While discussing Empuraan:
Abhinandan: Why is it called L:2 Empuraan?
Manisha: The second!
Jayashree: Yes, so the first one was Lucifer. But this L is a thing. Something would be happening casually in the movie and a rock will fall in the shape of an L. Or Mohanlal will be walking past a tree which will catch fire in the shape of an L.
Abhinandan and Rajyasree: Why?
Jayashree: Because he is L for Lucifer, guys.
Rajyasree: (cracks up) I’m not going to watch this one.
This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri, Rajyasree Sen, Jayashree Arunachalam and Manisha Pande discuss the TV series The White Lotus and The Studio, the movie L:2 Empuraan, and their favourite Val Kilmer roles.
Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.
Timecodes
00:00 - Introduction
02:21 - The White Lotus
19:42 - Letters
26:50 - Empuraan
36:12 - Letters
40:00 - Favourite Val Kilmer roles
47:30 - Letters
52:45 - The Studio
References & Recommendations
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Produced by Priyali Dhingra, edited by Umrav Singh.
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Manisha: [00:00:00] This is a News Laundry podcast, and you're listening to Awful and Awesome.
Rajyasree: Hello, hello. This is the OR and awesome Entertainment wrap, episode 3 84. This is Rajen. This ab,
Manisha: this is Manisha Pan. This is.
Abhinandan: And we have three shows we will review for you today with three lovely ladies and one not so lovely man who has been accused of
Manisha: leader
Abhinandan: of, uh, being patriarchal, et cetera. So I shall demonstrate.
That's how I can not be,
Manisha: don't be a victim who's calling.
Rajyasree: There are so many things you've been told in your life. Have you paid attention to all of them?
Abhinandan: Of course I have. Then
Rajyasree: you'd be a shattered human being or you'd be a serial killer because you'd be so angry,
Abhinandan: dude.
Rajyasree: Just so you don't have to pay attention. So on
Abhinandan: that happy note, we have the white Lotus, [00:01:00] the studio L two Emran, uh, that we'll be reviewing.
By we, I mean. The ladies, 'cause I have not watched any of these things. Uh, and Val Kilmer died. And we shall all tell you our favorite role of Val Kilmer. Yes. Have who was a truly gifted actor. One. And we have 10 emails Rahi sent. Hmm. With some recommendations, uh, which we should actually watch. A lot of recommendations.
Rajyasree: Let's not promise things that we will not do. So should we start with, uh, uh, one of your announcements that might be nice also.
Abhinandan: So we can start with the new project, which is the impunity of India's police. We have crossed the 50% mark, the halfway mark. Thank you so much. Those of you who contributed here is a QR code, please contribute to this fund.
We will have at least five journalists between News Minute and News Laundry, and at least five producers who will cover at least five states. Although I do believe we'll get more than that. The. [00:02:00] Research and pre-production has already started. It's a very important story to cover and it is very unlikely journalism that is funded by government ads, which is state government ads or central government ads, would do an investigation of this sort.
Because it takes time, it's high risk, and if your money is coming from those who you're supposed to investigate is unlikely to do a good job, which is why our journalism is funded by you, the people. So do contribute. This is the QR code. The link is also in the show notes. Thank you. Now ladies, what do you wanna start with?
Manisha: White Lotus, I guess because all of us have seen it. I'm so sad. Yes. She has not seen the final episode. Now be spoilers. Yeah, she
Jayashree: won. Me and I, I faithfully avoided spoilers for the last two days and now it all comes to end. But with the
Manisha: internet, it's become so difficult to avoid spoilers because it's all over the place.
Or your Twitter on Instagram, everyone's posting, but
Rajyasree: people didn't say who died.
Manisha: People said who died? People that they posted pictures of people
Jayashree: who have died. So I don't know one [00:03:00] person who died. I don't know the others. But
Abhinandan: if you plan to come on Orphan or with Ri and, uh, assume you wouldn't get a spoiler, then I don't know which world you're in.
Rajyasree: God knows. But who did you, who do you think has died? You can take a guess. Take a guess. Who's the one whose picture you saw? It might be incorrect, Rick. Rick is who Walter is. Walter what body? Yes. Walter Gogan. Yes, you're right. He's dead. Okay. He's dead. I'll saying He was my favorite character. My goodness.
Spoil lot
Abhinandan: after the spoiler has been given.
Rajyasree: No. No. So just so show only for the faithfuls. This is only for people. Don't care about you. Anyone who watches White Lotus and has not watched the season finale, I am just being clear. Yeshi season finale. On the day that the season finale was shown has set them up for failure and disappointment because everybody else watched it.
It had 30% more viewing than the last season's finale. It's your fault. Yeah, it's your
Abhinandan: fault. No, your fault. Everything's your fault. It's never
Rajyasree: [00:04:00] my fault. Okay. Nan then will tell you that I have
Abhinandan: yes,
Rajyasree: a problem about it never being my fault, but usually it isn't. But in this case, a white closest season three has just finished.
It was set in Thailand. It was, uh, to me, one of the biggest things is that it's a coup by four seasons. Because when Four Seasons signed the contract with white voters, the first season, it was during the pandemic. They had no, they did not see the script or anything. At that point, all hotels were closed.
So Four Seasons was right. You want to take, uh, hotel in, uh, which was the fullest one was in Hawaii. Hawaii, in Hawaii, in Maui for three months. We are very happy if you take it. And, uh, then they realized that the show is about. Rich people who are sleeping with each other, killing each other, like Hoban, one person to will definitely die.
But Four Seasons got such a spike in the amount of people who started booking more people [00:05:00] than usual started booking. They gave them the second season where more people died. And season three, where the most people have died.
Manisha: Yeah, the most died.
Rajyasree: Okay. Tell me how
Jayashree: many people have died. Three is the three.
Okay. See, my other favorite character is Chelsea Dead.
Manisha: Chelsea is with, Chelsea is not dead. The girlfriend, it's a name. Chelsea. Chelsea's a girlfriend, right? The British girlfriend. Yeah. Chelsea. So, so what do
Abhinandan: you think of the show? Let's go one by one. Yeah. So that we can actually get some reviews out of this show.
So who wants to start? Manish, you wanna start?
Manisha: Yeah, I think, uh, so the premise for those of you who don't watch white rotors is like she said, there's a resort, uh, which is the setting, and the every season starts with a dead bodies. The first episode is a dead body, and then the season is you go back and the last episode is the day of the death.
So you're figuring who could have died. However, I think this was one of the, uh, lamest white lotus seasons because along with, it's not a who [00:06:00] done it, it's not supposed to be like that. It's more a commentary on the rich, uh, commentary on woke culture, uh, commentary on sexual behavior, sexual mores. There's always this, uh, one person per.
Season. I think second season didn't have that, but actually even the second season had that. There's always this one figure who's debauched, but who's kind of rehabilitating. So it could be an alcohol addiction, sex addiction, whatever. So there's always this commentary on excess versus, you know, trying to control your urges.
And it has a lot of that. This season, I think they focus too much on the aspect of the death, so it moves very slowly. There's literally nothing happening through the season. There's one Wall Street guy who's. Like every Wall Street guy, he's, there's an FBI inquiry going on. He may lose everything. He may go to jail.
He hasn't told his family. So there's a lot of tension around. And
Abhinandan: he's consuming cocaine, is he?
Manisha: No, he's probably, no, no, no.
Rajyasree: He's having Laura as apa.
Manisha: He's his wife, Laura
Jayashree: as apa. Not even, but [00:07:00] plot
Manisha: is basically, he wants to shoot himself and he wants to shoot his family because he feels that none of them can live without the riches.
And you know that
Jayashree: Duke University got really upset, right? Yeah. Because one entire plot is that he's from Duke. His son also went to Duke. And while he's contemplating suicide, he's wearing a Duke t-shirt. So Duke University put out a statement. I think they spoke to Bloomberg saying that, yeah, we're pretty upset about
Abhinandan: it.
Manisha: And he decides to not kill. Now I'm giving you spoilers, but he decides to not kill one son who says, so he goes around asking that, you know, can you live without the money? And everyone's like, no. I, I, I don't think I have it in me. One son who says. I think I can live without money. He decides not to kill him, but he, so the show is, but I think the focus with the writing of the show, what has happened, they focus too much on the death aspect.
