Only barely squeaking under the wire of relevance, here we are with our thoughts on the genuinely iconic Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. For both of us, it has held up remarkably well. Pitu is more smitten than ever with the performances and music, and Beth is full of new appreciation for the writing. For all its bubblegum and Archie aesthetics, KKHH has a lot of very grown-up things to say. As usual, detours in this episode are rampant and include Jaws, what happened to Anjali during the intervening decade...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 62
Some may argue that Dimple Kapadia doesn't quite count as a superstar of Hindi cinema, but she's so interesting that we couldn't resist! Her appeal is a little harder to pin down than with the other women in our superstars series so far, and maybe that's her greatest strength. She's certainly the least filmi of the people we've focused on, despite having an incredibly filmi debut, but she makes up for it in...gravitas? Tell us your favorite Dimple performances and films in the comments! What wou...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 61
He's one of the most versatile actors we've seen and is always re-inventing himself. We remember him from his moppetty 90s Ole Ole days to his metrosexual avatar to his villianous turns and his edgy, indie films. Everyone loves Dil Chahta Hai, Kal ho na ho, Parineeta and Omkara but in this episode we discuss his lesser known works - Chef, Agent Vinod and Jawaani Jaaneman. Are these movies lesser known because they were under-promoted or did they just not appeal to viewers? Tell us in the comment...
Oct 11, 2023•58 min•Ep. 60
Along with Helen and Bindu, Aruna Irani completes the Vamp trifecta. An excellent dancer and very talented actor, Aruna has an impressive filmography of almost 500 movies. We love her when she's good, but we REALLY love her when she's wicked. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/filmi-ladies/id1642425062 @filmiladies on Instagram and Twitter Pitu is @pitusultan on Instagram Beth is @bethl...
Oct 03, 2023•47 min•Ep. 55
* contains spoilers * We love mysteries and we love Bebo, but do we love Jaane Jaan? Listen to find out! We also get into a few other thrillers and mysteries we've seen lately. Thank you to twitter friend tamarindric3 for the idea to talk about hill station mysteries - let's start a list in the comments! Here's Sunil Dutt bouncing around in his swim trunks in Hamraaz: https://youtu.be/_7toUwz22ew?feature=shared&t=65 And here's the Shedunnit podcast episode discussing the Detection Club's rul...
Sep 27, 2023•52 min•Ep. 58
She is sexy, statuesque, sophisticated - one of the biggest superstars of the 70s, and her name is on everyone's lips at the moment. We talk about our beloved Zeenie Baby aka Zeenat Aman! Tell us your favorite Zeenat Aman movies! Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/filmi-ladies/id1642425062 @filmiladies on Instagram and Twitter Pitu is @pitusultan on Instagram Beth is @bethlovesbolly on ...
Sep 19, 2023•57 min•Ep. 54
Pitu ran straight home from the cinema to record this episode on the weekend's big release! This episode is chock full of SPOILERS, so if you haven't seen the film and want to go in not knowing anything more than you've already accidentally learned from social media, save this one for later. Overall we had a lot of fun with Jawan and are thrilled for SRK that it's a success and, more importantly, that he seems to be having fun continuing his string of experiments. But like Pathaan, neither of us...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 56
This week we look at three films depicting women who have interesting jobs...but more importantly, these films are stories of women whose jobs lead to very interesting things! This may be the biggest range of films in any one episode of this podcast so far, covering almost 60 years and including 3 different language industries: • Mahanagar (Satyajit Ray, 1963, Bengali) • Umbartha (Jabbar Patel, 1982, Marathi) • Shakuntala Devi (Anu Menon, 2020, Hindi) While we don't think a woman's job outside t...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 55
How time flies! Filmi Ladies has just turned 1 year old and we recorded a special Anniversary episode. We wanted to do something different so we asked for questions from our subscribers and also compiled a list of questions to ask each other! Much laughter ensued as we had a fun conversation. Due to the length of our baat-cheet, we had to split the episode into two parts. This is part one. We hope you enjoy listening/watching as much as we enjoyed recording it. Thank you for celebrating with us!...
Aug 30, 2023•45 min•Ep. 54
How time flies! Filmi Ladies has just turned 1 year old and so we recorded a special Anniversary episode. We wanted to do something different so we asked for questions from our subscribers and also compiled a list of questions to ask each other! Much laughter ensued as we had a fun conversation. Due to the length of our baat-cheet, we had to split the episode into two parts. This is part one. We hope you enjoy listening/watching as much as we enjoyed recording it. Thank you for celebrating with ...
