Episode 16
Luck by Chance: A Cinematic Reflection on Nepotism and Struggle in Bollywood
Episode 15: Luck By Chance
Release Date: 2009
This is the first episode of our dual episodic series where we explore films based on Bollywood.
Luck By Chance is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Zoya Akhtar. It is her directorial debut. She also co-wrote the movie with her father, Javed Akhtar. The film stars her brother, Farhan Akhtar, in the lead role along with Konkana Sen Sharma.
When it was released, Luck By Chance flopped at the box office and received mixed critical reviews. Over the years, however, the movie has become a cult film, extremely popular with hardcore Bollywood fans.
Zoya and Ayan Mukherjee (Wake Up Sid) won the debutant director award. The movie is the most meta movie one can get in Bollywood—it blends humour, satire, and parody on the workings of the Bollywood industry. It has a plethora of cameos from the who’s who of Bollywood, including 17 A-listers, with Hrithik Roshan having an extended cameo.
Plot Summary:
The film’s plot revolves around the struggle of 2 outsiders trying to enter Bollywood as hero/heroine. Farhan Akhtar plays Vikram, who comes from Delhi to try his luck in Bollywood, and Konkana Sen Sharma plays Sona, a young girl who has escaped her small town life and marriage to try her luck as an actress in Bollywood. Rishi Kapoor plays the producer Romi Rolly, Juhi Chawla plays his wife, Dimple Kapadia plays the yesteryear actress Neena Walia, trying to get her daughter Nikki played by Isha Shravani her debut film with the hugely popular Zafar Khan by Hrithik Roshan. As Vikram and Sona try to find their way in Bollywood, the audience goes along with their journey and learns about the inner workings of Bollywood.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Favourite Scenes/Iconic Dialogues:
- Best opening credits in a Bollywood movie.
- Romi Rolly / Anurag Kashyap Scene - Oye Institute - Mein film festival ke liye nahi bana raha hoon
- All the cameos - Akshaye Khanna nails it
OutTakes:
- Irony of the Casting: The film is about struggling outsiders trying to get an entry into mainstream Bollywood. It's a movie made by nepotism kids starring nepotism kids—Zoya, Farhan, and Konkana.
- Soundtrack: One of the best soundtracks by SEL
- Bollywood Nostalgia: This film has so much Bollywood nostalgia - every frame has movie posters and meta references.
Trivia: All the trivia from this film is here.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-parade
License code: MIE1N7HAVI6KJOSG
Contact Us:
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Transcript
Hello and welcome to Talking Talkies.
Speaker A:We're your host Benny and Meenal and thank you for joining us.
Speaker A:It's been a long time since we recorded her last episode.
Speaker B:We keep saying this, we need to be better.
Speaker A:I know every time we do an episode I feel like we end up saying it's been a while since we spoke with you and I think that's what we're doing today as well.
Speaker A:So if you're listening to us for the first time, well, welcome.
Speaker A:And to our long time listeners who may or may not be frustrated with our long gaps between episodes, we apologize.
Speaker A:But you know, life.
Speaker A:So we thank you for, yeah, we thank you for tuning in.
Speaker A:And again, if you are not very familiar with this podcast, we talk about our movie, favorite movies but we also kind of, you know, take a step from that path and talk about any kind of any movie that really catches our fancy.
Speaker A:But we really, we don't do in depth dissections necessarily.
Speaker A:We just talk about what we loved about the film and the characters and anything else that is worth discussing about it.
Speaker A:So if you haven't watched the movies that we are going to be discussing about, well, we'll just let you know.
Speaker A:Spoilers ahead.
Speaker A:So you would best enjoy this episode if you first watch the movie and then you can come back to us.
Speaker A:But for this episode we are going to be talking about a movie that explains, explores Bollywood in a very nice, concise, very interesting way, let's put it.
Speaker A:And I don't want to reveal anything more because we'll get to discussing it.
Speaker A:But it is a movie that is a family affair in a way.
Speaker A:Yes, full fledged and interesting take on nepotism by some nepotism themselves.
Speaker A:So I'm referring to the movie Luck by Chance.
Speaker A:Honey.
Speaker B:Bed number seven.
Speaker B:He's collapsing.
Speaker A:Dr.
Speaker A:God.
Speaker B:So now Screen Killer will feel perfect now.
Speaker B:Hello listeners and this is Meenal here and I'm going to apologize again on our behalf for keeping such long gaps in our episodes.
Speaker B:But like Benny said, life happens, work happens, we have bills to pay.
Speaker B:So yeah, we're trying to be regular and hopefully we'll get better at it.
Speaker B: is Luck by Chance which was a: Speaker B:It was Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut.
Speaker B:She has co written the movie with her father Javed Akhtar.
Speaker B:It stars her brother Farhan Akhtar in the lead role with Konkana Sen Sharma.
Speaker B:Luck Bhai Chance actually flopped at the box office when it released and received mixed Critic reviews.
Speaker B:However, over the years the movie has gone on to become a cult classic or a cult film.
Speaker B:The because it's extremely popular with the hardcore Bollywood fans like me absolutely love all the references and the meta in this movie.
Speaker B: ho won it for Wake up Sid and: Speaker B:Actually, if you people can go, just check out the list of movies released.
Speaker B: very good movies released in: Speaker B:So Zoya did have tough competition.
Speaker B:The movie in my opinion is the most meta movie one can get on Bollywood.
Speaker B:It blends humor, satire and parody on the workings of Bollywood industry and it makes it really, really great.
Speaker B:Watch.
Speaker B:The film also has a plethora of cameos from the who's who of Bollywood and I think that was only possible because of Javed Akhtar being Javed Akhtar of the Saleem Javed fame.
Speaker B:And obviously they had access to all these Nepo kids who they grew up with Zoya and Farhan, which is why we see so many cameos in the film.
Speaker B:The synopsis of the film, it's essentially the story of the struggle of two outsiders trying to make an entry into Bollywood as hero and heroine.
Speaker B:Farhan Akhtar plays Vikram who comes from Delhi to try his luck in Bollywood and Konkana Sen Sharma plays Sona.
Speaker B:She's also a young girl who's escaped her small town life because she wants to make it big as a lead actress.
Speaker B:Rishi Kapoor plays the producer Romy Rolly.
Speaker B:Juhi Chawla plays his wife Minty and they make a great couple with great comic timing.
Speaker B:Dimple Kapadia plays the yesteryear actress Nina Walia who's trying to get her daughter Nikki Walia to debut.
Speaker B:Nikki Walia is played by Isha Shravani and she's trying to get her to debut with this hugely popular upcoming star, Zafar Khan, played by Hrithik Roshan.
Speaker B:As Vikram and Sona try to find their way in Bollywood, the audience goes along with their journey and learns about the inner workings of Bollywood.
Speaker B: as for me, because this was a: Speaker B:I watched it every time it's come on television at that point.
Speaker B:And I rewatched it recently because Benny, I was going through a great slump starting February where I couldn't get into any new Content, Content.