Who those dead bodies belong to that you see in the first episode. Rather than focusing on the social commentary, the rich horses poor, there's always this plot also of a really bratty kind of a person who's come to stay, who wants the room in a certain way, or who's throwing a tantrum [00:08:00] versus the staff, which is of a social, certain social class versus the owners who are of a certain social class.
So the first season was brilliant because it had a lot of layered commentary on society. This one I think just became very flat. There was this, but two exceptional scenes, I think. Mm-hmm. Of writing two monologues, which actually have saved the entire season. One is the monologue and the Asian girls,
Rajyasree: which is Sam Rockwell.
Sam Rockwell. Two,
Manisha: brilliantly delivered monologue. And the second one is on friendship. So there's also a plot of three friends who've come together and like every gang of three girlfriends, they bitch about each other when one of them is away. So there's a lot of tension between, you know, who's a closer friend to who, and a lot of commentary that they, and who likes whom?
Who likes whom. So that resolves very beautiful. But overall, I think the worst written underwhelming White. What do you think?
Abhinandan: Ri Oh, sorry. Ri, there's so many trees.
Rajyasree: Uh, how lucky. So I think people had too many [00:09:00] expectations also. So I, I love the Ratcliffe family. I think they are the, the rich all guy.
They're just so weird and obnoxious in a way. They're so rich in a way, so, and they're hardworking The fathers. She means
Abhinandan: that they're not like what they call old money, which is experie. No, no, no. But
Jayashree: they're, but his dad was some kind of politician. So there is some kind of Yeah,
Rajyasree: there is. They are not like new.
They are the newish. Uh, and the father, uh, went to, um, duke, the son has gone to Duke. The son is Patrick Schwarzenneger. Oh yeah. He is so good. Because you
Abhinandan: reviewed this before when you were talking about the front side of the backside.
Rajyasree: Yeah, yeah. Yes. That was the first episode. Same show? Yeah, same
Abhinandan: show. Oh, he's alive still.
Okay.
Rajyasree: He's alive. He's alive. So hang on. So
Abhinandan: it's the same lot of people who are taking holidays if together? No, no, no.
Rajyasree: One season only. We are still discussing that season only. And this season is the same season. This is season three. We were discussing episode [00:10:00] one
Abhinandan: now. So it's the same people. No.
Jayashree: No, no. It's a different cast of characters different.
It's the same hotel franchise, but in different locations. So season one was the White Lotus in Hawaii, a bunch of rich people staying there. Then in Italy, season two, again, a bunch of different people and there are two or
Rajyasree: three characters who are like. Traveling with them. Traveling who carry on being there.
I see. So there's one running, uh, thread thread, which is there, which is a side thread. That's not the main thread. But, so I thought the Ratcliffe family is, even when she says that, we, the wife says, who's this very well known actress? Parker Posey, uh, she says, uh, you know, we, we might be rich, but we aren't taxi waders.
We aren't those kind of people. And her husband's looking at her because there's an FBI investigation going on over. She's gone. Like he's gonna go to, she said, we aren't crooked conman. We've worked hard. Your father's worked hard and it is our duty. I love that line. She says, it is our duty to spend this [00:11:00] money and live property because we've got otherwise this money
Manisha: insults to the other poor people.
To the other poor people. This is
Abhinandan: like that. During 2008 crisis at Goldman Sachs, CEO said, now that we are doing the God's work,
Jayashree: yeah. So, exactly. So yeah, but see, I, I agree with Raj. I feel like expectations are too high. Like for me it worked the end, the family becausecause are
Manisha: so good like
Jayashree: season one, like these are characters, like the family itself is like a caricature, but it's done very well.
And also like my guilty pleasure is reading books and watching movies and shows about very, very rich people, like obnoxiously rich people behaving badly. That is it. Like that is the perfect. So then did you watch that Housewives
Abhinandan: of Bollywood.
Jayashree: There Your house. Yeah. Yeah. You did watch it. 'cause again, you, it's a peak into the life of the rich and fame.
See, and I like a show where you don't need to sympathize with someone. You don't need to root for any of them because they're all unpleasant and they're all very rich and some are less bad than others. But overall they're all just quite bad. Like you don't really care for them. And since you're not invested in it and since no one really has a moral [00:12:00] compass, it just makes it really entertaining like shenanigans.
Yeah. It's great to watch it and I don't expect, you know, great plotting or whatever. I just want to be entertained and for me this season. But you are still
Abhinandan: satisfied at season three? No complaints. Yeah.
Jayashree: I mean, I haven't watched of finale. Yeah, so, so there is that. I tell you
Rajyasree: the deaths are, I did feel more interesting people could have been killed off.
They chose like very low hanging fruit. Like, and you don't care whether these people have other than Walton Goggin's character. I don't care about the other two who really popped it. Like they don't. Yeah, they didn't. One of the rat. Okay, we'll tell you one. Is his girlfriend. He and the girlfriend die. And who was the third?
Why am I say so uses? I don't even remember the
Manisha: bodyguards. And then the youngest son gets poisoned, but he survives. No, but there are
Rajyasree: three deaths. There were three
Manisha: properties. The two bodyguards. No, they can't remember who's the, the guy owner. They're debating and trying to figure out
Abhinandan: who died, who didn't die at this.
The owner [00:13:00] dies.
Rajyasree: The owner dies, has husband Indian that
Jayashree: I don't even care about. I don't know him.
Rajyasree: Other thing that I like about White loader is that they, so the person who plays MOOC is, uh, Lisa, who is a a, she's like the Beyonce of Thailand. Yeah. She's what? She a K-pop sensation. Ivan. She's a K-pop sensation.
And she's, that's
Abhinandan: why, why Beyonce of Thailand? I how to all the people, she's good
Rajyasree: because Beyonce is the queen of.
Abhinandan: No, it would be the other lady now who's seeing that, uh, uh, football player. Who's the, who's the biggest Swift Taylor, Dylan. Swift?
Rajyasree: No, no. Beyonce. Beyonce. Beyonce. Beyonce. Beyonce. That sounds cool because
Abhinandan: she doesn't have a surname and to be truly famous to have Beyonce.
Beyonce. No,
Manisha: she does have a surname. No, no.
Abhinandan: But you only like, even Prince didn't,
Manisha: no, Michael Jackson
Abhinandan: Mgs an exception. He makes his own rules. And
Rajyasree: the other that is, uh, part of, because she was also an actual, so she plays, uh, uh, an actress who, uh, has [00:14:00] been actress who is now, she owns this hotel, uh, this thing.
And she was this big sensation in Thailand. So he's got these very well known people also. I thought the radical is so nice. I thought this blonde blob, he used to, he calls this, so the three friends. When you see them, they all have blonde hair, but they look a little different, but they're like a blonde blob, they were called.
And then one's an
Manisha: actress, one's a lawyer, democrat, the other one's a Trump supporter. Yeah. So it's, it's an interesting kind of, and I also loved Sam Rockwell's, uh, just Sam was just, that monologue will go down in TV history writing. Yeah. Forever. Like another monologue of friend one, the one the best monologues.
Abhinandan: Uh, but before we move on to some emails, there's, so I, I should contribute something to this show. Uh, one is that in case you wanna have an Indian version of this, there is a hotel Marat, when you drive from Hereone, it's called All Seasons. So it's bigger than four seasons. You can have a low budget, [00:15:00] four seasons there.
So all seasons has not paid us for this. But I'm just saying sub have I like that?
Jayashree: You, you paused for laughter, but there was none. There was none. And the second is, the second is the mono
Abhinandan: friendship. That truly stands out for me. Monish be mania.
Rajyasree: I used to think Monish was quite cute looking, but poor thing, nothing happened to us. She's a new,
Abhinandan: very is
Rajyasree: is very hot. I don't think he's hot. Niko has a slight ping. He is, uh, he's charming. He he's charming and he's not. There's a lovely horse riding video of which I can now share as a link underneath, which we'll share.
But uh, right. I did weird with one thing only with, uh, white letters. I just. Feel that the only thing with one, it's a very long episode. It's also one and a half hours one, and, because that's why I couldn't watch it. I didn't have time too long. [00:16:00] No, you too. You don't need to watch it now. You, I don't need to.
Right. And uh, but it just, that Jennifer Coolidge's character, I did think he was going to bring back.
Manisha: She was a, she was like, yeah, but she's dead. How would, how would you bring her back? I, I don't
Jayashree: feel like she, they, if they brought her back, and I'm glad they didn't because I did think Chito was welcome.
Would be, yeah, it'd be okay.