Aug 23, 2023•38 min•Ep. 53
Are there any items in King Khan's filmography that don't get discussed all day every day? Yes, as it turns out, and many of them cluster in a few years on either side of the millennium when he was making so many films that some of them have been lost in the shuffle. Pitu chose Asoka—weird, beautiful, sexy Asoka—and Beth chose Josh—straightforward Shakespearean masala with a lovely sibling relationship at its core. Leave your vote for underappreciated/under-discussed SRK films in the comments! I...
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 52
What do Barbie, Zoolander, Pinocchio and The Velveteen Rabbit have in common? They're all about non-living things (except for Zoolander who's living but kinda a caricature) that come alive and try to grapple with their newfound mortality. This episode contains discussions on Fashion! Walk Offs/Beach Offs! Being ridiculously good looking! Finding a Purpose! The Patriarchy! What it feels like to not matter or belong! Dance moves! In short, A LOT OF THINGS. We're calling this episode Barbielander a...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 51
* SPOILERS * Don't snooj on KJo's newest, whether you're in it for Shabana and Dharmendra or Alia and Ranveer. While a few characters felt very underwritten, overall we both appreciated some of what the script put forward and definitely loved the performances. On the other hand, we were not in it for the songs, which we mostly found disappointing. Tell us in the comments: • Where does this fall on your personal rankings of KJo films? • Do you agree with Pitu that this film has very K3G bones? • ...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 50
Enigmatic, ethereal fashion icon known for her distinctive haircut, Sadhana is the superstar we talk about in this episode. In her heydey of the mid-60s, she headlined several blockbusters that are now considered classics - Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya and Anita, along with a very glamorous role in Bollywood's first multi-starrer Waqt. We also discuss Inteqaam and Hum Dono. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple...
Jul 26, 2023•56 min•Ep. 49
Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera has turned 10, and we are as eager to discuss it as an art thief is to find an unsuspecting zamindar! Everything has held up beautifully: the casting, the performances, the music, the visuals, the story.... It's a romantic, maybe naive little world, split into two parts that complement each other perfectly. What stands out most about #Lootera for you? Read the O. Henry short story "The Last Leaf" on Projected Gutenberg (and while you're there, nab a ton of other co...
Jul 19, 2023•48 min•Ep. 48
Lust Stories is back! And unfortunately we wouldn't say it's better. Nevertheless, the stories are interesting, and we get a good variety. One could argue most of the stories are not even about lust. Did you watch it Lust Stories 2? What did you think and which one was your favorite? Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18 Apple Podcasts https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/filmi-ladies/aacadcfe-4195-40a4-ba16-e528118ec892 or Google Podcast...
Jul 12, 2023•53 min•Ep. 47
Yash Chopra's proto-masala masterpiece Waqt truly has it all: a cast of thousands woven together by an intricate yet careful plot, beautiful music, wonderful style, and a strong point of view. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/filmi-ladies/id1642425062 @filmiladies on Instagram and Twitter Pitu is @pitusultan on Instagram Beth is @bethlovesbolly on Twitter Email us at filmiladies at gm...
Jul 04, 2023•46 min•Ep. 46
She's one of Indian cinema's most gifted actresses, a superb dancer, a fitness and beauty icon, a polyglot, a fashion queen, a queer icon, a legend who keeps reinventing herself...the list is endless. In this episode we celebrate the one and only Rekha! Movies discussed: Ghar, Khubsoorat, and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. Special thanks to our wonderful guest Sal for her always insightful commentary. Follow her on twitter for more truly insightful film commentary @salandthebadpun. Which is your favorit...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 45
With her loosely braided long hair, impish smile and powerhouse performances, Jaya Bhaduri became one of Hindi cinema's biggest (if unlikely) stars. At her peak, she played spunky firebrands and sensitive girls next door to much adulation. In her later years, she played the (often weepy) mother in many films. We discuss Abhimaan, Anamika, Guddi, Kora Kagaz and Koshish. We also discuss her off-screen grumpy camel persona and hope she doesn't admonish us. 🐪 What are your favorite Jaya movies or r...
