In our first book club episode, we discuss Rishi Kapoor's 2017 auobiography Khullam Khulla (written with Meena Iyer). If you love vintage film world gossip as much as we do, this is the book for you! At times overly honest and at others strangely (or not) quiet, Rishi's observations of his own career and the cinema worlds he has experienced are fascinating and insightful. Long live the jumper-wearing tea-spilling qawwali king! 👑 Book website: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/khullam-khull...
Mar 29, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 32
In this episode, we discuss each of our number one favorite Hindi film! Even though they're very different films—different eras, different types of directors, though one cast member in common!—we find fascinating common ground. Tell us your very favorite Hindi film in the comments, and if we've seen it we will tell you one thing we like about it too! Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https: //podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-p...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 31
Duvidha (1973) and Paheli (2005): two very different films from the same source material, both fantastically successful in their own ways. Lots of spoilers in this episode! 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 Twitter Pitu is @pitusultan on Instagram Beth is @bethlovesbolly on Twitter Email us a...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 30
FINALLY we 1) have as guest star the truly wise, witty, funny, and delightful Sal (twitter: @salandthebadpun) 2) dig into Bengali cinema 3) try to enact dramatic poses inspired by our subject matter (spoiler: one of us fails utterly) Suchitra Sen is a unique figure in Indian cinema: she's the sine qua non of Bengali films (no one woman is as critical to an entire body of a language cinema as she), she is highly regarded in both Bengali and Hindi cinema, she resolutely sculpted her professional i...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 8 min
After learning that we both love Feroz Khan, we knew we had to do an episode on his films! We love his stylish, action-packed, surprisingly complex and nonjudgmental films in which MORE IS MORE! Or as Pitu phrases it, "Why half-a*s anything when you can go for the jugular?" This episode focuses on Qurbani, which maybe gets Beth's vote for most iconic FK film, and Janbaaz, because how can you resist a film with Dimple Kapadia AND Rekha AND Sridevi?!? Our Feroz Khan song playlist will make you coo...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 25
We discuss the new Netflix documentary series The Romantics plus some other Yash Chopra-related topics. Tell us in the comments: Did #TheRomanticsOnNetflix make you think or feel differently about any Yash Chopra or YRF films? Did you need this many clips of Mohabbatein? Were you annoyed that Juhi and Madhuri were included only briefly? And do you agree comedy uncle side plots are for the weak (and if so, do you want that on a t-shirt? Beth might)? "Netflix’s The Romantics takes you inside the w...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 27
Happy Galentine's Day (a day late) to all our filmi ladies of every gender identity! Today's episode looks at women's friendships in Hindi cinema. There are very few films that focus on this incredibly important aspect of life, but we found a few—and many more that have it in the background or as a surprising bit of texture. Beth apologizes to all Parks and Rec purists for misremembering that this special holiday hinges on WAFFLES, not pancakes. But she hopes Leslie would forgive this mistake an...
Feb 19, 2023•53 min•Ep. 26
👏🏽 We guarantee you will be singing your heart out by the time this episode ends: very very special guest Sujoy from the Khandaan Podcast joined us to talk about film qawwalis! The king of the qawwali? You won't even need 3 guesses. 👏🏽 👑 👏🏽 Here's our playlist, which includes our favorites plus everything submitted to us on twitter! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB10c826q9S6SP2aysNW8L2HpjI4Tye9U Thank you to everyone who suggested songs: Kay Matthews, Amaluu, Get Filmy, Manish (I...
Feb 08, 2023•52 min•Ep. 25
#PATHAAN We saw it and we loved it! Highlights of our conversation: • his hair • loving Dimple Kapadia • being pleasantly surprised by John Abraham • taking joy in everyone else's joy in this film • the insanity of living with this level of stardom • what this film can teach you about your career potential The Cakes of Bollywood Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cakesfrombollywood/ (also Tumblr https://tooreluctantacademic.tumblr.com/) and interview in Outlook with creator (and mega friend) Ad...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 24
The extremely talented and wonderfully luminous Nutan is next up on our series on women superstars of Hindi cinema! Both hosts are relative newbies when it comes to Nutan's career, so come along with us as we start learning. We watched Tere Ghar Ke Samne (delightful concoction!), Saudagar (impactful feminist drama!), and Saraswatichandra (self-sacrificial dreck—AVOID YAAR). What Nutan films should we see next? Also discussed: • Study Nutan's illustrious branch in the Ganguly-Mukherjee-Samarth-Ch...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 20
This week's episode is a general catch-up on the films—and tv—we've been watching in the last few weeks. Some are great, some are meh, and others are full AVOID YAAR. 🙅🏽♀️ 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 Twitter Pitu is @pitusultan on Instagram Beth is @bethlovesbolly on Twitter Email us...
