Mon, February 5 2024

Joram, the fourth feature film from director Devashish Makhija, juggles multiple tones and narratives. But is it successful at it? We discuss Manoj Bajpayee’s mostly silent central performance as a displaced tribal man running for his life, and the film’s heavy handed socio-political commentary. We also wonder if the movie would’ve worked better as a tight 90-minute thriller, and point out a worryingly regressive trend in Makhija’s films.

Fri, February 2 2024

Despite some intriguing elements, Gippy Grewal starrer Warning 2 is a sequel that fails to do more than take forward a needlessly complicated circle of revenge.

Gippy Grewal’s latest Punjabi-language film Warning 2 (2024) picks up the threads from its predecessor Warning (2021), to take forward the revenge action drama. Directed by Amar Hundal, who directed Warning and Babbar (2022), Warning 2 plays to his strengths where he foregrounds slow-motion shots, stylised action choreography featuring tough looking goons, all held together by a threadbare screenplay. Warning left off at the point when Geja (Gippy Grewal) is imprisoned and comes to the same jail as Pamma (Prince Kanwaljit Singh). Geja is the top dog and the whole assortment of gangsters languishing in jail are itching for a chance to prove their worth. Pamma is fascinated by the tales of Geja’s gruesome killings wherein he learns about Geja’s past and how, predictably, he set out to take revenge for his family’s murder, which led him to a life of crime. When the prisoners are being transferred to another location, it presents a golden opportunity for the prisoners as well as the predators circling outside, to seize the opportunity and balance the scales.

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Thu, February 1 2024

Donald Glover’s new Prime Video series—inspired by the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie movie of the same name—is firing on all cylinders.

In early 2021, Emmy winners Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge—best known to TV audiences for creating and starring in the surreal and satirical Atlanta and the cringe comedy-drama Fleabag, respectively—announced that they were partnering up for their next series project. What would that collaboration result in? A reimagining of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-led 2005 action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Naturally, television lovers had a lot to be excited about, but the project lost some of its charm when Waller-Bridge dropped out later that year. Glover termed it “classic creative differences”. Two years and a bit later, the Amazon series—sans Waller-Bridge—has rolled in with eight episodes (I’ve seen all). It’s no classic, but it sure is a lot of fun.

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Tue, January 30 2024

Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, is hardly as offensive as director Sandeep Reddy Vanga probably intended it to be, but it’s aggravating on many levels nonetheless. We discuss the film’s infantile approach to its themes and Vanga’s dedication to being edgy at the expense of storytelling and character development. We also talk about the film’s unbearable length, inconsequential subplots, and the odd decision to not introduce Bobby Deol’s villain sooner. Along the way, we also talk about the numerous petulant attacks that Vanga has made on critics and how his neediness is reflected in the film.

Wed, January 24 2024

It’s unlike Band of Brothers and The Pacific in more ways than one—and possibly the last of its kind in the dusk of TV’s fading golden age.masters-ofthe

Ever since Apple unveiled its Netflix competitor roughly four years ago, it has shown an interest in big-budgeted prestige dramas in a bid to be a part of the conversation alongside the likes of HBO (House of the Dragon) and Amazon Prime Video (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power). But its attempts in the past have been a mixed bag. Save for the excellent trilingual Pachinko, Apple TV+ has failed to land a show that can establish it as a powerhouse. It hasn’t stopped trying, but its many attempts—For All Mankind, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Foundation, Invasion, or See—have been on a gradual scale of satisfying to utterly unwatchable. Enter its latest and most expensive gamble, made on a reported budget of $250 million: Masters of the Air.

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Mon, January 22 2024

Is Salaar the worst movie we’ve covered on the podcast? It might be. We discuss the incomprehensible plotting, Prashanth Neel’s overwhelming direction, and debate about the film’s three major action set-pieces.

Fri, January 12 2024

Shockingly, Tiger 3—the fifth overall instalment in the YRF Spy Universe—isn’t entirely unwatchable. But the movie could’ve been so much better with just about any other star in the lead role instead of Salman Khan, who not only struggles to emote but also seems pained to move physically. We talk about the film’s Pathaan-like progressive politics, flat visual effects, and Emraan Hashmi’s performance as the villain. We also discuss Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo and wonder why even he wasn’t able to elevate the film.

Thu, January 11 2024

A persistent serving of melodrama and a jar of convenience overwhelm the rare tongue-in-cheek black comedy bits in this dish.

Killer Soup—the new Netflix series led by Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sensharma—has a fairly good idea of the recipe it’s going for: three to four cups of blood, a splash of dark comedy, and a pinch of camp. More or less along the lines of what Bill Hader gave us on Barry, Noah Hawley’s anthology series Fargo, or Martin McDonagh with In Bruges or The Banshees of Inisherin. But just like Bajpayee in the eighth and final episode, Killer Soup spills a whole can of an ingredient that was meant to be used sparingly. In effect, we end up with an entirely different dish altogether. Over and over, the Netflix series swings wildly into histrionics territory, finding itself further and further away from its genre ambitions. By the end, it’s chaotically overcooked.

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Wed, January 10 2024

Good thing Echo has been handed Marvel’s new label for a standalone series. It means you can ignore it and move on with your life.

In 2023, the overlords of Marvel (finally) realised they had overdone it. After seven movies and seven series in a two-year period—most of which have been utterly forgettable, severely bloated, or downright terrible—he hadn’t overseen, returning Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to slow things down at the superhero giant, worried that Marvel itself may be the biggest contributor to the much-touted phenomenon: superhero fatigue. Under Iger, finished shows have been put on the back burner, scripts have been thrown out and creative teams redrawn, and the 2024 calendar is all but empty. It’s set to be one of the leanest Marvel years, with just one confirmed live-action show (Echo) and film (Deadpool 3) so far. (Though some of that is also thanks to the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023.)

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Wed, January 3 2024

Is 12th Fail actually one of the best Hindi movies of 2023 or is it massively overrated? We find ourselves wondering why writer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s latest film is getting rave reviews, because all we could see was a deeply problematic, all too simplistic story about a young man let down by society. We also talk about Vikrant Massey’s performance, and the egregious brown-face makeup that he’s been coated with. Along the way, we discuss the film’s flawed perspective and disinterest in examining the more complex aspects of what is an undoubtedly stirring true story.

Sun, October 22 2023

Gippy Grewal’s latest comedy film is an entertainer that highlights the prejudice faced by differently-abled people.

Comedy has become the genre synonymous with Punjabi cinema, and director Smeep Kang’s latest Punjabi-language feature starring Gippy Grewal, Binnu Dhillon and Karamjit Anmol is a fun, family film that comes with a social message. Kang has already delivered a blockbuster hit earlier this year with another Gippy Grewal-starrer, Carry On Jatta 3 (2023), followed by the recent Ammy Virk-starrer Gaddi Jaandi Ae Chalaangaan Maardi (2023). His latest offering, Maujaan Hi Maujaan, fully makes use of the rib-tickling performances of the actors to keep audiences amused. Orphaned at an early age, three differently-abled brothers, Karan (Gippy Grewal), Soni (Binnu Dhillon), and Jassi (Karamjit Anmol) have brought up their sister Aman (Hashneen Chauhan) with a lot of love and wish to get her married. She is in love with Jimmy (Jimmy Sharma) but Jimmy’s father, Shamsher Singh Brar, (Yograj Singh) is prejudiced against differently-abled people and will never allow his son to marry into the family.

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