Bollywood Weekly

Why Stree is a triumph of matching good, progressive content with wholesome entertainment - powered by brilliant dialogues and the enduring class of Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi and Aparshakti Khurana. We also discuss why Andha Dhun is the best trailer of the last decade, and the Sidharth Malhotra mystery (i.e. where is his acting?)

Gold is a simplistic movie of cliches - but it's a good watch. Strong performances and a beautifully nuanced treatment of India-Pakistan relations do enough to cover up the flaws and cringe-worthy moments that occasionally find their way into the script.

Was there really any point in re-making Sairat? Dhadak adds a whole lot of glamour, but completely sucks out all the emotion of the original Sairat. On this episode, BW host Aditya is joined by podcast debutant Ishana Rai Setha to dissect all the numerous failings of Dhadak and where it falls short of its predecessor.

Is 'Sanju' simply the untold, inside story of a complicated life of regret and bad choices? Or is it a problematic and dangerous whitewashing of an irresponsible person turned into a hero? On this week's podcast, we go in-depth into addressing this polarising biopic of Sanjay Dutt's life. Oh, and we also discuss EIGHT trailers of upcoming films so fasten your seltbelts...mausam bigadne wala hai!

On this week's episode: 1. Why Lust Stories - despite it's clickbait title - is more just about human relationships, love and affection. Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar shine, but Anurag Kashyap disappoints.  2. A brief overview (read: unpopular opinion)of Race 3: the plot twists alone make it a worthy successor to the previous films. Shame about the casting though... 3. We get excited for Sacred Games, India's first Netflix Original series which is already getting rave reviews.

Why Kaala is a must-watch - in any language - and how Pa. Ranjith successfully manages to make 2 films co-exist in one: a typical Rajnikanth potboiler alongside gripping political commentary. Also, we discuss the reaction to the trailer of 'Dhadak' and why people are just so outraged about it.

DISCLAIMER: This episode contains SPOILERS! But it's still worth listening to because if you haven't seen these films yet, you aren't going to watch them. Part 0 (0:00) - Welcome to Season 2! Part 1 (3:10) - Why Veere di Wedding is a terrible film, despite all the plaudits and success it's been receiving. While its unabashedly female-first approach to storytelling is great, it is let down by the lack of any actual story to tell and sub-par acting performances. Part 2 (18:09) - Bhavesh Joshi had all the makings of being a good film and a true DC Comics-style 'origin story', but eventually fell short. We also discuss what makes a superhero, and the importance of editing in a film. Part 3 (37:12) Trailer round-up featuring Sanju, Race 3 and 5 Weddings in India. Plus, we discuss who benefits the most from Race 3 - spolier alert: it's not the audience.

Nearly 1 month ago, our host Aditya sat down with regular panelist Satyen to discuss the joys of Padman (minus Sonam Kapoor), the frustratingly nonsensical Padmaavat, and the mildly amusing inconsistencies of Tiger Zinda Hai - which is more than what can be said of this episode.

Ashwin Chhabria drops by for a wide-ranging chat featuring: Why the simplicity of Tumhari Sulu, and Vidya Balan's sheer force of will, powers this film through despite some questionable narrative choices. The farce that Indian award shows are, particularly illustrated by the Zee Cine Awards who awarded the Best Film and Best Cinematography awards to....Golmaal Again. Why everyone has stopped talking about the Padmavati controversy, and why its a sorry state of affairs Trailer round-up featuring Thackeray, Aiyaari, Hichki and Padman - and we're excited for them all. #Bollywood #TumhariSulu #VidyaBalan #BollywoodWeekly #Padmavati #Padmavat #GolmaalAgain #Comedy #Entertainment #Film #Movies #MovieReview #FilmReview #AkshayKumar #Padman #SonamKapoor #SidharthMalhotra #NeerajPandey #ManojBajpai #NawazuddinSiddiqui #RajkummarRao #Aiyaari #Hichki #RaniMukherji