Jun 21, 2023•50 min•Ep. 44
Whether beaks, claws, or fins, animals are humans' friends in Indian cinema. We discuss some of our favorite animal characters, their amazing skills, and the truly great tradition of snake films. Read Todd Statdman's great series Animalympics (be sure to go in reverse chronological order so you don't spoil yourself on the winner!) on his blog. https://diedangerdiediekill.blogspot.com/search/label/animalympics?updated-max=2009-10-28T07:00:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false...
Jun 14, 2023•54 min•Ep. 43
It will not surprise you to learn that we ADORE The Namesake, both book and film. Topics of discussion include: the Gangulys' relationship, the universal American-ness of the story, Golgol's imperfections, and Ashima's journey. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/filmi-ladies/id1642425062 @filmiladies on Instagram and Twitter Pitu is @pitusultan on Instagram Beth is @bethlovesbolly on Tw...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 42
Spoilers in this episode! We read Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, watched the 1940 Hithcock adaptation, then watched Biren Nag's 1964 Hindi adaptation Kohraa. There's much to love in all of them (especially the novel!), but, not surprisingly, Waheeda Rehman as the second Mrs de Winter is our favorite performance, complemented fantastically by Lalita Pawar. If only they'd cast someone else as Maxim. :/ What are your thoughts on this insecure heroine and her, um, slightly weird love of a man who is s...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 41
...and here's a companion piece to last week's episode: men characters we hold with great affection. Some of them elicit heart-eyes emojis, but others are just people who stand out in a good way. As with the previous discussion, good writing and good performances by actors we like are often a part of these choices, but we don't absolutely require it. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https: //podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-p...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 40
This week's episode is exactly what it says on the label: women characters we hold with great affection. They're not necessarily the best written or the most memorable, and we might not want to be friends with them, but we have a soft spot for them anyway. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https: //podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/filmi-ladies/aacadcfe-4195-40a4-ba 16-e528118ec892 @filmiladies on Instagram and Tw...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 39
This 1988 revenge drama starring goddess Rekha is, in our opinion, is an absolute masala masterpiece, touching on issues of self-determination, inner strength, the evils of greed, a walkoff over a decade before Zoolander, and, of course, gold lamé. What more could you possibly want? Oh, did you also want Kabir Bedi in a teeny swimsuit? Rakesh Roshan provides. Do we need t-shirts that say "Rekha can out-anything anybody. HOW DARE YOU?"? Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.co...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 38
Finally an Aishwarya film worthy of our queen! Pitu loved Ponniyin Selvan 2, but due to various annoying life circumstances Beth hasn't gotten to see it yet, so this is a very one-sided episode! We discuss the smoldering chemistry, how smart it was to film both parts in one fell swoop, and what other Indian historical eras we'd like to see on the big screen. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https: //podcastsconnect.apple....
May 03, 2023•54 min•Ep. 37
In which we discuss why certain stars (or not) have disappeared. Underneath it all, we're really just wondering why people we will never meet—but about whom we have thoughts and feelings!—make the decisions that they do. Perhaps the gossip experts and other keen analysts among you will be able to answer some of our questions. Tell us in the comments: are you, like Pitu, ready for the return of Chitrangda Singh, even if it's with Sara Ali Khan? Is Preity Zinta's Instagram enough of a presence for...
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 36
So far in our superstar series, we've discussed people that are consistently regarded by most as great actors. Now we come to an actor that we think was underrated, despite her fine performances in multiple languages, many genres, and many decades: Sharmila Tagore. Her films we discuss in detail are Devi, An Evening in Paris, and Barnali (available with English subtitles here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52BYscguxrY&feature=youtu.be), plus detours into our favorite hero pairings for her. ...
Apr 19, 2023•52 min•Ep. 35
We watched adaptations of Tagore's short story The Hungry Stones: the Bengali Kshudhita Pashan (1960, dir. Tapan Sinha) and the Hindi Lekin (1990, dir. Gulzar). While not as drastically different a pairing as Duvidha and Paheli, these two films create different worlds with the source material, a feat of creativity perhaps necessitated by the fact that Tagore left his story so unresolved. Strong casts, performances, music, production design, and overall artistic vision unite them. Apparently ther...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 34
Next up in our series about women superstars: Vyjayanthimala, forever the dancing princess of our hearts! The films in particular discussion are Amrapali, Devdas, and Nagin. (The latter two and a few more of her films are available on the fantastic Tommydan55 channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tommydan55/search?query=vyjayanthimala!) What are your favorite Vyjayanthimala films? Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https://podc...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 33
