This is our longest episode yet, and it had to be in order to give this often underappreciated Kapoor the respect he deserves. Masala, parallel, and international films: he did them all, and he did them all very well. We also discuss the very important question of what ice cream flavor each of the first four Kapoors would be. Films in focus this episode: The Householder, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Aa Gale Lag Ja, Suhaag,* Heat and Dust, and New Delhi Times. * Note: Beth misspoke about Rekha's line of ...
May 22, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 92
What do we say about Shabana Azmi that hasn't been said before? Whether the movie is good, bad or ridiculous, she is always great! We watched a whopping 7 films for this episode, some parallel, some masala and she was fab in every single one. Beth watched Ankur, Lorie, Lahu Ke Do Rang, and Khoon Ki Pukaar. Pitu watched Arth, Mandi, and Swami. We discuss her nuanced acting, her emotional scenes, her restraint, innate dignity, her power to the people song from Parvarish, her chemistry with her co-...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 91
We discuss the second son of Prithviraj Kapoor - Shammi, a giant superstar who brought flamboyance, giddy delight and uninhibited, joyous dancing to Hindi cinema. His career can be divided into two phases - his "hero" phase and his supporting actor phase where he played dad/cop/uncle or extremely skilled plastic surgeon. We discuss Mem Sahib (1956), Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Brahmachari (1968), and Bundal Baaz (1976). What are your favorite Shammi Kapoor films? Do watch the puppy birthday song f...
May 08, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 90
We discuss Kiran Rao's second directorial venture "Laapataa Ladies", a film about two newlywed brides who are lost. We enjoyed this sweet, witty and heartwarming tale a lot, and couldn't stop raving about the story, direction and performances. Did you watch Laapataa Ladies? What did you think? 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 Twi...
May 01, 2024•53 min•Ep. 89
When you're talking about Indian movies, he's a cine qua non [note from editor: stop it]: Raj Kapoor (1924–1988). We look at Shree 420, Chori Chori, and Aah, with detours into Sangam, Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, Prem Rog, and, yes, Ram Tere Ganga Maili. • We love how his films always have ideas and messages, especially the socialist ones! • Why does Nargis's departure from his life seem to turn him into a dirty old man when he's behind the camera? • And why does he seem to go downhill in the color f...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 88
On today's episode we discuss the Filmi Jodi of Amar Singh Chamkila and his singing partner and wife Amarjot. This Netflix biopic is a meeting of three genius minds: director Imtiaz Ali, music composer A R Rahman and actor/singer Diljit Dosanjh. Tell us: • Do you like biopics in general? • What did you think of Chamkila? • Were you familiar with Chamkila before watching the movie? • How do you feel about Imtiaz Ali movies? We stay pretty on track in this one, but a few other films pop up briefly...
Apr 17, 2024•58 min•Ep. 87
Today we're launching a new series on the first family of Hindi cinema: THE KAPOORS! Founding great-granddaddy Prithviraj (1906–1972) has an incredibly filmi beginning: once plucked from a line of extras by a heroine for his sizzling looks, he never looked back. He bridged the transition from silent films to talkies, became a superstar, managed an entire second career as the head of a traveling theater troupe, and was part of a network of industry figures whose names we still know today. To get ...
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 86
There's so much to love about 'Crew'! Bossladies, heist, hijinks, glamor, humor, Ila Arun remixes and so, so much gold! 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 gmail See our letterboxd for everything discussed on this podcast. https://...
Apr 03, 2024•58 min•Ep. 85
Today's episode celebrates the greatest of Indian superstars: the brilliant Sridevi! In a career spanning 50 years, she did 300 movies in 5 languages. Truly an icon for the ages! Our dear friend Amrita from Khandaan podcast joined us to talk about this effervescent and electric actress, a Filmi Ladies favorite! We focus on three of her Hindi hits: Amrita picked Chandni (1989), Pitu picked Mr India (1987) and Beth, for reasons she will explain, picked Jaani Dost?!? Tell us: which is your favorite...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 84
We discuss the new murder mystery on Netflix - Murder Mubarak, and end up discussing nepo babies, why it's dangerous to go to the gym, Sara Ali Khan's haircut, which drunk socialite we'd get lunch with, and the tea that club managers have on everyone. 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 ...