Manisha: Yeah. Yeah. First
Jayashree: season was fine. Second was a bit much,
Manisha: I'm glad she didn't sit over. But you see the last episode, the deaths are very random. There's, I mean the all debts and all seasons are random, but this one was too forced. You have to kill somebody off, so now let's just get them to kill each other.
Jayashree: But I did think the weakest story, Ryan was the three friends. Like I really liked how it was done and that's also because it's mm-hmm. It worked really well for me, but I did think there was more they could do with it, which they didn't.
Manisha: But it ends off quite beautifully. It actually rounds off well, the friendship crack.
So it is over. Was
Abhinandan: over.
Manisha: Yeah. Yeah. The show's over. Yeah.
Abhinandan: So there will be no season four.
Manisha: No, there, they'll, so the show not over should what season one, the show, the season's over the show shall, I think they'll have another show, but no, [00:17:00] they've already, so it's a bit like Sharp Tank effect in the us. White Lotus also has an impact on the.
On the place and the hotel. So Thailand is seeing like crazy amounts of bookings and fu all that happened
Abhinandan: with, um, uh, happened The dark and uh, that am American film. Yeah. S
Rajyasree: and lot of the Rings people started going to New Zealand. Came New Zealand. Yeah. Then when I did not understand at one point why, uh, every time I logged onto Facebook, the most absurd people were holidaying in Croatia, 'cause Game of Thrones.
So I was surprised that these people who I don't think know where Croatia is, were in Croatia. I was like, what a strange holidays. Well then someone told me that's because Game of Thrones is short in Croatia. Then I watched Re of Thrones and it was so beautiful. Croatia. Gorgeous. Yeah. I'll
Abhinandan: not take names because individually haven't verified this, but there was one very big Indian film that was made with the biggest stars and all that.
Mm-hmm. Uh, in a Asian country. And, uh, [00:18:00] apparently, uh. They were of course, given a huge discount because of this whole effect that if a big film is made in that area, the tourism comes in. But they still had to pay for the use of the police, helicopter and cop. And apparently the production wrapped everything up when that film became a super hit and they didn't pay because, uh, when we had gone to shoot in Malaysia mm-hmm.
Uh, it was organized. This is back in the, uh, during we shot in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, where we stayed the four seasons, by the way. Mm-hmm. Uh, and uh, where else did we shoot Malaysia, Sri Lanka. It was organized by the tourist department there and the guy who was so one person from the government to accompany us to.
He said the, you know, such and such film with such and such star, uh, had short hair and they have not cleared, uh, the, the bill for the pay for the police cars and the helicopters that we used.
Manisha: Atactually, yes. Was also that the Switzerland for a generation of people wanted to go to [00:19:00] Switzerland after, but they paid the bills.
Yeah.
Abhinandan: I don't know. First. No, no.
Manisha: They would've paid the bills. I'm just going back to our previous conversation now. Right?
Abhinandan: Uh, so on that note, I'm guessing, uh, most of you it has peaked your interest and you'll definitely watch all three seasons of White Lotus.
Manisha: Um, definitely watch season one. I think you'll enjoy it.
Abhinandan: Really it sounds too much. Three you can
Manisha: avoid. Three you can avoid. Season one is fun. There's a lot of nice writing, but
Abhinandan: it sounds suspiciously like that. Uh, knives out.
Manisha: No, no, no, no. That's not, it's a mystery. Exactly. So it's not a whodunit or anything. You don't even know. She's saying that
Jayashree: the season for her is a lot about the death.
For me, the death was so peripheral and not at all important to the plot. Like it, there is a death that you know will happen, but the rest of it is just commentary on you. You all just then, dunno who's died
Rajyasree: in the first episode. You know there's a dead body, but that's it. Who's dead body is not, uh, told to you.
All right. Oh, revealed to
Abhinandan: you basically. Okay. Now for our couple of emails writes with the T. So I'm guessing this [00:20:00] is from the south. Hey, an awesome is my absolute fave and your banter is iconic. A newest straight up chefs kiss in tutu with Shiba that fit question mark. 10 on 10. Full stop. What does that mean?
You gotta bring that drip to awful and awesome. To my God. This lingo is,
Rajyasree: who did you speak to? Who is Sheba?
Abhinandan: She has a show called, uh, and honestly, uh, she's just
Manisha: saying you wouldn't, she was saying you were really good to that drip.
Abhinandan: What is that drip? If you don't watch, you bring that vibe too off. Awesome.
Close. You're wearing the drip. See, you guys are. Giving. She's saying really fashionable. You're very, the true, the true Gen Z has given us what that means. Meaning with
Rajyasree: his cap, she sing with that little cap of yours. That's that's astonish. That's merchandise.
Manisha: Honestly, Lee, who cares
Rajyasree: if you don't watch half the stuff?
Your
Abhinandan: presence alone is a vibe. Thank you. Unha with a T. Rahi. Fake news and Rand facts are [00:21:00] wild. I end up in the weirdest internal spirals trying to FactCheck in
Manisha: internet spirals. Internet.
Abhinandan: Sorry. To be honest, I hope
Manisha: she's not going into internal spirals.
Abhinandan: You're watching clarify. You're the main character of this show.
Chaotic, iconic, and absolutely essential.
Rajyasree: The main character, Jennifer Coolidge. I'm Jennifer Coolidge. No.
Abhinandan: Also to everyone listening subscribe. We might not be news junkies, but if you don't back the real ones now we'll be drowning in fake news and propaganda later. Anta is so smart. So accurate. Here is a QR code, which will remain there till I also read the next email.
So do subscribe, pay to keep news free, because that way you can not just serve journalism, you can also serve entertainment. Then Orisha San Gupta says, oh, we have a Bengali in the house. Love your hilarious character, assassination of emergency. Now I have to watch it just to track your observations and laugh along.
That said, I think your take on adolescents missed a few points. Manisha, you implied. Jamie's behavior was shaped primarily by the internet, but his [00:22:00] father's temper played a role too. Uh, your thoughts Manisha?
Manisha: No, I don't think so, because a lot of people say that because the last episode you see the father acting out quite a bit.
Abhinandan: But there's
Manisha: a line where the mother says that this is not you. And I think there's a very interesting part which people are misreading. You wanna get into. It's slightly long, but basically the child, when he is talking to a psychologist, he talks about a football match that he's gone to. Mm. Where he is unable to play, okay?
He's unable to hit a goal or whatever, and he looks at his father and he can tell that the father's very embarrassed of him. And that kind of plays in the child's psyche that, you know, my, because he really idolizes his father, so he kind of feels that, you know. I, I didn't stand measure up to my father's expectations.
Expectations. But the father track, when he gets stood at the third episode, fourth la last episode, he remembers that and he feels bad, he said, but he's awkward. He's like, I didn't know where to look. And there were other parents laughing at him. Mm-hmm. So I just looked away. I should have maybe consoled him.
I should have probably been okay with it, but I was just. I just looked [00:23:00] away. So I think parents are also people doing things for the first time. So I think he acknowledges he makes mistakes, but I don't think it was toxic to the level of explaining a stabbing. It wasn't toxic, toxic at all in that. But they do quite,
Jayashree: but they do quite prominently point at the father's temper in several ways.
No, like they said that he brought down a shared one, shared 'cause he was really angry. So there are enough references that they want you to remember it.
Abhinandan: Orisha that is on the interpretation. Maybe normalize just the end. Maybe shed
Manisha: dropping
Abhinandan: just like the end of um, uh, inception, which I watched again, by the way, I watched before you pounce on me.
Ri I didn't watch it this week. I, over the last month or so, I, not the whole thing, but I've re-watched much of inception and uh, which is the other one? 10 TenneT. I realized I understood Inception completely every detail I understood. I'm not confused Tenet, I don't still don't understand anything.
Rajyasree: So Christopher Nolan just gave an interview last week where he was asked that do, do you understand which one?
[00:24:00] Inception and Tenet. So he says, you are not supposed to understand the whole thing. Even I don't understand it. And I was like, dude, of course, because I didn't understand what was happening at all. The director didn't understand what was happening. I just
Manisha: correct that is the Christopher movie so much,
Abhinandan: so much of pop culture. Nces then. But just one
Manisha: question from who's, you guys felt like adolescents, the father was like majorly responsible for the kids. I didn't feel so, no.
Jayashree: I feel like the father, like you said, he's a person too, but I do think that he did have an anger issue and that they did.