Bollywood Weekly is back from hiatus, and we have an action-packed episode. 1) Why Ittefaq is a solid detective story, held aloft by Akshaye Khanna but let down by the mediocrity of those surrounding him. 2) A wide-ranging discussions on our favourite detective stories, Indian whodunnit films, and Kolkata's contribution to the genre 3) Is 36 China Town actually a good film or not? 3) Monsoon Shootout trailer, Goosebumps and interactive storytelling 4) Kaalakandi trailer, and the image of Bollywood stars 5) Tiger Zinda Hai trailer, and the voice of a director (or lack thereof) With various other random things interspersed! Follow us: Twitter: www.twitter.com/productions_tic Facebook: www.facebook.com/ticmediaproductions #ittefaq #AkshayeKhanna #SRK #ShahRukhKhan #RedChillies #SidharthMalhotra #SonakshiSinha #Bollywood #BollywoodWeekly #podcast #entertainment #digital #crime #thriller #whodunnit #SatyajitRay #Feluda #AgathaChristie #Kaun #36ChinaTown #TigerZindaHai #SalmanKhan #KabirKhan #SaifAliKhan #Katr

Why Secret Superstar may just be the best film of 2017 as Zaira Wasim's powerhouse performance is ably supported by Aamir Khan and the rest. A round-up of this year's MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, with special focus on Shlok Sharma's 'Zoo' - shot entirely on an iPhone. Golmaal Again is the highest grosser of the year so far, proving that there are deeply ingrained issues in society for a film like this to be considered most people's idea of 'family entertainment'. Trailer round-up, featuring the exciting Ittefaq, the enigmatic Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, the confusing 'Tumhari Sulu' and the downright weird 'Qarib Qarib Singlle'. #Bollywood #Podcast #Movies #Entertainment #FilmReview #MovieReview #BollywoodWeekly #SecretSuperstar #AamirKhan #ZairaWasim #MeherVij #GolmaalAgain #ParineetiChopra #AjayDevgn #MAMI #Zoo #ShlokSharma #TumhariSulu #VidyaBalan #AkshayeKhanna #ittefaq #SidharthMalhotra #Sonakshi Sinha

On a special edition of Bollywood Weekly, we catch up with Anupama Chopra - renowned film critic and festival director at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival - as she gets candid about her journey with MAMI, why festivals are important for independent filmmakers and how MAMI aims to provide something for everyone to enjoy. In addition, Anupama also tells us her favourite films and biggest disappointments from what has been an overall fairly dull 2017 in Bollywood. #Bollywood #Podcast #Movies #Film #JioMAMIWithStar2017 #MovieReview #filmreview #indie #IndieFilm #Cinema #filmfestival #newton #RajkummarRao #AnuragKashyap #Mukkabaaz #LUMB #ADeathInTheGunj #AnupamaChopra #JabHarryMetSejal #SRK #ImtiazAli

Why Newton is a fiercely patriotic film that should be made tax-free. We discuss a wide-ranging array of topics from Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi's perfect portrayals, the hidden meanings and symbolism behind different scenes, and why Newton stands out from other so-called 'indie films'. #Newton #RajkummarRao #PankajTripathi #Bollywood #Film #Cinema #Oscars #Movies #MovieReview #India #Democracy #Politics #Entertainment #judwaa2 #GolmaalAgain #Chef #SaifAliKhan #AjayDevgn #ParineetiChopra #VarunDhawan #TumhariSulu #VidyaBalan

An inconsistent, but ultimately enjoyable affair, 'Shubh Mangal Savdhan' will definitely get you up and running. Underpinned by fantastic performances from Ayushmann, Bhumi Pednekar and the entire supporting cast, who carry the film despite a limp second half. We also look ahead to the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, to be held from October 6-14. In this week's show, we discuss Anurag Kashyap's comments regarding the dichotomy between commercial and indie cinema and how festivals like MAMI help films reach a wider audience. #Bollywood #BollywoodWeekly #Podcast #Movies #Film #MovieReview #FilmReview #AyushmannKhurrana #BhumiPednekar #SeemaPahwa #BrijendraKala #Eros #ErosNow #Newton #RajkummarRao #BareillyKiBarfi #JioMAMIWithStar2017 #AnuragKashyap #Netflix #indie #FilmFestival

