IVM Pop

IVM Pop is where the IVM gang gets together to discuss, dissect and occasionally fight over everything pop culture—Bollywood, Hollywood, TV, streaming, reality shows, superheroes, music, books, trailers and yes, even Reels. Nothing is safe. Catch shows like Cine5 with Karan and Shreemi, Pehla Pehla with Gopal Datt, and plenty more coming your way. So hit subscribe, join the chaos, and let us...

In the final episode of the season, we end it with a bang - standup comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi joins Gopal Datt to talk about his Pehla Pehlas! A man that looks at every hurdle and shrugs his shoulders and moves on - Bassis career is a very special one. Normal setbacks can be outlined with a heartfelt story or an inspirational quote but with Bassi, he looks at it through the eye of comedy, and n...

In this candid and heartwarming episode of Pehla Pehla , host Gopal Datt welcomes his close friend, acclaimed actor and writer Sharib Hashmi, for a nostalgic trip tracing the roots of his remarkable Bollywood journey. Sharib opens up about his humble beginnings growing up in Malad, Malvani, sharing laugh-out-loud childhood memories ranging from dramatic ploys to skip school to earning his very fir...

What happens when a serious film critic is asked to defend the movies he loves for all the “wrong” reasons? Rahul Desai joins Karan Mirchandani and Shreemi Verma on Cine5 to rank their top five guilty-pleasure Hindi films, although none of them feels particularly guilty. The conversation travels from Hrithik Roshan’s face vibrations in Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage and the fake Und...

One of the most broad spanning careers in the digital and theatrical space, Prajakta Koli has many firsts that are the first of that genre. She was in Youtube as a content creator before the influx of influencers, she was acting before content creators were being cast as actors and now ahs written a book of her own. This is a career of Pehla Pehlas that we are able to see in this conversation with...

Ali Fazal has had a unique career that honestly is hard to quantify in just a headline. He has played several iconic roles in Indian cinema, whether its Joy Lobo in 3 idiots, Zafar in Fukrey or now, Guddu Bhaiya in Mirzapur. But that doesn’t capture the expanse of his career. His work abroad, whether its playing Abdul opposite Dame Judi Dench in Victoria and Abdul or being in Fast and Furiou...

What makes a truly great movie twist? In this episode, the hosts rank their favourite plot twists from Bollywood and Hindi cinema, including  Jewel Thief , Don , Table No. 21 , Madhumati , Being Cyrus , Talaash , Gupt and Khakee . They debate classics versus modern thrillers, revisit unforgettable reveals, discuss why some movies demand an immediate rewatch and celebrate Hindi cinema’s...

In a truly unique career - Jitendra Kumar started off realizing he’s a performer in IIT of all places. In the pressure cooker environment, Jtiendra outlines how he’s quest to learn English led him to Al Pacino and the world of acting. Gopal Datt and Jitendra talk about the highs and lows of that competitive environment, how struggling there helped him find TVF and he outlines those ear...

Gajraj Rao ki journey sirf acting tak limited nahi hai. Delhi ke railway quarters se theatre, Bandit Queen , advertising films, TVF aur finally mainstream cinema tak, har mod par ek naya “pehla” unka intezaar kar raha tha. Iss episode mein Gajraj Rao aur Gopal Datt baat karte hain unki bachpan ki cinema memories, pehle bade theatre role, candlelight mein perform kiye gaye play, Mumbai...

What does it mean for a movie to be truly ahead of its time? Karan and Shreemi dig through Hindi cinema history to pick films whose ideas, themes or formats feel even more relevant today than when they first appeared. Their selections include Samay: When Time Strikes, Fan, Khamosh, No Smoking, Julie, Darna Mana Hai, Lajja, Gangaajal, Ajnabee and Maachis . The conversation moves from parasocial fan...

Munawar Faruqui aur Gopal Datt ek saath baithe hain, toh conversation serious interview se zyada do artists ki mast baithak ban jaati hai. Iss Pehla Pehla ke episode mein Munawar le jaate hain humein Junagadh ki childhood memories se lekar Mumbai ke pehle trips, Habitat ke disastrous first open mic aur uss third performance tak jahan unhe laga, haan, main funny hoon. Phir baat pahunchti hai s...

Fresh off The Traitors Season 2, Kullu takes us back to where it all began from Bhopal. From growing up surrounded by comedy and literature to becoming a sharp film commentator, content creator, and successful stand-up comedian, he reflects on the influences that shaped his journey and helped him carve out a unique space in entertainment. In this episode Kullu talks about his childhood, his brush...