Very like, sort of prominently show it to us
Abhinandan: right then that
Jayashree: shed thing shouldn't, wouldn't have been included otherwise because it was quite a huge, dramatic
Abhinandan: thing. Then throughout the series, his father's violent expression of anger was evident, subtler than his own father's probably, but still absorbed by his son.
In [00:25:00] episode four, the parents even discussed this. He pushed Jamie into football and boxing to toughen him up, quote unquote, dismissing his love for painting, showing how toxic toxic masculinity subconsciously passed down. Also, I don't think the one shot take was just for show interviews and. TuDu analysis.
What is TuDu?
Rajyasree: It's a, a website
Abhinandan: suggest. It was meant to build tension organically, especially in episode three. And any actor will tell you a one shot take is a rare gift. I dunno, I, it's like
Manisha: a play actually. No, it's almost like for actors, it must be great actually because you are in it and you can't get out of that character.
So it could be AB
Rajyasree: theater, but again, I don't think so. He gives one take shots because they're, should he play a
Abhinandan: clip from when in play back in?
Rajyasree: You don't know what emotion it is. It's a clip from my
Abhinandan: 2004 play that was found at the British, uh, council Library. Yeah. The one and only play I ever did.
Rajyasree: After that, they shot the British Council Library.
They said it's better. Don't read [00:26:00] Delhi. People don't read. It's okay.
Abhinandan: I.
I spent all writing
criticisms.
Jayashree: Huh.
Abhinandan: So, uh,
Jayashree: also m by the way, and then m is the noise that comes when you start up on Netflix. The, that's called m that's why it's called tu.
Abhinandan: Okay. [00:27:00] Alright, so now let's move on to, let's go down South L two Em on. First of all, why is it called L two? Is it the, the second. Second, yeah. So the
Jayashree: first one was Lucifer.
Uh, this is L two Emperor. Like l is like a thing. Okay. Like something will be happening casually in the movie, and then suddenly, like a rock will fall in the shape of an L Or like Al will be walking past a tree and then the tree will catch fire in the shape of an L. But why? So it's like, why,
Abhinandan: what?
Jayashree: Because he's l for Lucifer guys, the fact that you have to ask me fully poorly on you. I'm not
Rajyasree: going to watch this
Jayashree: watch. No. See, but that is the thing, like my, okay, I'll explain. My expectations from this movie were low. I watched Lucifer. It was fine. I have no great love for Han LA as an actor because I never grew up watching him in the eighties and all when he was really peak.
Hmm. I came to him much later and I found him like a buffoon. Like, I shouldn't say this because people will kill me, but you'll get, but I just don't care for Moha. So I don't carry that sort of, you know, [00:28:00] faithful love for him or anything. But, so this movie also, my expectations were, well, it'll be entertaining enough.
And it was a very much a mainstream blockbuster. Hanal does not. Al does not exist on screen Every time he walks. It is an entry. Every time he walks, like he walk into a chair, they'll do it in slow motion. With the music. That's, yeah, basically. But they have also shown an aspect of like Indian history, very.
Sort of recent Indian history in a way that I absolutely did not expect. So that is what really blew me away,
Manisha: which is the 2002 riots.
Jayashree: Right? Riots. Right. Which is why, so,
Abhinandan: so the plot is around the 2002 riots. Is that
Jayashree: not at? Not at all. So the plot is about, the plot is about politics in Kerala. So there is a party that is very similar to the Congress, it's called the Indian Uni, United Front or something.
There's a leader who is very similar to Rahul Gandhi. He's just returned from America. He has an accent, he has a white girlfriend. He's a bit of a fool.
Manisha: Poor. He doesn't have a abuse, [00:29:00] is he? Nice look. But he's sort of,
Jayashree: he's the sign of this government. Mm-hmm. And then there's also the fractured politics that are angry other leaders.
So this is the core, this is what the movie is about. Hanal was once part of the Congress, but under one great old leader who has now passed this is Rahul Gandhi's father in the film. So now instead he's doing some sort of drug war. He's flying across the world. He's, you know, orchestrating a series of killings, necessary killings, like killing.
So he's on this trip and he's. Aided and abetted by Raj, who's also the director of the film and is a very, very big actor in Kerala in his own respect. Now, Raj, he runs this sort of elite mercenary group that can kill anyone there. You know, no one messes with him and he's sort of like security, so to say.
Hmm. Petra is backstory in the movie is that his name is Ed as a child. He was in Gujarat during the riots, and there is, it is shown in shocking detail about groups of Muslims who go and seek refuge in a Hindu person's house. The Hindu person betrays [00:30:00] them and calls the goons who come. The goons name is Ba is Baba bgi.
He comes driving past a temple with similar other goons. They very, very violently show the. A pregnant woman being raped. They show people being skewed, being shot, being like smashed their brains come out like it is shockingly graphic. It does not have to be this graphic. May I please say? And then this boy I manages to escape, his younger brother dies and it happens like it's a 10 minute sequence in the beginning and it comes back towards the end because he wants to eat revenge on this man who killed his family.
Baba, who killed his family, is now the head of what is the BJP in this world of Emran. And this BJP is now partnering with the Rahul Gandhi light character Ra Gandhi has sold out himself to ah, partner with the BJP, therefore allowing the BG to enter cameras might happen. And so this all comes around full circle and they're like, yes.
So
Abhinandan: this bit was cut out of the film, is that right? [00:31:00]
Jayashree: No, it was not cut. You can't cut it. So now, um, the cuts are so
Abhinandan: what did he apologize for?
Jayashree: He apologized. See? I don't understand why you would make this movie and then apologize. Maybe this was the plan the entire time, but according to what insiders are saying is that he was spooked.
He got worried. It wasn't that the BJP was like flaming at him or anything. He just organically got very frightened about it and decided to apologize. But what they have cut is in the opening card, it said, I think it said RAF 2002. Mm-hmm. Now it just says a few years ago, uh, Baba Bai's name has been changed to Bal Dave or something.
But I mean, and yeah, they've cut out the rape. The rape is gone. But overall the cuts are like two and a half minutes and the rest of the movie is still there. The context is very much there because they're also showing the burning of a train.
Rajyasree: Right. They
Jayashree: 24
Rajyasree: cuts. They've agreed, they've 24 cut. Okay.
Jayashree: Two and a half minutes.
So there's one scene where they keep driving in front of a, like all the goons are constantly driving in front of a temple with a threshold in front of it. I think the temple and the threshold have been removed, but [00:32:00] you still can't take away from the fact that it is showing this child of Gora very explicitly who has grown up to take revenge.
And I don't remember when I have seen that in a mainstream movie. I was discussing this with a colleague, uh, and he was talking about a lot of films that. Like AK by Hmm. Movies
Abhinandan: put also, those were movies
Jayashree: that were very explicitly setting out to be about the riots. Right. This movie was not, this movie is a entertainment thriller, whether randomly shooting in Yemen and the UK and they flitting across the world and yet they chose to do this, which I just found.
So did this film
Abhinandan: do well? Was it a hitch? Yeah. Yeah.
Jayashree: It's done very well. It's the highest grossing Maria movie of all time. It is Overtaken Al Boys, which was doing really well. Really? But now it's very, it very, yeah, it's doing very well. It's, well, it's doing that well. And now, but also we have to remember what came next, right?
Because then the ed summons to go Gopalan, who's a producer, they're saying, uh, he's done some FMA violations. Yeah. It, the, it issued a notice to Pritz Viraj. It also issued a notice to Anthony Paramour, who's also a producer, and he [00:33:00] is Mohan LA's. Long time right hand man. He was Mo LA's driver back in the day.
And then now he's a producer and he also produced this film. So, and in
Abhinandan: today's newspaper, it has been faithfully. Reported that this gentleman who was a producer was running a chit fund and he had NRIs contributions worth, I think he had made payments with Six Crow or 16 Crow. I don't remember the exact date, but yeah, it was on the front page of today's paper.
Jayashree: Yeah, so I think they said that these are cases that came up in 2000, a couple of years ago. But I mean, the timing is bit su, right? Why now? No. Even if you say that, yeah, the, the Chi fund
Abhinandan: is fine, but the other, you know, it notices are not a coincidence at all. Yeah. Uh, and in my view, the crisis of Bollywood, I dunno if that's true for other language, uh, film industries, there are all sorts of theories.
Why is, you know, every film flopping is Bollywood dead, is Alman, Hanover, et cetera, et cetera. Hmm. And I think I can [00:34:00] quite confidently convincingly argue this point, the moment. This is true for any business. The moment the government starts deciding what should be produced and what doesn't, whether it is bread, whether it is cars, whether it is films, you will never have a good product.