Speaker B:Any new series.
Speaker B: t of old Bollywood films from: Speaker B:So Luck by Chance was one of them.
Speaker B:And when I messaged you because I enjoyed it so much more again on a rewatch, I have realized you had never seen it.
Speaker B:So this is your first time?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:When you messaged me about it, I was like, is this like a K drama series or.
Speaker A:That was my question.
Speaker B:I was like, dude, you have to watch this.
Speaker B:Anyway, I am glad you did.
Speaker B:So I think we should kick off with your first impressions considering you're watching it, what, 16 years after its release.
Speaker B:So tell me your thoughts.
Speaker A:I will say that I like the film a lot.
Speaker A:I wouldn't say loved and I wouldn't say it was a bad film.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:And of course we'll talk about the scores later as we do at the end of the episode.
Speaker A:But I liked it a lot.
Speaker A:And I wonder to some extent if I couldn't really fully appreciate or fully love the film just because I'm not a natural Hindi film viewer.
Speaker A:Maybe there are some inside jokes or context, familiarity that I'm missing with Hindi films and which is why that prevented me from like going, you know, fully gaga over the film.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But I really enjoyed it for a lot of reasons.
Speaker A:I think the direction was really good because the story is very simple.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:You know, it's about these two individuals who want to make it big in the industry and how their fortunes are contrasting and how it affects the relationship.
Speaker A:So it's a very, you know, it can be summarized very simply.
Speaker A:And to make that really interesting, you know, you need to do, you know, the plot has to be really sharp, the characters have to be interesting and captivating and the performances have to be good.
Speaker A:And it also helps that you have cameos from some really well established stars.
Speaker A:And so I think Zoya did a great job with that.
Speaker A:And considering it's only her second film.
Speaker B:Her first film.
Speaker A:Her first, first film.
Speaker B:This is her first film.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Didn't she make Honeymoon Travels after that, prior to this?
Speaker B:Okay, after that, after that.
Speaker A:Well, full credit to her.
Speaker A:I mean, we can talk about all the connections in a short while, but you still have to do the job.
Speaker A:You still have to put in the work.
Speaker A:And I think she did.
Speaker A:And so all credit to her.
Speaker A:So yeah, my initial impression, you know, when I was watching it, I was like, it's a nice, comfortable, what cozy kind of film.
Speaker A:Which is not surprising given it's a Zoya actor film because two of my Favorite films from Bollywood in.
Speaker A:In recent years.
Speaker A:Well, not even recent years.
Speaker A:Let's say the last 15 years.
Speaker A:Among.
Speaker A:Among my favorite films, two of the films are from her.
Speaker A:Zindaginamide Ghidobara.
Speaker B:I guessed as much.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's a very personal film to me because it means so much to me and my wife.
Speaker A:And maybe we'll talk about it one day.
Speaker A:If we, if we do Z&MD one day we should.
Speaker A:But the other one, we should do.
Speaker B:DCH and Zayn MD today.
Speaker B:One day.
Speaker B:Yeah, Together.
Speaker B:Because for my generation, DCH is the cult film.
Speaker B:The generation after me, the younger ones, like the late 80s born or the 90s born rave by ZNMD.
Speaker B:And I go like, okay, I get it.
Speaker A:I loved both Dil Chatha Hai and Zindagina Mele Gitobar because it was two inflections in my life.
Speaker A:And I enjoyed it both, you know, at the stage of life.
Speaker A:I was it when both those films came out.
Speaker A:But the other film is Gully Boy.
Speaker A:I love Gully Boy.
Speaker B:I love Gully Boy.
Speaker A:So I'm not surprised that another film that I'm enjoying or have enjoyed now is also coming from Zoya.
Speaker A:There are certain things apart from what I mentioned earlier, like maybe lack of familiarity with just Hindi films in general, but there were also other things in the film that I feel prevented me from fully enjoying it.
Speaker A:Just awareness of who is making a film about.
Speaker A:About what people struggling in the industry.
Speaker A:And if I didn't know anything about the director and the actors, maybe I could have kind of got into it because there were some scenes I was like, it is it.
Speaker A:It prevented me from fully like identifying with the character because the actor playing the character, I was like, but did you go through the same struggles or, you know, like, you know, you may not have identified with this.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So like for instance, La La Land, which we have discussed in one of our previous episodes, when Emma Stone, you know, in that scene where she's auditioning.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:That scene was taken from a real life experience that I think Ryan Gosling went.
Speaker B:Ryan Gosling, Yes.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:But in this, when both Konkonasan and Farhan Akhtar, they portray certain scenes, I was like, these are affecting if I didn't know them.
Speaker A:And how they, you know, we'll talk about the individual actors because I don't want this to be a generalization that Nepo kids cannot truly identify with struggles or that they cannot portray these kind of roles because ultimately it comes down to how effectively they do it.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But I feel like that definitely played a part because I kept getting taken out of the movie at certain times.
Speaker A:Or I was like, but literally, this film is directed by your sister, co written by your dad, featuring cameos by actors that they are the right connections.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:If you didn't have the connections, would they have been there?
Speaker A:Like, would they have accepted to be part of this film?
Speaker A:So I don't know.
Speaker A:There were certain things like that, but that didn't prevent me from enjoying the film completely.
Speaker A:So I would say I'm glad I gave it a chance because I was like, I've not heard of this film at all until like a few weeks ago.
Speaker A:How?
Speaker B:How, Benny, how?
Speaker B:No, but I get it.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's probably like a favorite or like a go to classic for folks who watched it live in the theatre and who've grown up with Bollywood.
Speaker B:I've grown up with Bollywood at home.
Speaker B:My parents are big film, big puffs.
Speaker B:My family, my uncle will sit down and start narrating about the premieres they went for, how they stood in long queues.
Speaker B:And so we've grown up with stories of Bollywood and the stars and everything.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We as a family and as friends, we all love, love movies.
Speaker B:So we just enjoyed it a lot more.
Speaker B:And I was quite surprised when it flopped at the box office.
Speaker B:But I kind of got it as to why it would have flopped as well.
Speaker B:But I also expected just like Andaz apna apna, it flopped at the office box office and later on became this like cult movie where we, when we friends get together.
Speaker B:Not me as much, but my friends, when they get together, they start talking in those dialogues of Andaz apna apna.
Speaker B:Like they're conversing in those dialogues and they just keep throwing it in conversations, which is like, oh, okay, you register immediately.
Speaker B:So yeah, I think Luck by Chance is similar levels in that sense with the hardcore fans.
Speaker B:So, yeah, as for me, like I said, I loved it because it was like, oh my God.
Speaker B:The whole nuances around taking digs at what happens in Bollywood is just like, they nailed it.
Speaker B:They absolutely nailed it.
Speaker B:And I think what I felt, I mean, I understand it is the pacing of the film.
Speaker A:Yeah, I was gonna talk about that too.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So it, it falls off in some areas and it picks, it picks up again.
Speaker B:It drags, it picks up.
Speaker B:So I, I get that.