Mar 20, 2024•45 min•Ep. 83
It's high time we took a closer look at podcast favorite Kabir Bedi, who never quite had the career in India that we think he should have. He did, however, have QUITE the career internationally, doing a fascinating range of projects in Europe and the US. Pitu read his autobiography and has many fascinating details to report, we both watched some of his 1970s Hindi work plus his huge Italian hit Sandokan, and Beth revisited his work in the 80s James Bond film Octopussy (where his role is basicall...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 82
Re-united family! India Pakistan! Chiffon sarees! Riverdale vibes! Zayed Khan's crunchy wig! Shahrukh in vardi! Kabir Bedi's baritone! Sunil Shetty's ice blue contacts! Fantastic music! What does this movie not have? 👏🏾 We discuss Farah Khan's very memorable directorial debut as it turns 20 years old. The Filmi Ladies are also very grateful to this film for giving us our favorite Filmi phrase - Avoid Yaar! Do you enjoy Main Hoon Na? Tell us your favorite things about it! Subscribe to Filmi Lad...
Mar 06, 2024•59 min•Ep. 81
No fancy theme here: we're just catching up on what we've watched lately. Films under discussion: • 12th Fail 2023 • Dono 2023 • Pushpa 2021 • Kedarnath 2018 • Naach 2004 • Kaun? Kaisey? 1983 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 gma...
Feb 28, 2024•51 min•Ep. 80
It's 2024 and if women aren't angry or wrathful they're just not paying attention. The women in our chosen films (some human, one superhuman) are definitely paying attention, and are rampaging against the men who have wronged them. Tell us - • How do you feel about Mirch Masala? Would be able to withstand The Wrath of Smita? • Is this Naseer's finest antagonist role? • How do you feel about naagin movies and which is your favorite? • Are you bewildered by the lack of a Kapoor in Naagin? Subscrib...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 79
We discuss the characters of Sharaabi (1984) and Udta Punjab (2016) - who are drinking and drugging themselves to death, all day every day, with no intention of stopping anytime soon. We also discuss Indian cinema's most infamous drunk - one Mr Devdas in all his filmi appearances. Tell us - which movies and movie characters do you associate with gluttony? Is Kareena Kapoor the second best Kapoor doctor after Pitu's favorite surgeon Shammi Kapoor? Do we need more Diljit Dosanjh movies? Is Thodisi...
Feb 14, 2024•55 min•Ep. 78
Oh the irony: it took us a lot of brainpower to come up with two films that have much to do with sloth! Perhaps because lazy people are harder to make cinematically interesting? Hmmm. We went with two films from what sure seems like the peak era of slacker dudes in Hindi cinema: Wake Up Sid (2009) and Delhi Belly (2011). Stray thoughts include: • what makes the non-action of sloth so sinful? • do women get to be as slothful as men? • isn't Vijay Raaz the absolute best? Subscribe to Filmi Ladies ...
Feb 07, 2024•54 min•Ep. 77
Desire that makes you act in very bad ways: it's happened to everyone. Specifically, it's happened to the characters in Maqbool (2004) and Silsila (1981). Tell us - • How do you feel about Silsila and its scandalous casting? Would an Amitabh-Smita-Parveen cast have worked as well? • Do you buy Shashi as an Air Force officer? • Is Tabu the best femme fatale we've seen on screen? • Is the Tabu-Irrfan the most unexpected sizzling pair we've seen? • Rekha's outfits and makeup! Subscribe to Filmi Lad...
Jan 31, 2024•55 min•Ep. 76
This episode is all about people wanting to destroy one another - which makes for great cinema! We each brought two films to discuss: • Chokher Bali (one of Pitu's favorites), • Aaina (because Amrita Singh ❤️) • Student of the Year (which has aged better than Beth thought it would), and • Qala (so mesmerizing a descent). Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/filmi-ladies/id1642425062 @film...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 75
Two masala gems came to mind when we thought about greed: Bluffmaster! (2005) and Judaai (1997). On the surface these stories are about wanting money, but both of them have more to say about material gain entices people to act out of line with what society demands. Both films are also full of great performances, but, unsurprisingly, we spend most of our time gushing over Sridevi and Urmila. Subscribe to Filmi Ladies on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7Ib9C1X5ObvN18u9WR0TK9 or Apple Podcast...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 74
We discuss what it means to be prideful and why that's bad through the characters in our chosen movies Kalyug (1981) and Raincoat (2004). Both films are film adaptations of literary source material. Kalyug is based on the mighty epic Mahabharata and Raincoat is based on O Henry's short story The Gift Of The Magi. While Kalyug has giant egos, warring families and machinations, Raincoat explores the softer side of a bruised ego and the little fibs and lies we tell to soothe ourselves and others. T...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 73
Some of our very favorite people had films in 2023, after several years of no releases. So we watched them—and maybe wished we hadn't? Pitu discusses Gadar 2 and Beth discusses Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, plus we each dig into a few of the films by Sunny Deol and Rani Mukerji that we like much better. 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 a...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 72
Pitu saw and loved Dunki; it's not playing near Beth, so she doesn't pipe up much until we get to a bigger discussion of Hirani's films. We also dip quickly into other things we've been watching and what's coming up on this podcast in 2024. 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 @bethlov...