And the reason that Bollywood has started failing is because now, like Jerry Shin's stories reported, whether it's Amazon, whether it's Netflix, whether it is big Bollywood producers, they're only making what the dispensation wants them to make, you're never gonna get a good film out of that.
Jayashree: I should say the stage is now set for Emper on three because the movie ends on a note where, um, so they're basically going to tell us Mohan LA's past, like, what was he up to in the eighties, that he's suddenly this big head of this empire and he's, you know, avenging justice and doing all sorts of things.
So it takes you back to a flashback in eighties, Bombay, where. Again, makes a hero entry except that it is in Mohan la. It is his son, Pran Mohan, who is going be playing his
Rajyasree: father's [00:35:00] flashback role. I was gonna ask, is Mohan la playing himself? God, he's not trying year old,
Manisha: but all of all of it. El thing is just so bizarre.
Randomly. Also, there's an L that you can see. They would've
Rajyasree: been given A-C-B-F-C certificate when it was released. My whole point is that I cannot believe they did not make these cuts. No, but just so you know how
Abhinandan: it works, is that No. Uh, the amount of films that have to be viewed, the, not every member of CBFC Yeah.
Watches every film. So it, it, I mean, there's a lot of subjectivity. Who has watched it when and how not, you know, not all the members. Hmm. So there could be, but I mean, maybe this has to do with like, works on another layer, like, like L one, L two is like the lumber one, lumber two vertebra. You know, there's L one, L two, L three.
Yes, yes. So maybe this got to do with showing spine, and in the end you'll see all the Ls. It'll just show one spine will
Rajyasree: come up. Oh. It's like, it's like forest wines in gu, which is L one, L two, L three, L four. They have a monopoly. You have to say, where, [00:36:00] where will you get the black label? L three has it.
So then you go to L three Lake Forest wines. The full outlet.
Abhinandan: Now, before we, I'm just saying go to this, the studio, we'll read another couple of males and then come back to the favorite Val Kilmer role. The panelists may please note, keep, stay ready. With that, we have two or three very nice short double digit worded males.
Mbba says Hello ar big fan of the podcast. I have one request to, he mentioned a few times, which I agree to an extent that pop culture products made under heavy rightwing influence in India. And not really engaging at an artistic level. For example, movies like the Kerala story. But now that Chava is a big success with capable technicians, artists involved, I would like to know NA team's opinion on its craft, storytelling, and suicidal implications.
Thank you, ANL. So Emma, I haven't watched Chava, so if anyone else has, they can tell you. I,
Jayashree: I have not
Abhinandan: watched it. Have you watched it? No. No. Have you watched it? Not
Rajyasree: at such a loose end yet, so no, I haven't watched
Abhinandan: it. So then [00:37:00] in all honesty, we cannot comment on Ava. Uh, maybe it's technically amazing and we'll
Manisha: watch it when it's on O tt.
It's on O Ott. Oh.
Abhinandan: But I
Manisha: still can't bring myself to watch it.
Abhinandan: But in general, what I said was, in general, I think that's true, but that may not be true of every film that is made. Underwriting links, for example, uh, the Birth of a Nation, which is not just writing, it was. Bigoted racist. It is one of the most vi films made yet.
It has taught in film school in the US
Rajyasree: and in India.
Abhinandan: And we also
Rajyasree: studied film school.
Abhinandan: Yes. Uh, because of its technical Yeah. Brilliance. And it did really well. Of course it got a big Philip because it was, um, screened at the White House. Uh, the Supreme Court, chief Justice of the US at the time attended it and it really shows that black men are rapists killers, violent people.
It's
Rajyasree: horrible the film, it's really,
Abhinandan: but it did really well. So, but in general, whether it is the entertainment zone usually is liberal [00:38:00] bias. I think,
Manisha: and Towers not right? Right. It's a, it's a folklore that they have reinterpreted. So it's not, it's not like out of nowhere. It's a right wing conspiracy. It's not like a Kashmir Files is what I'm saying.
There's a folklore aspect, not the Delhi files out. What is that one?
Abhinandan: There was a Bengal files also that was probably a Delhi. Right. It came,
Manisha: I guess.
Abhinandan: Okay. Okay. No, but, uh, you know, on Chava It now because of Chava, there's a lot of talk about Shivaji. Uh, and I guess because I watched a few reels on it, I get a lot of recommendations of some old film with Shivaji, uh, mythology or history or whatever you wanna call it.
Uh, and they are clearly not movies made in the last two, three years. So movies have been made on this subject in the past, uh, because those, some of those films are really old. You can tell by the print and those scratches that go up. Hmm. Uh, and I was not aware of them. These films are, I guess they're coming up on Instagram and YouTube reels because of Java's success.
So this has done really well, but films have been made on the subject. Several of them in the [00:39:00] past. Al Shenoy says, Hey guys. Like everybody, totally love the banter and your views. I would like to recommend the series Survival of the Thickest. It's a lovely journey of a stylist making her way through the New York fashion scene, but doing for people, often ignored by the industry.
It's a beautiful and refreshing comedy sprinkler with romance and drama. Do see if it's worth your time? The second season just dropped. Has anyone watched it? Okay.
Rajyasree: No. Watch it.
Abhinandan: Well, you guys are aware of it.
Rajyasree: I wasn't. Yeah.
Abhinandan: Okay. Right, and we will just read this one last before we get to Ilma. Says, hi Bernard Rhi.
Hope you both are doing well. Since both of you discussed the show that Kunal did. Here's a recommendation of standup. Let's talk about it by Manji Sarkar. It's really sharp critique on cast privilege and many other things. It'll be a great help if the two of you could take it up on one of the episodes because it's not getting the attention it deserves.
Also, I love the work news. Laundries, doing your work makes me hopeful about voicing and practicing descent in my own way, so thank you for that. Has anyone watched [00:40:00] Manji Skar standup show? No,
Rajyasree: but we will.
Manisha: But maybe I've seen, and I don't know, I'll have to see what he looks like. We have, you see so many comics these days on Instagram and you don't kind of,
Abhinandan: we have four more males.
We'll come to those later. But let's start off with Val Kilmer, who died uh, at a young age of 65. Uh, he was one of my favorite actors. I have always loved him. In fact, my all time favorite top five films became such a great film because of him. But. Jesse, your favorite film of Valman? Did you really like him?
Jayashree: Very easy answer because it's Batman forever. I was eight years old when I watched it. I loved it. I bought the tape, so I, um, and it had one of the best soundtracks that I've ever heard. Also, I mean, I know it was a, it was before superhero movies became the sort of ghastly weighed down, bloated franchise.
So it was just, and Batman Forever for its time, was supposed to be a slightly darker film than the previous ones. It was, in retrospect, probably very, very, very [00:41:00] boring and not great, but it was just everything that was great about the nineties was in Batman Forever. It had, Val Kilmer had Jim Carey, it had Tom Lee Jones had, was it Nicole Kidman?
I think it had Nicole Kidman. It was just, it was a delight. And 8-year-old ri thought that was the peak of filmmaking. I mean, she did not know much at the time. Maybe doesn't know very much now either, but like, I loved it. So
Abhinandan: ri I only know two people who refer to themselves in the third person. One is Annu Malik, the other is Modi.
You're the third. So, wow. Two stalwarts. Okay. Uh, how about you Manisha?
Manisha: The, do I think spectacular. It's like Jim Morrison speaking to you alive. It's just so well done. From how he looks to how he talks to the music, uh, I, I mean, I, it was hard to believe this is an actor, so for me, I think those was his best.
Abhinandan: But was it just that, or did you like him generally? Also,
Manisha: I'm not a fan. You're not a fan of, no, I'm not like a
Abhinandan: Okay.
Manisha: Didn't follow his work. Through and through [00:42:00]
Abhinandan: also, uh, Manisha and Ry are not the top gun generation. No.
Manisha: Hey, was great. Top Gun, of course,
Jayashree: I love Balker coming
Manisha: back in. The latest top brand was also very, very well, very, so yeah, Alker was great on top, but it's, it's, uh, Iman Ice.
But Tom Cruise is what you look at. Yeah. Top Gun is, or Tom Cruise
Abhinandan: and Raje.
Rajyasree: I liked heat, I liked the ghost and the darkness, which I know if you are trying. I love the ghost and the darkness and, uh, the island of Dr. Morro, which he did with, uh, Marlin Brando, which was I've Excellent seen. That is excellent.