Actor and writer Gopal Datt joins Cine5 for a celebration of memorable firsts. The conversation begins with Gopal’s own new beginning hosting his first-ever podcast, Pehla Pehla With Gopal Datt before turning into a freewheeling countdown of unforgettable acting debuts and Bollywood launches. The gang revisits the frenzy around Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Amjad Khan’s Gabb...

Ahsaas’ journey in the industry is a singular one. Her firsts, her Pehlas are often people’s lives after 30 years of experience. From acting as a boy for years in films, to making the adjustment to the changing landscape with TVF and becoming one of its consistent leads - her journey is one that needs to be told  Through this podcast Gopal and Ahsaas tread through her incredible u...

Zakir Khan’s story is one that we all know - from Indore to Madison Square Garden, it’s an aspirational journey that many look up to. But with Pehla Pehla we dive deeper into things that lie underneath the achievements - a myriad of firsts that go beyond that  In this episode Zakir talks about his connection to his childhood home, his relationship with music and what it was like g...

Were Bollywood’s villains actually wrong or were we simply watching the story from the hero’s perspective? In Episode 14 of Cine5 , Karan Mirchandani and Shreemi Verma defend some of Hindi cinema’s most misunderstood characters. They revisit Fida , Kaun? , Baghban , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara , Hera Pheri , Yaadein , 8 x 10 Tasveer , Biwi No. 1 and Jaani Dushman to ask who the real...

Some Bollywood classics are sacred. This episode is not. Karan Mirchandani & Shreemi Verma put nostalgia on trial and ask the question nobody wants in the family group chat: are these movies genuinely timeless or have TV reruns, memes and childhood memories done the heavy lifting? From Three Idiots, Welcome and Andaz Apna Apna to 12th Fail, Sanju, Bajirao Mastani, Maine Pyar Kiya, Trishul and...

Some Bollywood movies deserved to flop. Their albums absolutely didn't. In this episode of Cine5 , we count down our Top 5 Bad Bollywood Movies with Great Albums —films that may have disappointed at the box office but gifted us unforgettable music. From Salaam-e-Ishq , Jhoom Barabar Jhoom , Kabir Singh , Tashan , Neal 'n' Nikki , Kismat Konnection , Fitoor , Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi , and plen...

For the first time ever on Cine5, Karan Mirchandani and Shreemi Verma are joined by guests — and somehow the episode becomes even less controlled. Joining them are Shantanu Anam and Akanksha Pandey, hosts of Popcorn Hour, for a gloriously unhinged conversation about Bollywood's greatest side characters. But very quickly, the discussion spirals into everything from Dil Chahta Hai's Subodh and...

Some Bollywood love stories are iconic. Some are romantic. And some should have ended after the interval. In this episode of Cine5, Karan Mir and Shreemi Verma commit the ultimate Bollywood crime: questioning beloved movie couples and asking a very simple question - "Why are these two even together?" From dream romances and fan-favourite pairings to relationships that somehow survived despite ever...

Is nepotism actually good for Bollywood? 👀 In this hilarious and chaotic episode of Cine5, Karan Mirchandani and Shreemi Verma debates their favorite Bollywood nepo kids, from Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Tabu, Govinda and Saif Ali Khan. The conversation goes further into iconic performances, underrated filmographies, Bollywood stardom, c...

What makes Shah Rukh Khan such a legendary performer? In this episode, Karan and Shi dive into their personal picks for SRK’s greatest performances and things get emotional, chaotic, and deeply parasocial very quickly. From Chak De! India and Swades to Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa , Fan , Darr , Kal Ho Naa Ho , and DDLJ , this episode explores the many versions of Shah Rukh Khan: the romantic icon,...

Some movies… you just don’t admit you love. But we’re saying it out loud anyway  In this episode of Cine5, Karan Mirchandani & Shreemi Verma dive into their ultimate  “hear me out” movies, the ones that weren’t universally loved, but they will defend with their lives. From chaotic thrillers to comfort watches we’ve seen WAY too many times, t...

Loved Dhurandhar? Here are the Bollywood films that hit even harder. On Episode 6 of Cine5, Karan Mirchandani and Shreemi Verma count down their Top 5 Bollywood films that make them feel proud to be Indian and no, the Sohail Khan movie didn't make either list. From understated spy thrillers to cricket epics and freedom fighter biopics, the two dig into what national pride really means on screen an...

What are the greatest Amitabh Bachchan performances ever? In this episode of Cine5 , we attempt the impossible - ranking our  Top 5 Amitabh Bachchan performances across his legendary career. From the Angry Young Man era to his incredible later roles, we dive into the performances that defined Bollywood. We discuss iconic roles from films like Deewar, Sholay, Agneepath, Piku, Sarkar, Zanjeer,...