Jan 18, 2023•59 min•Ep. 22
Filmi lady Isha from the amazing Instagram account @DesiDrapes joins us to discuss #sarees in Indian cinema! She drops some fantastic knowledge and opinons as we think about sarees from different eras, costume designers—including the great (and we do mean great) Bhanu Athaiya, who is responsible for so many iconic looks—directors, and performers. Isha really knows what she's talking about, and she's using her platform to uplift artisans and handloom! Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 22
What happens when a performer plays against type? We talk through what it can mean for Hindi film stars to go actively against what they're known for—instead of just doing something that's different from other things they've done—and a zillion examples of people doing things we don't expect. 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-e528118ec...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 20
"Party song" is a concept we all think we understand, but this decades-old building block of Hindi cinema deserves a closer look. The one and only Amrita from www.youtube.com/@khandaan-abollywoodpodcast3134 is here to be the party police—in a GOOD way—and offers a great working definition that we expand across the years and look at songs from the 1960s through today. Her definition starts at 0:01:15 and it's quite brilliant. Pitu adds more crucial ingredients starting at 0:03:20, including the i...
Dec 28, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 19
Call us TV Ladies this week! We're talking about two of Shah Rukh Khan's early tv shows: #Fauji (1988)and Doosra Keval (1989). One of these not good, even though he is charismatic in it. The other is...flawed but with good bones and ideas, even though everyone but him is meh to bad in it and he absolutely steals the show. I say, chaps! Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Google or Apple Podcasts https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcast...
Dec 21, 2022•49 min•Ep. 18
What can we say? She's so talented, so funny, so beautiful, so lush! We deliberately chose some less-discussed movies from her filmography: yes, we do Mahal (1949), but we also look at Mr & Mrs '55 (a 1955 comedy with...Guru Dutt?!?) and Phagun (1958, with Pitu's non-favorite Bharat Bhushan). Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 Google or Apple Podcasts https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/filmi-ladies/aacadcfe-4195-40a4-ba16...
Dec 14, 2022•44 min•Ep. 17
We LOVED Anvita Dutt's new film #Qala on #Netflix...until we didn't, though we have different reasons for that. Yes: having a point of view, evocative design, complicated mother-daughter relationships, #TriptiDimri and #AnvitaDutt generally. No: not trusting your audience will get the aforementioned point of view Never again: films about messed-up artists This episode contains significant spoilers! (You can assume that for our discussions going forward, honestly.) Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Sp...
Dec 07, 2022•46 min•Ep. 16
Pitu watched #Bhediya in the cinema, then ran straight home to do this episode! To recap: SHE LOVES IT! We discuss the Ramsay Brothers oeuvre and other Indian monster-y films (namely #Junoon) and wish there were more were-creature things to watch. Tell us your favorite Indian creature features and gush over Bhediya with Pitu in the comments on Youtube https://youtu.be/JYyRDXVWWPw . 🐺 Read Beth's thoughts on #Junoon at the Cultural Gutter: https://culturalgutter.com/2021/07/15/junoon/. Watch Axo...
Nov 30, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 15
Have you ever caught yourself crying "But I like it!!!" when somebody tells you you're wrong to love a certain film? Welcome to the internet. In this episode, we discuss films we love that everyone else seems to hate. (Bear in mind "hate" seems to depend on what reviews you read or what corner of Twitter you lurk on.) We start the episode with the results of Beth posing this question to Twitter, and the themes that emerge may surprise you. Then Pitu and Beth share theirs. Spoiler: there's very l...
Nov 23, 2022•52 min•Ep. 13
This is going to be all opinions all the time: films and people from Hindi cinema that everyone loves...but we don't. We really, really don't. We do not always agree with each other here but found some very important common ground. Hint: he's very, very drunk. Quotable quotes: "No Beth nooooo you're wrong!!!!!" and "Shriekingly hideous." Beth apologies for having to look away from the camera to consult Wikipedia on a few topics while Pitu is talking. Pitu encourages you to use the word "chichora...
Nov 16, 2022•43 min•Ep. 12
💃🏾 The character so iconic that there's an emoji for her! Special guest Luncheroni joins us to revel in the sequins, cigarettes, and sin of Hindi cinema's greatest bad women. Watch the interview with Prof. Ranjani Mazumdar about Helen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0RGl-FKD9M&list=WL&index=29 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...