Speaker B:I, I get why the, in a theater, if you've gone, the pacing could have been a bit of a setback.
Speaker B:It could have been a much tighter film if she had cut down a few Few bits around it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But should we.
Speaker B:How do you want to play?
Speaker B:Do you want to play before.
Speaker A:So before we get into talking about the characters, favorite scenes, dialogues, any of that, let's just first broadly talk about the theme of the film itself.
Speaker A:Broadly, it's about struggles faced by not just by actors, but even the crew.
Speaker A:And that was a wonderful opening scene, which kind of.
Speaker A:Actually, this movie is bookended by a wonderful opening scene, slash, opening credits, but also the ending of the film, which I really, really loved by some wonderful acting by both Konkana Sen and Farhan.
Speaker A:There are some amazing divots in that, which I was watching and I was like, wow, that's just like, so brutally honest, but delivered in such a compassionate way.
Speaker A:Almost.
Speaker A:Anyway, so we'll get to that.
Speaker A:But, you know, so the opening credits, you know, it portrays all, you know, the different people, the different.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Crew that's involved in making of a film who don't really get attention otherwise.
Speaker A:So I thought that was nice.
Speaker A:But, yeah.
Speaker A:So this, this movie is about the inner workings of the Bollywood.
Speaker A:And because we are all so used to the glitz and glamour that's shoved in our faces.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:All the time.
Speaker A:That you can forget how people get to that stage.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:And it doesn't only focus on that, like, you know, people who are coming from different backgrounds and trying to make a name for themselves.
Speaker A:It also touches on people who come from a place of privilege.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:I think the, The.
Speaker A:The role portrayed by Isha Shravani.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And I think that is a very good example of someone who, you know, we always just think maybe all Neville kids just want to, like, act in films and, you know, like.
Speaker A:But maybe there are some of them who just feel obligated to because of family pressure or they don't know what else to do.
Speaker A:So I think this was a good topic and I think in a way it makes sense that someone with industry connections makes.
Speaker A:Made this film because who better understands it than someone who's so deeply entrenched in it.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker A:So when you first watched the film, I'm assuming you watched the film and it came out, right?
Speaker B:Yes, yes.
Speaker A:What was.
Speaker A:Because I'm watching it all these years later and obviously times have changed the way people consider nepotism these days, it's probably more pronounced these days.
Speaker A:People have much stronger feelings about it today than they probably had back then.
Speaker A:So for you, when you watched it, when it came out and you saw who's making this movie, who's starring, who's writing, and then the topic that they, topics that they've addressed in this film, what was your.
Speaker A:How did you feel about it?
Speaker A:I guess when it first came out.
Speaker B:So the irony hits you in your face, right?
Speaker B:You're like Konkana Sen Sharma is the daughter of Aparna Sen who's like a very, very highly, how do you say, acclaimed awarded actress who launched her in Mr.
Speaker B:And Mrs.
Speaker B:Iyer.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:So her mum launched her.
Speaker B:Farhan Akhtar had a great debut with Dil Chatha Hai and we know so.
Speaker B:And Zoya was a sister.
Speaker B:So it was very easy.
Speaker B:I felt like it was very easy for them to make this movie.
Speaker B:Probably I'm wrong and I'm sitting outside and judging, maybe it wasn't.
Speaker B:But to me the way that it impacted your viewing of the film, it didn't impact me at all to be honest because I just for the simple reason that Farhan had already established himself as a very good director and you know, as an actor.
Speaker B:So you kind of knew that he's got the talent for it.
Speaker B:Konkana I loved, absolutely loved.
Speaker B:So I would, I was in a phase where I would watch everything that Konkana starred in.
Speaker B:So I haven't missed a single movie of hers.
Speaker B:So I was like, wow, if it's Konkan, I'm going.
Speaker B:And it was written, co written by Javed Akhtar as well.
Speaker B:So all these are good names which you know that you'll come out with a satisfying, how do you say, satisfying feeling out of the film.
Speaker B:It will not be a complete flop.
Speaker B:It'll be pretty decent to watch and then to go in and see all the familiar faces that you know so well and you've watched them so many times on your screen and then them essaying those typical characters which you know exist in, in, in Bollywood.
Speaker B:I, like I said I was really enjoying all the meta references.
Speaker B:So there's Anurag Kashyap in the film and now everybody knows how awesome Anurag Kashyap is, right?
Speaker B:But Gangs of Wasipur hadn't happened at that point.
Speaker B:And Anurag Kashyap was very much an artsy, non commercial kind of his.
Speaker B:His film I knew was Black Friday which never got a release in India, I think.
Speaker B:Okay, so it was banned at that point.
Speaker B:So he was making films which were for the festivals and not for, not for commercial.
Speaker B:And Rishi Kapoor actually takes a dig in one of the scenes which is one of my favorite scenes they're talking about.
Speaker B:He's like, let's create a dilemma for the hero, you know, he's waiting for the.
Speaker B:He's going to get hanged.
Speaker B:And then he sees the nook, the hanging nook.
Speaker B:And then he's standing there and he's like, what do I do?
Speaker B:What do I do?
Speaker B:Fasi kafanda as they call it.
Speaker B:And then he puts it on, you know, self realization and self actualization.
Speaker B:He says all these things and Rishi Kapoor gives him the look like, dude, like OI institute.
Speaker B:So if you've come from a film institute, OI institute, Film festival, Film ni banara.
Speaker B:So it was like a dig at Arakkashyap as well.
Speaker B:So all these things you understand, you're like, okay, how well Zoya must have thought about these things.
Speaker B:So these were the bits I was totally enjoying where Hrithik Roshan is kind of modeled on how Shah Rukh was in his years when he'd got success.
Speaker B:And he was like, he's often said that I'm the Persona Shah Rukh is.
Speaker B:I'm carrying the Persona of Shahrukh Khan.
Speaker B:I'm not Shah Rukh.
Speaker B:I have to protect the person of Shah Rukh Khan.
Speaker B:Like these are subtle digs that were being taken and unless you had followed the actors, listened to their interviews, you were not going to click.
Speaker B:It was not going to click you at that time as to who they were taking dicks at.
Speaker B:So I just had a blast connecting as to when has this happened?
Speaker B:Which movie did this happen with which interview did I hear this in?
Speaker B:So yeah, we had a blast in that sense that this is really nice.
Speaker B:I mean, the acting school scene, the opening scene where Farhan is in the acting school there used to be Ranveer Singh.
Speaker B:All everybody's gone to acting school.
Speaker B:And there were a couple of these famous guys known that if they went to the acting school, they were going to get a break in Bollywood.
Speaker B:And literally all he was talking was training them to do all the cringe stuff that happens in Bollywood because that's what they're after.
Speaker B:If you can't do that, you go do an art cinema, like commercial, mainstream is not going to accept you.
Speaker A:So there was a great dialogue in that, by the way, which was talking about how, you know, it's harder to act in Bollywood than it is in Hollywood because you have to learn how to dance.