Why Lipstick Under My Burkha, despite its numerous flaws, had enough going for it to be a significant film. This is the first in a new Bollywood Weekly episode format - where we provide a catch-up episode of a movie that released in the last few months that we were not able to cover on the podcast. Let us know what you think! #Podcast #Bollywood #BollywoodWeekly #Film #Movies #MovieReview #FilmReview #LUMB #LipstickUnderMyBurkha #KonkonaSenSharma #RatnaPathakShah #AahanaKumra #VikrantMassey #ShashankArora #Balaji #EktaaKapoor #AlankritaShrivastava

The pod is back, and this week we celebrate the sweetness and simplicity of Bareilly ki Barfi, held aloft by acting masterclasses from Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi. We also discuss that pair's upcoming film Newton, and why it is important that we take the time to go watch it. That's part of our trailer round-up, which also features Judwaa 2 -and the astonishing lack of effort on David Dhawan's part - and Chef, as we discuss whether Saif can actually act or not. #Bollywood #BollywoodWeekly #Movies #Film #Entertainment #Comedy #FilmReview #MovieReview #BareillyKiBarfi #KritiSanon #AyushmannKhurana #RajkummarRao #PankajTripathi #SeemaPahwa #Chef #SaifAliKhan #Newton #Judwaa2 #OonchHaiBuilding #ChaltiHaiKya9Se12 #VarunDhawan #DavidDhawan #Jacqueline #Taapsee

1) Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is problematic in so many ways, most significantly reinforcing stalking and male privilege in a film about empowering women and giving them basic rights. 2) Despite this, the main crux of the movie - toilets and lack thereof - is addressed and delivered effectively. Bhumi Pednekar overshadows Akshay but is given limited opportunity to so in the second half because...Bollywood. 3) We look ahead to (in order of excitement and in reverse order of likely box office success) Newton, Fukrey 2, and Simran 4) Our guest Ashwin gives us a quick down-low on Lipstick Under My Burkha and why it was so effective. #Bollywood #BollywoodWeekly #Movies #Film #Entertainment #MovieReview #FilmReview #AkshayKumar #BhumiPednekar #Toilet #AnupamKher #Newton #RajkummarRao #BareillyKiBarfi #AyushmannKhurana #KritiSanon #Simran #KanganaRanaut #HansalMehta #Fukrey2

Why Harry Met Sejal...is not a question we have an answer to - and to be honest we wish they didn't. For the first time, Imtiaz Ali has let us down. In the absence of any plot line, SRK and Anushka are forced to recycle previous roles and the result can only be described as a strange, mediocre film. Plus, trailer round-up featuring Bareilly ki Barfi, Shubh Mangal Savdhan, Lucknow Central, Secret Superstar and more! #Bollywood #Podcast #BollywoodWeekly #Entertainment #Comedy #Movies #Film #Review #JabHarryMetSejal #SRK #ShahRukh #ShahRukhKhan #ImtiazAli #AnushkaSharma #AyushmannKhurana #BhumiPednekar #AamirKhan

Why Jagga Jasoos should be applauded for its vision and technical brilliance, despite faltering and losing its way in the 2nd half. In defence of Katrina Kaif, who - accent apart - delivers a career-best turn across the always brilliant Ranbir An in-depth look at Anurag Basu's many sources of inspiration, from TinTin to Jean-Pierre Melville, courtesy this piece from Bharat Misra https://kahaanikisse.blogspot.in/2017/07/jagga-jasoos-references.html A brief summary of IIFA, as we examine why TV has ruined the sanctity and credibility of Indian awards shows. Other random chatter including why YRF should never make films, Ranveer Singh at the UEFA Champions League final and the merits of Mandira Bedi and Ajay Jadeja's cricket commentary. #JaggaJasoos #RanbirKapoor #KatrinaKaif #SaswataChatterjee #Bollywood #BollywoodWeekly #Comedy #Entertainment #IIFA #Dangal #AamirKhan #AadarJain #YRF #YashRajFilms #KaranJohar #Nepotism #RanveerSingh #SaurabhShukla

1) Why Tubelight, contrary to critics and popular opinion, is actually a well-made film - let down solely by the insufferable presence of Salman Khan 2) In praise of Kabir Khan, who always tries to portray important messages of faith even in commercial masala entertainers 3) Why Indian movie-goers are hypocrites, and what constitutes a mainstream film 4) We reflect on the trailer of Jagga Jasoos, and an uncanny 'similarity' to TinTin comics #Tubelight #SalmanKhan #SohailKhan #KabirKhan