161: Anil Kapoor's 2000s: Bulandi, Calcutta Mail, and Welcome

We watched the latest Vikramaditya Motwane project, Netflix's 2025 hit Black Warrant. We really liked it, which is not a huge surprise. Show notes:  We picked this show on our last Pilot Season episode. Our episode on Motwane's previous show, Jubilee: Bombay's Dream Factory, Jubilee Our episode on three of Motwane's movies: Breaking Free: Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan, Lootera, and Trapped James Ellroy Our episode featuring Main Aur Charles and discussing Charles Sobhraj: Rolling In The Randeep (Hooda), with Shah Shahid NEXT TIME: Movies about getting married, with Rashmeet Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

We continue our longest running series in which we explore Amitabh Bachchan's career year by year, this time we are in the late 2000s.  Show notes: Our Bachchan series playlist We are jumping ahead a bit, because we felt like it 2000 to 2006 Bachchan highlights Amitabh Bachchan's elderly statesman reinvention Cheeni Kum Thoughts on R. Balki's filmography A "Super R"? (INTERVAL "Mere Buddy" from Bhootnath) Bhoothnath Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost" Casper or Beetlejuice? Bollywood family/children's films Paa Progeria and comparisons to Jack More stylistic direction Bachchan and ageing NEXT TIME: Black Warrant Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

There hasn't been much drawing us out to the theatre these days, so we asked ourselves, is there anything to watch at home? That's right lovers, it's time for another pilot season where we watch the pilot of six shows and choose which one we are going to watch, and review, a whole season of! Show notes: Black Warrant Ziddi Girls Dabba Cartel Dupahiya Kauf The Royals NEXT TIME: Mid-2000s Bachchan Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

In this supplemental we travel to Japan to see Om Shanti Om, Takarazuka style.  Show notes: Takarazuka Revue Om Shanti Om: Endless Cycle of Love NEXT TIME: Pilot Season 3 Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

March may be over, but we are still mad, mad for Madhubala! Show notes:  Thanks to tommydan Noir '58: Howrah Bridge and 12 O'Clock The Great Epic: Mughal-e-Azam Bollywood Drafts A brief aside on Mahal Tragically struck down too soon INTERVAL ("Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata" from Mr. & Mrs. '55) Mr. & Mrs. '55 The Orson Welles of India/The Guru Dutt of Hollywood Limitations of the of the auteur theory Our limited of our knowledge of the Hindu code bills Cleo, don’t get on that plane Romantic comedy tropes General Jinjur and feminist parody Matt mansplains feminism Barsaat Ki Raat Roshan songs NEXT TIME: Takarazuka Om Shanti Om Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

Have we finally been cured of our madness? Find out in our last Madhuri Madness, at least for now.  Show notes:  Madhuri Madness 2000s Madhuri Devdas vs. Dev.D with Paul Matwychuk Ladies Be Angry: Gulaab Gang, Akira, & Mom Aaja Nachle Steve Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo Comparison with Dil Toh Pagal Hai Creative ego vs community cohesion INTERVAL ("Aaja Nachle" from Aaja Nachle) Maja Ma What is Rajit Kapoor's accent?  More polygraph tests in this movie than anticipated The boner subplot Comparisons to The Birdcage and Beginners What’s a sister-in-law? Dixit is picking progressive projects, with varying degrees of success The survivorship bias plane and left-handed-ness NEXT TIME: Madhubala Madness 2025 Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

We watched the latest in the ongoing series of Bollywood family-based puff pieces, Netflix's The Roshans, as well as the debut film of Hrithik Roshan, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Show notes:  Thank you Señorita for the review! Previously on Bollywood Family History Story Time: our episodes on The Romantics, and Angry Young Men Three generations, four guys: Roshan, Rajesh Roshan, Rakesh Roshan, and Hrithik Roshan As non-Hindi speakers who didn't grow up with these songs, it can be a little tough for us to understand the significance of music, especially outside of the movies Pop vs. classical music People they should have interviewed: Rekha, Salman Khan, Jadoo Plagiarism allegations for Rajesh Extortion in late '90s-early 2000s Hindi film Our episode on Koi... Mil Gaya: Dancing on Hoodoos: Bollywood in Alberta Our episode on the Krrish films: A Little Bit of That Jadoo Magic: Krrish with Brandon Schatz Why didn't they talk about Kites (apart from the obvious reasons) INTERVAL: ("Ek Pal Ka Jeena", from Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai) Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai Being replaced by a better, richer version of yourself, this is basically The Substance The double role gimmick works better when there's reincarnation or direct family ties We want more Ameesha Patel movie recs NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness 2025 Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

We return to our Anil Kapoor decades series with three films from the 2000s: a double role, an action mystery, and an ensemble comedy.  Show notes: Anil Kapoor's 80s and 90s Moving from lead actor to ensemble films Aesthetic shifts in 2000s Bollywood Reflecting on Slumdog Millionaire and its impact Bulandi Remake of Nattamai "Gourd scene" Songs: "Saari Duniya Mein," "Teri Meri Ik Jind," and "Ab Bujho Ri Bujho" We don't know Raveena Tandon INTERVAL ("Teri Akhiyon Main" from Bulandi) Calcutta Mail It's a remake of Choodalani Vundi, Erin apologizes for completely butchering that title Hong Kong vibes The "dead wife" home movie Song: "Kahan Pe Meri Jaan Jaogi" Welcome Inspired by Mickey Blue Eyes Will we watch Welcome to the Jungle? Songs: "Honth Rasiley" and "Welcome" We forgot Irrfan was in Slumdog Millionaire, as we noted we haven't seen it since it came out NEXT TIME: The Roshans Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

2024 has come and gone, and before we start to get excited about what movies the new year will bring us, we must first look back at the highs and the lows of Bollywood’s past six months. Show notes: Munjya Bad Newz Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba Khel Khel Mein Stree 2 The Buckingham Murders INTERVAL ("B(h)adass" from CTRL) CTRL Jigra Do Patti Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Singham Again Baby John NEXT TIME: Anil Kapoor's 2000s Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

Hindi Horror Halloween turns 10! And for this landmark entry in our longest running series, we're going back to the beginning and giving horror auteur Ram Gopal Varma another chance... to scare us! Show notes: This our tenth Hindi Horror Halloween! We still know nothing about Ram Gopal Varma Bollywood Drafts Erin thinks Matt just remembers that David Cronenberg made a film with Marilyn Chambers Raat Sam Raimi's shaky cam How this movie redefined Bollywood horror INTERVAL ("Barbie Girl" from Kaun?) Kaun? The horror of being home alone Manoj Bajpayee just wants a sandwich and to watch TV Ittefaq and Signpost to Murder NEXT TIME: We are taking a break, see you in December! Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!