He film.
Abhinandan: No,
Rajyasree: I'm surprised he discography, but I'm
Abhinandan: sure at some point he must have, uh, auditioned for a Bengali film vision workout. No,
Rajyasree: he was cast in a SAT three film, which then didn't sat,
Abhinandan: had died before he was born. Probably, I don't know,
Rajyasree: posthumously, but, uh, Gilmer was, uh, the [00:43:00] youngest student at the Julliard School.
So I just find it fabulous when you see how many of these people who welcome, of course, acted in some great films, which were like beyond action films and all, but so many of these people who you don't realize the kind of acting training that they've got because to just get into Juilliard for drama.
Yeah. It's so difficult. And he was 17 years old. He was the youngest student they've ever had. No, I
Abhinandan: think there's some stars.
Manisha: He's also played Mark Tween at, wanna watch that?
Abhinandan: No, but there's some stars in Hollywood that their stardom kind of, you forget what good actors they are. Uh, one is Val Kilmer. I think he was underrated as an actor because he was a star.
And the other is, um, uh, this guy who, Gilbert Gray, Titanic. What's his name? Leonard Leonardo DiCaprio. He is, but
Jayashree: Gilbert Rap was a great movie. Yeah. He's such a gifted actor. Actor.
Abhinandan: He is a a, but because he's such a big star, his acting is not often spoken about. I think.
Manisha: [00:44:00] No, I think gets enough. Yeah. He does get
Rajyasree: enough credit.
So this one had said, kin Phoenix has said no one takes him. And during one of his Oscars speeches, he said, uh, like it's a big deal for me that I've been nominated with, like Leo and all of us have grown up together. But more than that, when we'd go for auditions, you thought you were a shoe in and then you'd hear old.
Leonardo was coming, Leonardo was coming. And you knew you weren't getting the role because everything went to this. Like this boy, uh, prodigy actor who, so he said there was this buzz when we were growing up. Leonardo was going to be there because he was such a, and he is such a gifted actor, but I think many of them were so good looking.
Also, it sometimes
Manisha: takes away from your acting. I don't think that's true with Leo though. I think 'cause he
Abhinandan: looks quite gross in South, I think. I think it's Salman. He, because of his good looks,
Manisha: I'd say bad pit for example. There's a lot of focus on how good looking he is. So you're not gonna necessarily talk about what a good actor he is.
I think what Leonard, they talk [00:45:00] about what a good actor
Jayashree: he is a lot. Especially because he didn't get an awesome. Go for a very
Rajyasree: long time. Yeah. So there was a lot about, same with Tom
Abhinandan: Cruise,
Rajyasree: see that film? Where, but Tom Cruise, I don't know. I just, I think he's, I
Abhinandan: don think he's that level, but
Rajyasree: in
Abhinandan: that 4th of July he did such a fantastic job.
But
Rajyasree: I think the Scientology thing for me, just colors anything. Tom Cruise as I'm like, dude, you're just so, oh, by the way, the, the New Ologist Mission
Abhinandan: Impossible trailer just dropped.
Rajyasree: He is done. Six more. Like he did that bike stand six times. I think there's something a little That is
Abhinandan: the old one bike. No, no.
Even on this one, there's a no one notice that I said it just dropped.
Rajyasree: No. We also noticed that you got some information from reels because you are so cool that, you know, I saw a lot of things, but, so no one thing I wanted to say. Christian Bale. This is my favorite anecdote of Christian bales. It's on a reel.
Mm. So you'll also see it at some point. Mm. Uh, Christian Bele was asked, how did you, uh, become the character in American [00:46:00] Psycho? Because he's so, there's no remorse in him. There's nothing, it's such a cool film. That, and Texas Chainsaw murders are just too fabulous film. So he said, I saw Tom Cruise's interview, one of his interviews where he, with David Letterman, where he's.
Charming and laughing and all, but if you look at his eyes, he's dead behind his eyes. And I just, I just are, uh, became Tom Cruise for American Psycho. Wow. And I was just thinking, went Tom Cruise watches this interview. He said there's nothing behind his eyes, but he's so right.
Abhinandan: He's so, and it's true. But my favorite, Val Kilmer, I think it was the best Batman because he brought together the physicality that Batman needs.
Like George Clooney was not convincing as a Batman because he,
Jayashree: he was just a good looking guy. Yeah. Yeah. He doesn't, he didn't that
Abhinandan: physical, like you couldn't imagine beating up anyone.
Jayashree: Yeah.
Abhinandan: Uh, and some of the other Batman did not have the suave, you know, Bruce Wayne, this guy [00:47:00] brought both together. But to see him.
At the most amazing, uh, watch tombstone where he plays Doc Holiday. I think Val Kilmer's doc Holiday. A tombstone is I think the best Western ever. It's better than good, bad, ugly. It's better than fist, full of dollars. It's better than a few dollars more. It's better than once upon a time, uh, in the West or whatever else it is
Rajyasree: in Hollywood.
Abhinandan: Fantastic is a story of Wide Earp, which is again, this legend. And there were two, three films that were released around the same time. But Val Kilmer's Doc Holiday is a, a performance that I'm, I think it's one of the all time greatest performance by any actor ever
Manisha: shall watch it story.
Abhinandan: So on that note, let's just do one more email and then we'll get back to this show called The Studio.
Lo says, just watch your podcast on adolescents. There is so much to explore about this incredible show. Apologies for the abrupt start. My name is Loh. I head programming for a radio station, Dubai esh. Can we get a show on your [00:48:00] radio station?
Rajyasree: No, he is asked to come on our show.
Abhinandan: Oh, sorry. And I present Tuesday evening show as well.
I have been speaking about masculinity for years and now adolescence hits home. So many compelling points in which our world of young boys and girls is headed. I would love to contribute to the discussion one of your podcast, if possible. Happy to fly down to India for a conversation. Wow. Oh my
Manisha: God.
Abhinandan: I'm attaching to my videos on adolescent I Made.
Please have a look. All right, Instagram. So find location. Our producer Pali has taken note of your email. Maybe we can do a, uh, joint discussion, but then you have to put us on your, uh, station also and appeal to the people who are watching in Dubai pay to industry. 'cause when the public pays, the public is served, right?
Oh, I, there's someone who started a letter saying, yo WhatsApp dog.
Rajyasree: He's like, you. He's cool.
Abhinandan: How do It's a he swe
Manisha: Swe
Abhinandan: good. It's a he.
Manisha: Could be shr, we could be a girl. Also
Abhinandan: just became a subscriber this month. What's up with you dissing Han, because it's a he read [00:49:00] and ran. Don't care about. Don't care about se.
But I feel that Fountainhead and Atlas Shrug does still amazing books and that her Objectiveism is worth knowing about. Would like to know what philosophers have you read that you're flexing this much, which philosophers you got influenced by. Also, I'd like to love to see your interview. Also, I'd love to see your interview Prashant Ki, what do you think about his Raj movement and what he did with it?
I have seen many people doubt his intentions, but at least he is talking about the right issue and making the right moves in party construction. At last, I'd really like to see when NL starts the program about efficient policies and various governments throughout India. We will, we'll keep contributing more and more pay to keep you free.
Rahi, thank you so much. Appreciate your contribution and helping us stay alive and afloat and supporting our journalism. Is
Manisha: that the reason why you don't like Han? Because he reads iron?
Abhinandan: No. No, that's not, [00:50:00] dude, come on. That's one reason I've never liked him. But you don't have a
Jayashree: problem with, but it it's good.
It's a good reason to dislike him. I'll give you that. What's the,
Manisha: your favorite, Shay, what's her name? She's still very smart and very ground with the Bollywood wives. Woman.
Abhinandan: Shani Pai. Yeah. She, she's my favorite. She, she one your favorites. She, she's
Manisha: one of your favorites. She's very, she said, so I'm reading 50 Rules of Love.
Rules of Love. No book reading. Not be the judge. I, no, but we should
Jayashree: all remember Hilti Who in an interview. Yes. To Loved. I loved it. Farms Animal Farm is one of her favorite books because it should be used to teach children about caring for animals. Animals. So sweet. I loved
Rajyasree: it. It's the sweetest things.
