Animated Short (hint, we don’t have a strong take), we predict who will win—and make an argument for who should win. — Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar , The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy...

To paraphrase Oh Dae-su, just because we don't like 83 , does that make us bad people? Now that the sports drama is out on streaming platforms, we take the opportunity to discuss Kabir Khan’s swing-and-miss. We also talk about the caricaturish performances of the Ranveer Singh-led cast, and how the movie fails to bring any nuance to its inspirational true story. — Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan N...

Can Eternally Confused and Eager for Love —the new Netflix sitcom co-produced by siblings Zoya and Farhan Akhtar—stand out amid bigger (and much worse) shows on the same platform? We discuss the eight-episode series’ lighthearted take on millennial culture, the scene-stealing voice-only performance of Jim Sarbh, and how it can be improved in future seasons. — Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar...

The Adam Project might be a slight improvement over Ryan Reynolds’ two previous attempts at starting a Netflix franchise— 6 Underground and Red Notice —but it’s still a Ryan Reynolds movie, for better or worse. We discuss the Deadpool star’s dedication to playing himself in every movie that he does, the admittedly well-done action, and how the movie wastes all its female characters. We also t...

The Batman —director Matt Reeves’ three-hour detective noir, starring Robert Pattinson as the iconic superhero—couldn’t nail the landing. We discuss the film’s dense plot, its dour tone, and its similarities to Christopher Nolan’s masterful epic The Dark Knight . And then, we lament about the third act, the ill-conceived romantic angle, and the non-ending that doesn’t adhere to the movie’s in...

Just when we thought that Netflix and Dharma had made something that was merely mediocre and not downright terrible, The Fame Game , in its final episode, burst our bubble. We discuss the new mystery series’ inept plotting, lack of insight into the film industry and the cult of stardom, and its problematic tendency to look down on the audience. We also wonder if it was a wise move for Madhuri Dixi...

We aren’t allowed to talk about all nine episodes of Severance —the new mystery box Apple TV+ show largely directed by Ben Stiller—but even if we were, we would show the same restraint. We discuss the show’s social commentary and the many interpretations you could have of it. Is it, for instance, a takedown of religion or corporate culture? A representation of heaven and hell, or a Matrix-style he...

Just because they sold Gehraiyaan as an intense romantic drama doesn’t mean it actually is one. We discuss the completely bonkers final act twist in director Shakun Batra’s new film—out on Amazon Prime Video—and how it derails a perfectly fine story about millennial love. We also delve into the performances of its three central stars—Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday—as well...

The mere whiff of the words ‘Hotstar Specials’ is enough to make us wish for the sweet release of death. This week, we rant about The Great Indian Murder —the new “murder mystery” starring Richa Chadha and Pratik Gandhi—and wonder what sort of moral bankruptcy enabled the creation of a disaster of such magnitude. We discuss Tigmanshu Dhulia’s amateurish filmmaking, the strange structure of the plo...

Is Rocket Boys another win for SonyLIV—over a year since the release of Scam 1992 —or is it too ambitious for its own good? We discuss the show’s narrative scope, its progressive politics, and Jim Sarbh’s magnetic performance as Homi Bhabha. We also debate whether Ishwak Singh could have been better as his foil Vikram Sarabhai, and if creator Nikkhil Advani deserves to be appreciated for chan...

Kapil Sharma’s debut stand-up special for Netflix— I’m Not Done Yet —makes an incredibly strong case for why he should be. We discuss the strange thought process that must have gone into putting something like this together, the safe material that Sharma (poorly) performs, and why this barely qualifies as a stand-up special at all. — Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar , The Long Take is fully...

Will Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth —available on Apple TV+—appeal to anyone but die-hard Shakespeare nuts? We discuss what could have possibly motivated Coen to tackle the material at this point in his career, and the pointed visual aesthetic that evokes a very particular period in cinema history. Along the way, we talk about the performances of Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, and th...

Is HBO Max’s Harry Potter reunion special a blatant cash grab or the jolt of nostalgia our pandemic-infected souls need? We take the opportunity to look back—like Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and the rest of the cast—on our memories of the Harry Potter movies and how they’ve evolved over the years. We also talk about the impact directors Alfonso Cuarón and David Yates, in particular...

To close out the year, we list down our top 10 films of 2021—counting down from 10 to 1. Our lists span from a Zoom movie to a stellar Malayalam New Wave title, and from a harrowing animated documentary to an impossible-to-describe fantasy epic. Along the way, we also point out why lists such as this are so arbitrary, and how long we should ideally wait before discussing the best films of 2021. An...

Is Minnal Murali —the new Malayalam superhero movie on Netflix—a goofy sendup of the genre or an earnest attempt at creating a bold new homegrown franchise? We discuss the film’s bloated length, its dedication to fleshing out both the protagonist and antagonist, and the various subtexts buried underneath its low-key charm. We also talk about its failures (a lot of fat could be trimmed), its future...

We’re divided on Decoupled , the new Netflix sitcom starring R Madhavan and Surveen Chawla. We discuss the show’s problematic protagonist, debate whether the humour is tone-deaf or satirical, and wonder how involved director Hardik Mehta was, considering the strong stamp of authorship that creator Manu Joseph has left all over the place. We also highlight some notable scenes, and draw compari...

Aranyak —the new Raveena Tandon-starrer on Netflix—is so uniformly poor that it has exactly one scene that stands out as being competently made. Otherwise, it never knows what it should be. We discuss how everything—from Vinay Waikul’s direction to Charudutt Acharya’s writing, and from the accents and forced goofiness to Tandon’s central performance as a small-town cop—is so utterly misguided. We...

The deeply-confusing Bob Biswas —the Kahaani spin-off on ZEE5—continues Abhishek Bachchan’s downward career trajectory. We discuss the film’s convoluted plot, the nods to John Wick and Jason Bourne , and stylistic departure from Sujoy Ghosh’s original. — Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar , The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work. The Long Take is av...

The Beatles: Get Back —a three-part Disney+ documentary series—is a Shoah -like exercise in self-indulgence from director Peter Jackson, a man who has never seen a piece of footage that he hasn’t wanted to make longer. We discuss the epic’s aimless structure and its demanding eight-hour run-time, but also the moments of musical magic in it, and Jackson’s fascination with restoring old footage. — H...