Dec 27, 2023•57 min•Ep. 71
For all your holiday festivities, we investigate cakes in Hindi cinema, with the occasional amuse-bouches of other treats and feasts. Our special guest is Aditi Sen, collector of cake scenes and actual food historian, in addition to appreciator of the weird and wonderful in Indian movies. Follow Aditi's cake projects on tumblr https://tooreluctantacademic.tumblr.com and instagram https://www.instagram.com/cakesfrombollywood/. And read a great interview with her in Outlook, where she goes into mo...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 70
TL;DR (or should that be L): we are meh at best about this week's huge release and its various star spawn cast. We're more excited about some of the other things we've been watching, featuring Vicky Kakushal, Tabu, and Bhumi Pednekar. 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 @bethlovesboll...
Dec 13, 2023•59 min•Ep. 69
For such a short career on screen, the glamorous, charismatic Parveen Babi is indelible. In this episode, we focus on two films, Deewaar and Rang Birangi, and because her career was so shaped by her off-screen life, we discuss her experience of schizophrenia, sticking as closely possible to the facts of her experience of schizophrenia and how the film industry, quite frankly, failed her. Read Karishma Upadhyay's wonderful biography Parveen Babi: A Life! Available at Amazon and many other sellers...
Dec 06, 2023•59 min•Ep. 67
Commemorating 20 years of Shahrukh's turn as a tragic angel/Mary Poppins character in Kal Ho Na Ho! Borrowing a fair bit from two Hrishikesh Mukherjee films - Anand and Bawarchi - with a big heaping of Kjo masala, this is quite a melodrama set to a banger soundtrack by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. Tell us - would you befriend Naina or Rohit? Or are you interested in Sweetu and Jazz? How do we feel about the bickering mom and dadi? Is there enough crying or do you think we needed more? How do you feel abo...
Nov 29, 2023•58 min•Ep. 67
We choose two films in which dancing is a plot element: Disco Dancer and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. That's about all they have in common, other than being fairly lightweight concoctions that we enjoy very much. Episode breakdown: 30 minutes on Disco Dancer, another 10 or so on JBJ, then another 25+ on other films (Indian and otherwise) that are about dancing in some way, our favorite film dancers, etc. Tell us: • Does Disco Dancer have some of the best deaths of all time? • And is Rajesh Khanna doing ...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 66
We enjoyed doing our women at work episode so much, we followed it up with a men at work episode! In each of the movies we discuss, the protagonist's job or career is central to their self identity or to larger personal or societal issues. Sometimes that's good, other times it's bad, but it's never boring and it always leads to a lot of Filmi drama. Should you let your job define you? How do you navigate workplace ethics? What are the perils of ambition? What happens when the object of your work...
Nov 15, 2023•51 min•Ep. 62
We are celebrating Baazigar's 30th Anniversary with this episode! 30 years of Machiavellian Srk, vendetta, Abbas Mastaan's clever direction, big hair, colored contact lenses, weepy Rakhee, race cars and catchy music! Does Baazigar rank in your favorite SRK roles? 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 Ins...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 64
This Halloween, we bring you the very famous and much beloved Manichitrathazhu, along with its Hindi remake Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Even though they're technically not stories of the supernatural, the ghost vibes are real! Tell us - Which of the many remakes have you seen? Which is the best version? How do you feel about comedy uncles? Do you prefer the supernatural or the medical explanation? What other Shobana films would you recommend? Would you open locked, cursed rooms despite repeated warnings or...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 63