I'm, I'm not
Abhinandan: doing a flex, honestly, in, in Safe's case, you have taken exception. I have actually. Spoken about Anne Rand back in the early days of Hafta once. First of all, your PR discussion is a hafta discussion and we'll have it then. I think his intentions and his outcomes are mixed. I don't think it's black and white, but when it [00:51:00] comes to Anne Rand, I've said most teenagers will be very moved by Andandand like I was.
Not only did I think an Rand was a genius and that Haro was this amazing character, and Peter Keating was this jerk, and we all wanted to be haro. But the thing is, I was in Class 10, and as you read more about an Rand, her life, the Gilded Age, I. You know, you kind of, it's like, you know, when you are 12 and 13, you could go outta
Manisha: it
Abhinandan: when you're 12 and 13.
You thought reservation was a bad idea because that's just what you are, you know, uh, uh, entitled, privileged Existence kind of said, we are always the victim. Like, I started this show. I'm a man, I'm a victim 'cause of three women with me. You know, that's internalized. But I don't read any philosophers as such.
I, I think Bertrand Russell's, you know, when I used to read a lot of books, I thought they were interesting. I think Fitzgerald's commentary on the Gilded Age was amazing. Uh, but otherwise I don't read philosophy. Now. I, by and large just read nonfiction political books or economics books, [00:52:00] so I have zero value to add to this discussion.
I think
Manisha: S'S interview two times was a great read, though it was good fun to, he gave a long interview two times on the theft that happened at his house. I think he dealt with it very well. I also think he just
Rajyasree: speaks well. He at least has a sense of humor. He's self effacing. Doesn't take himself too seriously.
He doesn't take, even if he does take himself seriously, he at least portrays that he doesn't, he must like goes home and then looks in the mirror and says, I'm wonderful, but when he's talking to people and all he says, I'm quite an yeah. So yeah, I didn think
Abhinandan: he's quite avoidable. Anyway, so ladies is nice.
He's a good actor.
Rajyasree: I think he's a very good actor and you should watch a three. It's a good guy and which is a very good film. And, uh, O Carter.
Abhinandan: Okay. Wow.
Rajyasree: Okay. You don't think he was good, Inca? I think he
Abhinandan: was,
Rajyasree: you're saying,
Abhinandan: right? Of course. Uh, so what do you think of [00:53:00] this show called the Studio? This is the one you're recommending to me also, right?
Isha about? Yeah. So the,
Manisha: the, the show is quite simply about a studio in Los Angeles. Okay. It's a movie making, I mean, they make movies and this, it's sort of a satire on the industry. The plot is that Barbie is a huge hit. Okay. It's raked a lot of money. So the studio thinks that they also need to find a product around which they can make a movie to get the ads in, to get the marketing guys in and to, you know, uh, ride on Bobby's success.
So, have a second. So they come up with, they decide that they'll do a movie on this green blob of a figure. Who's supposed to be the mascot of Kool-Aid and they go to Martin's Scorsese and they're figuring out who can make this. And you have to see like, maybe we can put a picture of Kool-Aid mascot.
Yeah. Like you can't, it's not Bobby. Mm-hmm. So the whole thing is this studio guy who's now in charge and he has to bring the money in, which is Rogan. Yeah. Seth Rogan is in charge.
Abhinandan: He's
Manisha: [00:54:00] directed this song. Interesting. Florida. First he goes toward to like the best director we go to. So he goes to Martin Scorsese and says, you know, you are gonna make this Kool-Aid movie.
And Scorsese says that, yeah, okay, I'll do a movie. I'm thinking of Kool-Aid. And he buys the film. That's supposed to be his last movie and then they buy it to kill it. So there's a lot of like inside. 'cause the cool way the industry works kind of a thing.
Rajyasree: And he has lots of, uh, people playing. So Seth Rogan, basically someone who loves cinema and he's very arty, but he now has to not be arty because he has to be the head of the studio.
And it's like he has to come to terms with the fact that it's lot money at games doesn't make commercially viable films. Right. But they have, uh, cameos from, uh, char Theron playing Charli Theron, Martin Scorsese playing himself. I love
Abhinandan: these kind of films, which are, you know, yeah. People playing themselves.
Insider this thing. And it's, that was very cool about Get Shorty. Also, it was a nice commentary about Bollywood, uh, sorry, [00:55:00] the, the Sunset Boulevard type life of, of la
Rajyasree: So this has Ron Harvard, which is that. Episode is really funny, which Ron Howard is making a film with Anthony Mackey. You've seen Anthony Mackey, he's, he's one of the Marvel characters, or the Marvel or whichever one Avens characters.
And you know how to tell a director a fabric you seen like Yeah, it's, which he's
Manisha: really emotional about and everyone's figuring out, how do we tell him that it's a shit scene. It has to go, no one's gonna sit through it. No one's gonna watch this movie. It's, it's a lot of, it's a fun satire in the movie industry.
Yeah.
Jayashree: Yeah. I think the main thing is that it's so funny, like, I don't remember the last time I watched three episodes or something. I just laugh so much. Like, see, it's also very clever, like, I don't know if we're overselling it, but like, it's very clever. It shows like all these movies being sold, you're getting, selling out to mega conglomerates, whatever the artery is, to make franchises like Lego and Poptart and Barbie and whatever.
Is there a place for art [00:56:00] anymore? Also, since we just watched adolescence, one entire episode is on the shooting of a one. Oh. Yeah, they wanna do a one. They wanna do a one take. Yeah. Shot off with the golden light in the background and then how does it play or what happens just, and he keeps doing it. And yeah.
And the great thing is that Eth Rogan comes into this because he thinks that, yes, I'm gonna be head of a studio, I'm gonna make art, make art great again, whatever. But then you're like, you know, I can't, I need to also do all these other terrible things. And also like, you know, it's very bleak about. It's per its perspective of movies in 2025.
Like it's very, very cutting about it, and yet it is so hilariously done. That's,
Rajyasree: and it's light. It's nice to watch something. Yeah. Which is why I like white lots Also, every show otherwise is so deep and so depressing and like by the end of it, you're just sad. About your, your life, the state of the world, everything.
So this also makes you feel sad about the state of cinema, but in a gateway. But it's in a gateway. And [00:57:00] Catherine O'Hara is so good, who's in Shit Creek also, right? The mother, she's the marketing head. She's, no, she's, that's Catherine. She is the one who's been sat and Oh, okay. He's replaced her. And Catherine Hahn is so good as the marketing head.
She's really fun. It's just a very, very, and, uh, supposedly the cameos are better and better with each episode.
Jayashree: I love a good cameo. I love, love had
Rajyasree: so many cameo. I cry, I cry
Manisha: How much They killed this movie that's supposed to be his last movie. They bought it and they just told them that we're never gonna release it.
Rajyasree: Charron is, uh, sort. Condoling him and saying what happened. It's just very funny because it also shows these directors to be, which the emotion, we are also very sensitive people like Ron Howard also, so it's good, which
Abhinandan: is, which I also find a little strange because one would think you are creating something to hold up to other [00:58:00] people's scrutiny and you'd be, you know, have trained yourself and circumstances would've trained you to be completely.
I'm not saying be completely aloof or oblivious. Mm. But not to let either the criticism or this thing bother you so much. Like for example, I was reading, um, uh, ran like him as a director, although his mates Prakash his interview, uh, and he spoke about after Delhi six, how he went into depression. Yeah. And he.
I think he started drinking or something. He, he says I was in a really dark place. Like I, I, I find it fascinating how, you know, the failure of one film completely. They, their lives just go off track because I guess.
Manisha: So much of your time to something. It's like a baby, you know? That's the cliche that this is my baby.
Yeah. It's like a baby.
Abhinandan: I know, but I, oh, I forget who, but there was this one actor who had said that once I make something else out there, then it's out there. Mean then I have, uh, [00:59:00] so, so very
Jayashree: few people are able to make Guy
Abhinandan: said that. I was so impressed.
Manisha: But actors can still do it. I think direction is even storytelling.
You've created
Jayashree: that entire, it's your world.
Manisha: You've created a world. So, and
Jayashree: someone is coming and telling you, your daughter looks like shit or something. Yeah. And then you're like, oh my God. So it's, I feel that personal association, this is exactly what,
Abhinandan: this is exactly what we know. Chopra said to me when he lash out at me back in the, when I was interviewing him.
But anyway, I've already narrated this incident long time ago on awful.
Rajyasree: But it's good fun. It's good fun. It's a good, yeah. It's on Apple tv, so watch it. And the other recommendations. So we had recommendations this time, had a recommendation.