Speaker A:You have to learn all these extra things that Hollywood like they don't have to.
Speaker A:So that really hits you.
Speaker A:Hollywood action.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And Saurabh Shukla is again a great actor.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So the way his dialogue delivery is and the way he's talking condescending to his students.
Speaker B:And the way he goes all out and praises Farhan, this is exactly what happens in those classes.
Speaker B:So if you go on YouTube and you see some of the BTS scenes from these classes, if somebody's put some old classes see clips there, this is exactly how it happens.
Speaker B:And that's why I felt that Zoya and Farhan, having grown up in that whole atmosphere, probably having grown up on the sets, knew what's going on.
Speaker B:What I did think is I know it's a story about Farhan and Konkana's character, right?
Speaker B:The actor and the actress.
Speaker B:She did touch upon some of the A crew, the supporting cast, in terms of the choreographer, assistant or the.
Speaker B:The journalist and the makeup guy who gives the gossip and things like that.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I had hoped, or maybe I was thinking that if she had focused on one of the assistant crew members story as a side story or as a subplot, maybe that would have.
Speaker B:Might have added some value to the film.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:But I felt like she focused only on the hero, heroine, right?
Speaker B:And that's all the people centered around them.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:I'm just thinking maybe that could have.
Speaker A:Connected with some other people and probably the choreographer who.
Speaker A:The act, the character of the choreographer, who is a friend of character, maybe she could have done more.
Speaker A:Has your feelings on the film itself changed on rewatch since then?
Speaker B:No, I liked it even more.
Speaker B:I liked it.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So it.
Speaker A:It has aged well for you then?
Speaker B:It has aged well.
Speaker B:Because, Benny, I'm really craving good Bollywood films, right?
Speaker B:Since Gully Boy, how many films like, we've had a handful.
Speaker B:12th fail and lapa ladies.
Speaker B:And actually, if you see 12th fail and lapa Ladies are not your typical commercial mainstream films either, right?
Speaker B:It doesn't star the big stars.
Speaker B:It doesn't have the big canvas.
Speaker B:These were made if.
Speaker B:If you were in the 80s when art cinema and commercial was clearly there was a clear distinction.
Speaker B:These two would have fallen under the art cinema kind of category.
Speaker B:Now we have blurred the lines, right, because we send them for festivals and the audience laps it up if it's a good film, things like that.
Speaker B:But I haven't seen like a proper commercial film in Bollywood become a great success where I've gone like, whoa, I love this so much, I could rewatch it.
Speaker B:So, yeah, that's why I think when I go back and I keep thinking, man, Bollywood is making such good films on completely different topics.
Speaker B:It wasn't following a formula.
Speaker B:And I don't mind formulaic films, mind you.
Speaker B:I enjoy them if made well.
Speaker B:But even that's not happening.
Speaker B: the old Bollywood and I think: Speaker B:So much variety happened on every aspect of filmmaking.
Speaker B:So yeah, I loved it.
Speaker A:Well, I'm glad that it has aged well now.
Speaker A:Obviously for me, I can only say from when I first saw it, which was literally days ago, three days ago.
Speaker A:But it was fascinating to me that nepotism was touched upon by, you know, the director, writer and actors.
Speaker A:Considering who, who's making this film, what is your view on the whole thing?
Speaker A:I know it's a hot topic for, you know, Indian cinema watchers in general.
Speaker A:You know, any industry within Indian cinema.
Speaker A:This is an issue that everyone has strong opinions on.
Speaker A:Where do you stand when it comes to the whole nepotism talk?
Speaker B:So I'm not totally anti nepo.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I think it's talent that matters.
Speaker B:Ultimately.
Speaker B:I do agree.
Speaker B:They, what I think I want them to do is acknowledge their privilege that if they were not from those connections or if they, if they were not from the film family, they wouldn't have got the breakthrough.
Speaker B:Okay, but like any other industry, okay, Benny, take if it's a family run business or you take a family of doctors or you take family of, I don't know, scientists, you tend to follow in the footsteps of the profession that you've known and grown up with, right?
Speaker B:So yeah, I think it's fair.
Speaker B:I don't think it's completely unfair to just say that, okay, he's a nepot, so no, he doesn't get deserve a chance.
Speaker B:That's not right.
Speaker B:Maybe he's talented.
Speaker B:Look at, look at all these guys.
Speaker B:Look at Hrithik Roshan, Farah, Nutar, Amir Khan Sharma.
Speaker B:They are all, they're all Nepo kids but they, they are ex, extremely talented at what they do.
Speaker B:So why, why would you not cast them in the films?
Speaker B:My challenge right now and why nepotism is getting to me is because the way Karan Johar markets all these Nepo kids and honestly, none of them have the talent, right?
Speaker B:Have you seen the Archies?
Speaker A:I have not.
Speaker A:I refuse to see.
Speaker B:No, no, you must watch.
Speaker B:You must watch because then you'll get your frustration that can the parents not see that their kids simply don't have the talent for the big screen?
Speaker B:Have you seen Nadanya?
Speaker B:Have you seen Nadanya?
Speaker B:Have you seen Anandhya Pandi?
Speaker A:Is that Cypher Khan son?
Speaker A:Yeah, no, I saw some clips of it, but no, I'm not.
Speaker B:Oh my God.
Speaker B:It's Saif Ali Khan's son and Sridevi's daughter.
Speaker B:Okay, I get it.
Speaker B:Saif himself wasn't great when he started off, right.
Speaker B:His early films are really bad.
Speaker B:But he grew as an actor and that's fine.
Speaker B:But my challenge, right, but my, how do you say, my struggle right now to accept the Nepo case is because when you're watching, OTT has opened up so many avenues, right, for web series and stuff.
Speaker B:And so you see so many talented guys who are making TV series, who are coming in web series, but who are not able to break through the Bollywood route simply because all these kids are getting more opportunities.
Speaker B:And I think that's unfair because, you know, they're not good actors, actresses.
Speaker A:Right, Yeah, I agree.
Speaker A:And I think like you mentioned, you know, when the Nepo kids are good, it's good.
Speaker A:It's fine, it's fine.
Speaker A:It's when they're bad, it draws attention to the fact like they've got an opportunity because again, non NEPA kids are ones with no filming background.
Speaker A:They have to prove themselves, right?
Speaker A:They have to go to auditions, they have to convince the people that they can act or they can sing, they can dance.
Speaker A:They have to really work hard on their, their talent to show that they have what it takes to, to make it.
Speaker A:And then, even then, the films have to succeed.
Speaker A:If there's one or two flops, like that's it, their career is done.
Speaker A:It's just the brutal world that they live in.
Speaker A:But the benefit of being an advocate is, yeah, you can be completely terrible, but you don't have to go through all the hoops.
Speaker A:You don't have to jump through all the hoops that the non filmy background people have to go through.
Speaker A:And then you can also survive maybe three, four, five films you can flop in a row and then the sixth one works and then now you're set.
Speaker A:It's just the standards are so different.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:For the Nepa kids.