Nov 09, 2022•57 min•Ep. 12
👻 Spooky season winds down with a discussion of Go Goa Gone (Hindi, 2013) and Zombivli (Marathi, 2022) We talk about how their settings work (or don't), the infections as social commentary, and other scary movies. What are your favorite Indian horror films? Ask your local library to get the book Beth wrote for! It also features work by Professor Aditi Sen (@senaditi on Twitter, @aditisen5571 on Instagram), who is Beth's go-to expert on the topic of Hindi horror films. Bollywood Horrors: Religio...
Nov 02, 2022•37 min•Ep. 11
* contains spoilers* He's baaaack! Filmmaker, writer, and journalist Nihit Bhave (Sacred Games, Choked, Dobaaraa, Phir Kabhi) returns to discuss the new Kannada smash hit Kantara. Nihit and Pitu both loved this "divine blockbuster"—kya tagline! It's beautiful, it's fascinating, it's hyper-specific, and it's utterly unique. (Beth plays moderator in this non-debate because she didn't get to see the film yet—but she WILL see it for sure!) Other films we mention: Fandry and others by Nagraj Manjule,...
Oct 26, 2022•51 min•Ep. 10
Next up in our series Women Superstars of Indian Cinema: Waheeda Rehman! We LOVE Waheeda Rehman—and frankly we're not sure we can be friends with anyone who doesn't, but does such a person even exist? The major films discussed today are Guide (1965) Kohraa (1964), and CID (1956, her first Hindi role). Neither of us could handle a rewatch of Pyaasa or Kagaaz Ke Phool, no matter how great they are. It seems like this series is also, inadvertently, going to include at least one truly annoying man p...
Oct 19, 2022•40 min•Ep. 9
Delightful and very smart filmmaker, writer, and journalist Nihit Bhave (Sacred Games, Choked, Dobaaraa, Phir Kabhi) joins us to talk about Hindi films with LGBTQIA+ stories and characters. The new Madhuri Dixie film Maja Ma is the major topic of conversation, and we also cover about Badhaai Do (YAY!), Kapoor and Sons (yay?), Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (...not yay), and Karan Johar (NOT YAY except for his short in Bombay Talkies). Follow Nihit on Twitter at @misterbistar. #madhuridixit #anandti...
Oct 12, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 8
Along with everyone else in the Indian cinema universe, we watched Ponniyin Selvan! This epic historical family drama and action film is a big hit for us, despite our utter ignorance about the real history and novel...and Tamil cinema generally. We apologize profusely for our mispronunciation of names and for forgetting to mention the very helpful animals that were such a delight! What other Vikram films should we watch? And what historical dramas are your favorites? Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on...
Oct 05, 2022•34 min•Ep. 7
We think Indian cinema contexts are perfect for the novels of Jane Austen! Special guest star Amrita from the Khandaan Podcast joins us to talk about Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), Bride and Prejudice (2004), and Aisha (2010). Are there more Indian Austen adaptations that we didn't find? Let us know! We WANT more, that's for sure. Listen to Khandaan, Amrita's regular podcast, on all major platforms and join their fun Patreon. And check out her book channel here on YouTube: https://www.youtube...
Sep 27, 2022•45 min•Ep. 6
* contains spoilers * We saw—and really enjoyed—Brahmastra, even though its leading filmi lady is a bit of a dud. Likes: the action, the bull, Amitabh Bachchan with a lightsaber. Dislikes: the songs, the romance, the dialogues. VERY worth a trip to the cinema! 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-ba16-e528118ec892 @filmiladies on Instagram and ...
Sep 21, 2022•45 min•Ep. 5
NARGIS is first up in our series Women Superstars of Indian Cinema! Tell us your favorite of her films, especially if it isn't with Raj Kapoor. 🙄 Pitu rewatched her beloved Chori Chori (1956), Beth watched Nargis's first lead role in Taqdeer (1943), and we discuss what makes Nargis special and how she fits in the cinema pantheon. Read more about Nargis on Upper Stall by film historian Karan Bali. https://upperstall.com/profile/luminary/nargis/ The academic writing Beth discusses (and recommends...
Sep 14, 2022•33 min•Ep. 4
Filmi Ladies love Shah Rukh Khan! We discuss our own fandom, favorite films (and not), and what we love about him (and not). 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 Twitter Pitu is @pitusultan on Instagram Beth is @bethlovesbolly on Twitter Email us at filmiladies at gmail Our logo was designed by ...
Sep 07, 2022•40 min•Ep. 3