Abhinandan: Yeah, but we have three emails. Let's finish those. Okay. Chean says you guys should watch Pantheon.
It's a hidden gem. It's animated, has two seasons. It's a Netflix, it's a rare and thought provoking show. When you're finished with it, go to its subreddit, and there you'll find small, but the most decent fandom you will ever see. What I like is we have [01:00:00] such interesting, uh, pan, definitely recommendations from our subscribers.
Hanya says Pantheon on Netflix. Then Neha says, didn't know how to classify this request. So I'll just put it here. I mean, another, you once mentioned maybe four years ago, an Amit Ramma show that you were going to make a film in three, four years. Well, time's Up. And honestly, I think you owe that film from everything I've heard you say across shows, interviews, and podcasts.
I suspect it really something so.
Rajyasree: He doesn't know who so is darling. Who's it? Aaron Kin. Aaron. So who's that? Who's made some of the best, I just thought I should tell that he doesn't know, darling.
It's in a way you're innocent. Okay.
Abhinandan: Full of weight ideas and layer characters and unapologetic belief in trying to do better. I watched the West Wing, the newsroom sports night and studio 60 more times than I care to admit. And what keeps me coming back is how they manage to spy without being naive. [01:01:00] We could all really use something like that and maybe you could pull it off without slipping into the cynical or the sine.
So please write it, make it well, uh, Neha, I've already written all these films and view. I'll just show you a clip of all the scripts that I've been lying in my shelf for the last 20 years.
For the dust fly, they disturbed[01:02:00]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Let's see when we make them. And then Avira says. Hi rash. Then longtime listener, devoted subscriber, unofficial fan club president here. Thank you. Avira. Avira with a T. So I'm sure this RA from the south. Last week's podcast on Women's Day ads. Absolute gold. I laughed so hard and really choked on my chai.
Special mention to AAN poetic masterpiece. It truly deserves a spot in the hall of fame of unintentional comedy. Thank you Ra with the T. Now aan, my dear skeptic in chief. Can we not dismiss a single take shot in adolescence before even watching? Give innovation and exploration a chance. Who knows, you might actually like it.
Or at least find new materials to roast. Love the bans. Always a long time subscriber, loyal, loyal subscriber. Thank you. I continue to endure. Ugh, I mean, enjoy your podcast. Very [01:03:00] nice. But uh, yeah, okay, I'll probably watch it all since here. It's just so much about it. Dude. There are like stories on b, bbc, on adolescent.
Now there's too
Manisha: much. You're not gonna enjoy much, you're not gonna discuss. It's been
Rajyasree: discussed. There's
Abhinandan: this whole discussion. I is it in Netherlands? One thing. It's in some European country where adolescent was discussed. By a minister in a meeting and Oh yeah, they're planning to make policy around, um, what children can be allowed to watch on social media.
Uh, and this discussion was triggered because of adolescence.
Jayashree: I think even in the uk they discussed it in Parliament, you know,
Rajyasree: did you see in the newspaper today, at least in Delhi and Google, it was their Insta. Instagram has come up with a new this thing which is going to, so, uh, it's for teenagers and they've said parents can monitor what they, so I just love Instagram that it's like, let's c on this stock.
I just tell teenagers to get on it instead of telling them to get off it [01:04:00] now. So it's fabulous. But I
Manisha: think so much has been said about it that you may
Rajyasree: not
Manisha: enjoy it now. It's just,
Jayashree: I think if you had a child, you should watch it. Otherwise, I would say you don't need to know.
Abhinandan: Right. So what recommendations did you have?
Rahi Sen
Rajyasree: I think everyone should watch if you like, if you can handle a little bit of go and you like medical dramas, then watch The Pit, which is on Hot Star. It is really, really good. And it's like, it's perfect for binge watching because it's every awe of the of a day in an er. Like an emergency wing of a hospital.
It's, uh, the same team of ER has made this and Noah Wiley is in it. It is just so, so good. And the reason it works like it's been now again, I think it's been discussed to death a little bit about how it accurately portrays what doctors and all go through. So they asked Noah, why, why do you think it's such a hit?
He said, because we took the music out of it. So [01:05:00] when you're in an er, you don't have like, uh, everything you're doing doesn't have a theme song to it. And two, we don't show, the doctors go off and making out with the nurse in the closet, then come back and he's so, it's responsible. It's very responsive. So he said it's a little real, like what doctors are.
Doctors aren't really making out with the nurse in between an operation. The patient is lying that way. It depends on
Abhinandan: the country,
Rajyasree: depends on the doctor also. But all the nurse, all the nurse. But, uh,
Abhinandan: speaking of doctors, there was a case yesterday where this. Dr. In was in Mother Prh where he was not a doctor.
He was performing surgeries and half the people were dying. There
Manisha: were so many, and this guy was a huge influencer. He, like people on TV, would quote his tweets when he is praising yoga and all. He's a big scamster. Very, very huge. Did tweet
Jayashree: that thread on him two years ago. No. Yeah. Saying that he's a scam.
Yeah.
Abhinandan: And now they've come your recommendation.
Manisha: So my recommendation is Jubilee. It came out two years ago and I think they were marking its anniversary or [01:06:00] something. Mm. This um, VI film series, series. Gorgeous. I think it just didn't get its due when it got released because it was covid and I think maybe there wasn't much attention paid to it, but it's got amazing music, great acting.
It's poetry on screen and I think Vikram is really capable of doing that. Like with Lutera, I think it's just, just beautiful movie and Jubilee is like that. And I really liked how they portray one of the very few movies that got that partition refugee angle bang on. So there's a refugee settlement and people from sin have come and they've now building their lives in Delhi from all from scratch.
So they've captured that very beautifully. The pain. And you know what? They really went through losing everything and then trying to start again. But it's basically about Bollywood, it's about movies. I think it's one of the most. Bestest series to have come out of Bollywood and very unfortunate, didn't get a second season, you have no heart.
It was very stunning. You have no hearts that I don't,
Abhinandan: and
Manisha: the [01:07:00] music was spectacular.
Jayashree: Thought it was just,
Abhinandan: Jesse, you have any recommendation sports?
Jayashree: I watched a fantastic movie yesterday called uh ra. It's a Maal crime movie. So basically our skeleton is found and they're like, okay, this person died maybe 50 years ago, but who was she?
And how do we find out who it belonged to? But what it really cleverly does is that it sets it in the film. So the shooting of a very popular Malayalam movie from the eighties. Hmm. They brought that into the plot. So they're saying that girl worked on that film set. And so they're using actual footage from that movie.
They're using song sequences and they're sort of splicing images into it to sort of plot the mystery into that film. So it's a real film that did take place, but. I'm explain this really badly, but what you need to know, it is a fantastically plotted police procedure. It's a crime drama and it's set on an eighties film set in Kerala Cinema, and it's very well done.
Like I, what's it called again? I was shocked by it. It's called, um, RA, I think it [01:08:00] is on Sony Live. Sony Liv. Sony. Liv. Ah, so Liv Ra,
Abhinandan: I, I will not be so cheeky as to not have watched anything and then recommend things to our subscribers. So I will only recommend you subscribe and pay to keep News three. Here is a QR code.
Support our journalism, support our journalists. There's a lot of work we have to do this here, and I hope you are along for the ride and we will continue to do what we do. We just need you to support us so that we don't take ads from, for example, I found it shocking nd TVs in Star Feed, which should be giving news, huh?
Had a message from Salman Khan. About seconder, some released.
Manisha: I love this life.
Rajyasree: Such a good life, but it's poetry. Yeah. And he's an artist. He paints.
Abhinandan: So NDTV was the media partner for this, uh, seconder, seconder. [01:09:00] Uh, and therefore the Insta was, which should be investigating, uh, many, you know, things about Bollywood and even about the media partners. So we don't have to do things like that.
And have someone like Salman Kahan endorse us, we don't have to fall that low. This QR code will ensure we don't so that neither do we, you know, resort to less than adequate stars or billionaire or governments to fund us. So support news one is journalism paid to keep news free? We'd like to thank our wonderful panelists.
Uh, sorry. Co-hosts, not panelists. Ri, RI and Manisha a wonderful, uh, sound recordist. Anil a wonderful producer, Pali, and thank you all. See you next week. Thank you, Ms. Sen.
Rajyasree: Thank you Mr. Re.
Manisha: Thank you, Ms. Alum. Thank you, Ms. Bondi.
Abhinandan: And it's a wrap.[01:10:00]
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