Speaker A:And I can see that's where that frustration comes from.
Speaker A:Some actors shouldn't be acting at all, but they are like veterans, almost like they have survived for so many years that in any other industry which judges you purely on merit, they won't last for this long.
Speaker B:I agree.
Speaker A:And I think that's where it is.
Speaker B:I think where nepotism has gone against is the one person I think is Abhishek Bachchan.
Speaker B:Like he actually suffered with the fact that his father is the superstar of the first, like the second superstar of Bollywood.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:First was Rajesh Khan I think.
Speaker B:But Amitabh was the ultimate superstar of Bollywood.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I think Abhishek suffered and actually Abhishek is a very good actor.
Speaker B:I have liked most of Abhishek's films but he never got the big budget films or he never got like the big roles and I, I felt like he suffered a lot because of the complex or the whole shadow of being under his father.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:Right, right, yeah, that, that has impacted him in my opinion.
Speaker B:Well, if you see the now Karisma and Kareena as well, if you see the struggle Karisma went through versus what Kareena went through is quite different.
Speaker B:So Karishma really struggled in her early stage of the career as well.
Speaker B:She, even though she's from a Kapoor house, she was the first girl to act because the Kapoors don't allow the girls and the wives to act in films.
Speaker B:So she broke that norm and she made it so she had her own struggles.
Speaker B:Mind you, I didn't like both of them before but now I do over peter years I do like how they have transformed and the roles they did and how their careers took off.
Speaker B:So yeah, I mean not all are that lucky to be very honest.
Speaker B:A lot of them fail but I think right now there's this whole too much of only the nepokids because they're really bad actors and actresses but they keep getting opportunities, keep getting big budget films and I think the frustration is evident on the audience.
Speaker B:Audiences like can't care and I don't.
Speaker A:Think it's going to go away anywhere.
Speaker A:No, you got to take the good with the bad because I mean not just in Hindi films, even in South, South Indian cinema, in Tamil, the Tamil film industry which I'm more familiar with, there are a lot of good actors, musicians, singers who all have connections.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:There are more of them than people without any kind of background.
Speaker A:To their credit most of them they are good and they didn't start out good in, in some cases but they worked hard on it.
Speaker A:And those kind of performers I can appreciate because they understand their background, they understand their privilege but they're not taking it for granted.
Speaker A:And they worked hard to win the affection of fans and cinema watchers.
Speaker A:So you're always going to have that.
Speaker A:And I don't think this is isolated to the Indian film industry itself.
Speaker A:I think that's there in Hollywood as well.
Speaker A:So ultimately at the end of the day the output matters, the quality matters.
Speaker A:And in that respect I think this film, even though it is made by someone who has those filming connections, that family connections, all of that.
Speaker A:Ultimately the film is good.
Speaker A:So in that respect we can.
Speaker A:Let's talk about what the film was trying to say and how effectively they did it.
Speaker A:Were there any specific scenes that really connected with you?
Speaker A:Because they try to emphasize like how is this, in a way everyone is out for themselves and you have to look out for yourselves and you have to have that drive and terminations.
Speaker A:So based on that theme, how effective did you think the film managed to be in communicating that?
Speaker A:And which scenes for you stood out?
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:A lot of them actually.
Speaker B: he was a big star by then in: Speaker B:He had lots of hits under his belt and he was the star at that point.
Speaker B:He took what is a supporting role.
Speaker A:It.
Speaker B:You can see it's.
Speaker B:It's not technically a cameo.
Speaker B:It's a.
Speaker B:Pretty much a supporting role.
Speaker A:No, it is a supporting role, I feel.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I, I think to take that chance.
Speaker B:And obviously he's very close friends with Farhan.
Speaker B:They've grown up together and he's very fond of Zoya.
Speaker B:So they're family friends.
Speaker B:Obviously he wasn't.
Speaker B:He could have said no, but he did take it on.
Speaker B:And I thought, I enjoyed his character a lot because he's so.
Speaker B:It comes across.
Speaker B:He's so self indulgent Hrithik in that, in that film.
Speaker B:And he's also very opportunistic the moment he gets there.
Speaker B:So Romi, Rishi Kapoor's character has already launched him as a producer and he's become this big on the way to become a big star.
Speaker B: y where Shah Rukh was in like: Speaker B:So Shah Rukh Khan is now the Shahrukh Khan.
Speaker B:So farthik.
Speaker B:And he takes it immediately and kind of leaves Rishi's film in the dumps making up some nonsense excuses.
Speaker B:So between their dialogues it was where he's trying like I have to break the shackles and get out of.
Speaker B:I can't be perpetually obligated.
Speaker B:I don't forget what he's done for me.
Speaker B:But I cannot be perpetually applicant.
Speaker B:I have to think about my career.
Speaker B:And Rishi Kapoor then has a scene with Juhi and he's like, you know, I.
Speaker B:I don't enjoy films, making films anymore.
Speaker B:He says it now like in the Olden times used to have so much fun.
Speaker B:And now does it, does it look nice that I have to run around begging for these kids who have seen grown up begging for their dates and acting as per their whims and fancies.
Speaker B:Is it fair to me?
Speaker B:Which is what a lot of producers must have gone through or directors must have gone through in Bollywood right now with all this whole big generation of Nepo kids coming up because their fathers and parents, mothers are bigger stars.
Speaker B:So obviously the producers and directors are at their mercy.
Speaker B:So I thought that was a great contrast.
Speaker B:And, and I'm telling you, I think I kind of liked it even more because now it's so prevalent that like Bollywood's really struggling in terms of films, in terms of creativity, in terms of the music isn't clicking.
Speaker B:It's just in a very bad slump.
Speaker B:Last four, five years.
Speaker B:So Rishi's dialogue actually hits you where he says abu Mazani ata film banana.
Speaker B:So I felt like now I don't enjoy watching Bollywood films like I used to before.
Speaker B:So that was a great scene.
Speaker B:And going back to Hrithik is, you know the scene where he's talking to the.
Speaker B:His car stops and the kids come and they're like, oh, Zafar, Zafar, Zafar.
Speaker B:And it's a beautiful shot.
Speaker B:Benny, I don't know if you realize this is that you think he is playing with the kids and reminiscing his days when it was life was simpler, but actually just the camera pans on his reflection in the window and he is admiring his own reflection.
Speaker B:That's how narcissist and self indulgent he has become.
Speaker B:I loved, loved those scenes.
Speaker B:So basically every scene that Rashikapur was in because I think he had the best punch lines in the movie.
Speaker B:Yeah, one was with Anurag Kashya, the other was with, he tells basically Dimple Kapadi as this overpowering mom like most moms were.
Speaker B:Sridhari's mother was like that.
Speaker B:So they were like, this is how it's been styled on.
Speaker B:That's how she's been, you know, probably her character's been styled upon all these domineering mothers at that point.
Speaker B:Of these actresses who would be on the sets 24 7, who would be dictating what the, what they'll wear, which movie they'll sign everything.
Speaker B:And he says she's like a magar in a chiffon saree.
Speaker B:Like a crocodile in a chiffon saree.
Speaker B:I cracked up that dialogue.
Speaker B:And it's just the way Rishi Delivers it.
Speaker B:Okay, Rishi Kapoor.
Speaker B:And I'll be honest, like the way Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan, who was such.
Speaker B:Had such amazing hits as Heroes.
Speaker B:And in the 80s, their decline started like, right, because they started aging and they were romancing women 20 who were 20 years younger.
Speaker B:Wasn't just going to well for them, but they transformed into character roles and made so many character roles their own.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I just loved Rishi in this.
Speaker B:I think Romy Rolley is my favorite.
Speaker B:Like, if there's a spin off on him, I'd watch it.
Speaker B:Unfortunately, he's no more, but I would have loved to see a spin off of him.
Speaker B:So, yeah, those were, I think if I picked two or three of them.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So for me, talking about how effectively the film conveyed it for all the reasons you mentioned, you know, especially those specific scenes or dialogues which, you know, was very effective.
Speaker A:I always love a good, almost introspective take on these kind of things.
Speaker A:So for instance, where Farhan Akhtar's character, when he has to go for the audition, he has to wait in the room surrounded by all these other aspiring actors.
Speaker A:And he's like waiting as all these different names are being called out and then he's like trying to like memorize the title.
Speaker A:It doesn't go on for too long, but it just conveys like, this is the reality.
Speaker A:You know, there are so many nameless, faceless people who are all trying for this one role.
Speaker A:And you can even see that moment when Farhanathri is threatened when, when this new character walks in and he's like, he has his eyes on him and he's like, okay, this is my thread.
Speaker A:This is my biggest, you know, and that's how it is.
Speaker A:It's unfortunate, but you can be nice, you can be generous, you can be kind, all of those things.
Speaker A:But it's not going to help you move forward.
Speaker A:You just.
Speaker A:It's a cutthroat world.
Speaker A:So I liked how that was depicted.
Speaker A:And then another factor was like how luck plays such a huge factor.
Speaker A:And I know it's literally in the title, but it's so true.
Speaker A:Like if his picture, if his photo wasn't like in that pile and it was given by someone who's kind of, you know, she's related but not directly involved in the process.
Speaker A:That's how it all, you know, sometimes it works, you know, you just need a lot of luck to go along with your skill and talent.
Speaker A:So I like those, you know, kind of like small scenes and kind of small turns on how careers are made and how all these hinge on.
Speaker A:So I thought the film did a really good job in terms of, like, showing that and depicting that.
Speaker A:But where I feel like I would have loved to see more of was, you know, the central conflict is, you know, between Konkonasen's character and Farhan's character.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It felt so abrupt.
Speaker B:I agree with you.
Speaker B:I agree with you.
Speaker B:We, because we got invested enough, but it didn't keep us.
Speaker B:How do you say?
Speaker B:We got invested enough, but we didn't stay with them.
Speaker B:That's what I felt.
Speaker A:We stepped away from them for a little too long.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Then we come back to them and then within like two scenes, maybe three at the most, their relationship is over.
Speaker A:And, yeah, you know, like, I didn't really.
Speaker A:I wasn't fully convinced, by the way, the idea was correct that, okay, once you become a star now, suddenly you're attracted to someone else or, you know, suddenly you're looking at a life that could be different from what you have right now.
Speaker A:And so, you know, in terms of character now you're changed that the idea is right.
Speaker A:But it wasn't done very convincingly and it was done too fast.
Speaker A:Like, where he was like, okay, Isha's character, like, I'm going to latch onto her.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like, that happened too fast.
Speaker A:And then the whole thing with concussion character turning up at a shoot and him just being like, actually, I'm too busy.
Speaker A:This.
Speaker A:Yeah, again, great ideas.
Speaker A:It just felt too compressed.
Speaker A:It felt too fast.
Speaker A:That again, for me, took me out of the film because I felt like, okay, they're trying to manufacture a conflict right now and trying to.
Speaker A:Just for the sake of the film, they're trying to manufacture it in a very unconvincing manner.
Speaker A:And so that's where it fell flat for me.
Speaker A:I felt like that they should have had more.
Speaker A:Actually, Konkana Sen should have had more time in the film.
Speaker A:Okay, yeah, we'll talk about the characters in a little bit.
Speaker A:But yeah, I feel like the film should have focused more on Konkana and Farhan's characters with the side, you know, the all.
Speaker A:Everything else on the side, like, the whole, like, them getting to star in this big film and coming, you know, interacting with all these other more established industry figures.
Speaker A:All of that, I think, could have got a little less time and focus more on these two contrasting, like, characters, backgrounds and how one person's uptick in fortunes has affected their rel.
Speaker A:I would have loved more time on the relationship itself and how it gradually disintegrates rather than just like two scenes just showing like she's happy for him.
Speaker A:And then the next moment he's like, okay, I'm moving up in the world so I don't have time for this.
Speaker A:And then she's getting mad at him.
Speaker A:All of that was happening way too fast.
Speaker A:And so I.
Speaker A:I thought, great idea.
Speaker A:Execution could have been better.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I am with you on this.
Speaker B:I'm with you on this also.
Speaker B:I'll tell you, I think what it did is.
Speaker B:I think what Zoya was trying to do is establish what a selfish narcissist.
Speaker B:I can't say the other word on our air but you know the one which begins with a.
Speaker B:Which I wrote in my notes.
Speaker B:Farhan's character is right.
Speaker B:Because from the start you can see glimpses of.
Speaker B:He sees he's an opportunity, Caesar.
Speaker B:He's not going to let go of an opportunity.
Speaker B:And he doesn't care about what relationship he has.
Speaker B:He uses his friend Abhi's place to stay and with that aunt of whoever that.
Speaker B:I don't know if it's just a friend, family friend or whatever.
Speaker B:The moment he knows he has a entry point into getting into the set of Mahesh Bhatt's movies.
Speaker B:Because the Bhatts.
Speaker B:Vikram.
Speaker B:Vikram Bhatt is Mukesh Bhatt's son.
Speaker B:Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt were known to launch a lot of new faces and give outsiders a chance in the industry.
Speaker B:And so the moment he sees that he has a chance to.
Speaker B:Because his friend is working on the set and they need a grandfather clock.
Speaker B:He doesn't hesitate to take the grandfather clock from that aunt's place without asking her and taking it.
Speaker B:And he spins a story around it.
Speaker B:He's a smooth talker.
Speaker B:At the end of the day he makes his way through with his friend into the party where he goes and meets Nina and Esha and he brings up the story about.
Speaker B:I'm in the world because of you, Nina.
Speaker B:Because my parents met because of your movie.
Speaker B:It's all rubbish, but it floors.
Speaker B:And you and wherever Benny will see.
Speaker B:I mean, you're working, I'm working and I'm in the corporate world and so are you.
Speaker B:And wherever you see who is at the top, people who are smooth talkers are at the top.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Who know how to play the game are at the top.
Speaker B:We are not there is because.
Speaker B:And people who have a thick skin.
Speaker B:He doesn't regret any of his actions at all.
Speaker B:So he doesn't really regret leaving Konkana or going with Nikki.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:He doesn't regret any of these actions.
Speaker B:His apology is very superficial which Konkana catches on.
Speaker B:But it, I think she was trying so to bring in more conflicts.
Speaker B:Conflicts is she was just trying to establish his nature in terms of this guy doesn't care.
Speaker B:He's just focused on himself.
Speaker B:All he wanted to do was become a big star.
Speaker B:What, whether it came at what cost, he, he couldn't care less.
Speaker B:So Shah Rukh tells him, stick to your old friends.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:When he runs into Shah Rukh at the end, his film has become a hit.
Speaker B:And Shah Rukh tells them always is that your old friend, you should stick to your old friends and all.
Speaker B:But you already know from Farhan's expression he's not going to do that.
Speaker B:Whereas you come to know that his friend is more talented in acting but he wants to stick to theater and there are a lot of people like that at that point.
Speaker B:If you look at 80s Bollywood and 90s Bollywood.
Speaker B:So take all these examples.
Speaker B:Om Puri, Nasruddin Shah Irrfan Khan, Yanavazuddin.
Speaker B:They are better actors than the current who are Bollywood stars.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:They are miles ahead in terms of acting but they will never break through mainstream.
Speaker A:Because Konkana Senates herself is a good example, I feel.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:But Konkana is not a conventional looking Bollywood heroine.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Though her acting is just miles ahead of so many of them.
Speaker A:Well, let's, let's talk about the actors because you know, some of these roles or some of these characters really, really work for me.
Speaker A:Some are okay.
Speaker A:But I want to really talk about my favorite performances in the film.
Speaker A:I'll come to Gonkana and Farhan later.
Speaker A:But I absolutely loved Rishi Kapoor's performance in this film.
Speaker A:He was so like you could forget.
Speaker A:Again, it's a good example of, you know, good nepotism.
Speaker A:Rishi Kapoor, all the privilege in the world as far as at least the Hindi film industry world.
Speaker A:But when you watch his performance you don't think like, oh well he's you know, he himself and he's no, when you watch him perform you can see someone who's at the top of his game.
Speaker A:He, he has decades of experience.
Speaker A:He's done everything.
Speaker A:He knows how this works.
Speaker A:And also this is him in his element.
Speaker A:He knows how the film industry works.
Speaker A:He's seen everyone, all sorts of people in this world.
Speaker A:So he knows exactly where, what to tap into.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And this role is beautifully written for him.
Speaker A:That's the thing that really struck me about these smaller roles, like his role, Dimple Kapadi.
Speaker B:Dimple Kapad was excellent.
Speaker B:Excellent.
Speaker A:They could have become caricatures, right?
Speaker A:Like, oh, the evil filmy mother, you know, like the mother of an actor, the actress mother who's very super controlling or the producer, like a bumbling producer who's just out for money.
Speaker A:They could have become caricatures.
Speaker A:But yes, there was a very human element.
Speaker A:There were times, there were scenes in this film where you could feel the humanity.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:You know, behind all this out for themselves characters that all, Everyone is just trying to survive.
Speaker A:Everyone is just trying to make a name for themselves, be famous, make a lot of money.
Speaker A:But also like for their family to be comfortable and lack nothing.
Speaker A:Everyone has their motives, you know, and I just love that it was fleshed out.
Speaker A:And again, the only thing is I wish I could have had more of that.
Speaker A:So I, I absolutely loved Rishi Kapoor's performance.
Speaker A:Same thing with Dimple Kapadia.
Speaker A:I was thinking, didn't they make their debuts together in the same film?
Speaker B:Yes, Bobby.
Speaker A:I, I, yes, vaguely remember watching this film like a long, long, long time ago.
Speaker A:And I was thinking they were again.
Speaker B:And she made her come back.
Speaker B:So, you know, she was 7, 16 or something when Bobby released and she became Bobby became a huge hit.
Speaker B:And then she got married to Rajesh Khanna who was many, many years older to her.
Speaker B:And then they separated and she was trying to come back into films.
Speaker B:So her comeback film was Sagar again with Rishi Kapoor, which is again a very nice film.
Speaker B:It has Kamal Hassan.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Okay, okay.
Speaker B:Which are like typical love triangle friends and all that stuff.
Speaker B:And rich girl, rich guy meets poor girl, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker B:But the songs were great and Dimple looked gorgeous.
Speaker B:I find Dimple absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker B:And when you talk about Dimple's character, right, her outburst where she goes ballistic at the editor of the magazine when he prints that article badmouthing her daughter.
Speaker B:And Farhan, my God, I was like, she's in her beauty personified actress come mother element.
Speaker B:I loved it, absolutely loved it.
Speaker B:And even when she was ballistic on her daughter when she tells, accept your privilege, I didn't have it.
Speaker B:And what I went through.
Speaker B:And that's where they twice they touch upon the casting couch in Bollywood as well.
Speaker B:Like how many women have to compromise to get the roles right?
Speaker B:Even she does, even Konkana does with that producer who promises her a break.
Speaker B:But she ends up doing so many side roles and then she's told that you've been doing side characters.
Speaker B:So you can never become a heroine.
Speaker B:So, you know, first he tells her, you have to do it to establish yourself.
Speaker B:And then he tells her, nobody's going to accept you as a newcomer because you've done side roles, things like that.
Speaker B:So I think they touched upon those things really well.
Speaker B:And these are well known facts.
Speaker B:Yeah, nobody will speak about it, but everybody knows this happens in Bollywood.
Speaker A:And I'm glad these actors portray these roles because again, it goes both ways.
Speaker A:Nepotism goes both ways.
Speaker A:And in this case, it probably actually helps because when they talk about these issues in this context, like when Rishi Kapoor talks about, like, you know, chasing after full grown adults, chasing after these young upcoming stars, like, you know, how they have to really put their ego in check and go behind them.
Speaker A:Or when Dimple Kaparia talks about, you know, women having to go through these struggles to just make it big.
Speaker A:It's easier when it comes from them in this context because they have seen it all, seen it all.
Speaker A:It's just harder to accept when someone like Farhan Akhtar at that stage.
Speaker A:You know, it's portraying the struggles of someone with no background.
Speaker A:And I'm like, but, you know, it's you, you know, so I can't accept that.
Speaker A:But yeah, credit to Rishikuranda.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:They sh.
Speaker A:They have shown why they've lasted so long, you know, in such a cutthroat industry.
Speaker A:But there are, you know, other smaller roles too.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:The friend role, that.
Speaker A:What is his name?
Speaker A:Abhimanyu.
Speaker B:Is that the theater guy?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, you know, he became big after so many years in this series, Made in Heaven, the web series.
Speaker B:He was one of the leads and he became super, super, like, famous because of that.
Speaker B:He's done a lot of roles in many films, but that it took him years to blow up.
Speaker A:I think that was also a good role where it showed like, you know, it was a friend.
Speaker A:But at the same time, it's human to be jealous when.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:You know, you think that someone who is not as talented as you makes it big and it.
Speaker A:It can eat.
Speaker A:It can eat at you.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It's just human.
Speaker A:And I thought all of us go through it.
Speaker B:All of us go through it.
Speaker B:I've been through it.
Speaker B:We go through it every day.
Speaker B:And I think it is a very, very natural feeling that any human will have.
Speaker B:If you don't have it, then you're a bit abnormal.
Speaker B:That's my view.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:He portrayed it brilliantly.
Speaker A:It portrayed it in such a way that you didn't love him or hate him.
Speaker A:And you just saw him for what he was.
Speaker A:And I think that is so difficult to pull.
Speaker A:So I thought he did great.
Speaker A:And I think I love the cameos.
Speaker A:Well, before we get to the cameos, even Hrithik Roshan, that's not a cameo.
Speaker A:I thought he did a very good job.
Speaker A:Again, it's one of the things that could have become a caricature.
Speaker A:And at first it's.
Speaker A:I thought it was because of the way he was playing it.
Speaker A:But the scene in the car, the scene where he's trying to convince Rishiko's character, like, to let him go, but he's also trying not to hurt his feelings.
Speaker A:And I thought that was such a delicate thing where he could have just, like, been, like, very mean and very harsh.
Speaker A:But he was like, no, this is someone I understand.
Speaker A:I'm in life mainly because of him.
Speaker A:So I need to move on.
Speaker A:I need to do something else.
Speaker A:But I need to, like, handle this very gently.
Speaker A:So again, it's all very delicate stuff.
Speaker A:You have to, like, pull.
Speaker A:And again, a good Nepo actor, you show when you're good at what you do, you know, it's easy to accept.
Speaker B:That Hrithik is a very good actor.
Speaker B:Hrithik.
Speaker B:If you see his early movies like Mission Kashmir and Laksh, Hrithik is a good actor.
Speaker B:There's no question about it.
Speaker B:What he's doing now differs, but everybody knows him for his dancing and rightly so.
Speaker B:And his looks like a Greek God.
Speaker B:Because there was nobody in Bollywood who looked like Hrithik when he.
Speaker B:Hrithik hit the scene.
Speaker B:We've seen his debut.
Speaker B:We felt it, we know it.
Speaker B:How much we loved Hrithik.
Speaker B:But he is a very, very good actor.
Speaker B:So there's no question about it.
Speaker A:Let's talk about the cameos and we can just segue into our favorite scenes as well.
Speaker A:I have to say, one of the few places in the movie that I actually laughed out loud was in that whole scene where after Hrithik Roshan's character is, like, left.
Speaker A:They're going to all these other actors, right?
Speaker A:And so they're going to Abhishek Bachchan.
Speaker A:Akshay Khanna, Vivek Oberoi.
Speaker A:Vivek Oberoi.
Speaker B:Ranbir.
Speaker A:Was there one more person I'm missing or was that it?
Speaker A:These are the actors that they went to.
Speaker B:I think these are the ones.
Speaker A:All of them were very good.
Speaker A:I loved the nice little you.
Speaker A:You know, you're like a father to me.
Speaker A:Yes, that was very, very good.
Speaker A:But the one that killed me With I was like, laughed out loud.
Speaker A:Was Akshay Karna.
Speaker A:He didn't say a single.
Speaker A:The end, which is this drawn out?
Speaker A:No, but when they kept cutting between the actors, like, the way he was squirming, the way he was like, the facial expressions.
Speaker A:I was, like, dying.
Speaker A:And again, it's.
Speaker A:I keep coming back to this.
Speaker A:Another case of, like, someone who can be a good Nepo.
Speaker A:Like, he was so good because.
Speaker B:Excellent.
Speaker B:I love Akshay.
Speaker A:You know, acting is not always just about delivering dialogues in a very dramatic way.
Speaker A:It's like all these micro expressions and acting through your eyes and just, like, your face.
Speaker A:Like, he was so good.
Speaker A:And such a short, short, like, micro role that he got.
Speaker A:He just, like, stole it.
Speaker A:Like, you know, with all these cameos.
Speaker A:I just love that.
Speaker A:It was one of the highlights of the movie for me.
Speaker A:I just, like, wanted to keep going back to him.
Speaker B:He's so good.
Speaker B:And that's how we generally.
Speaker B:If you've seen his interviews and stuff, okay, that's how he talks.
Speaker B:Like, a long pause, and then he'll smile.
Speaker B:And I was like, oh, my God.
Speaker B:If you've seen Akshay Khanna's interviews, this is exactly how he is.
Speaker B:But the other guy was John Abraham.
Speaker A:Oh, he was there.
Speaker A:You're right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And the funny thing is I.
Speaker B:I even cracked at him because it's like, John Abraham was not really known for his acting skills.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:He's like.
Speaker B:And I think that time he was doing this film called no Smoking, which is, like, a very weird film that.
Speaker B:One of the weird films I've seen in Bollywood.
Speaker B:And I was like, okay, John, I get it.
Speaker B:I get it.
Speaker B:But honestly.
Speaker A:Who else?
Speaker A:Oh, before coming to Shahrukh Khan, who's.
Speaker A:I think he has, like, a second career of just, like, making these short cameos and trying to save the day.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:The scenes, like, you know, the short scenes where they would show, like, glimpses of all these different actors.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:This is barely worth mentioning, but I'll mention it, because she is a favorite of mine from, like, ages ago.
Speaker A:Dia Mirza.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:No speaking role in this.
Speaker A:He comes to the.
Speaker A:The bar area where Farhanatha tries to say hi.
Speaker A:She just smiles and walks away.
Speaker A:Like, that's all she did.
Speaker A:But for me, I don't know why, it was nostalgic.
Speaker B:Although she's so pretty and gorgeous.
Speaker B:The Amazon.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I just was like, hey, I.
Speaker A:I remember you.
Speaker A:It's been a while.
Speaker A:I know she's acted in a few roles here and there, but, yeah, that Was like a nice touch for me.
Speaker A:So the two cameos that I would like to talk about just a little bit more than the others.
Speaker A:So one is Karan Johar.
Speaker B:And let's talk about that cameo.
Speaker A:And finally, I mean, one man did it finally role.
Speaker B:So you never know.
Speaker A:Karan Johar's scene in this is meant to be very poignant, right?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes, it is.
Speaker A:Talking about how two actors with no background behind them made it big based on one role.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Like the big breakthrough.
Speaker A:And he's delivering this to Hrithik Roshan's character.
Speaker A:All well and good.
Speaker A:But again, the source that it is coming from took me out.
Speaker A:I was like, I refuse to accept this because anyone else, if they delivered this line, I could have accepted it.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Aranjar is saying this.
Speaker A:Really.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And the irony is, okay, that time maybe he was.
Speaker B:Even then he was promoting Nepo kids like Kajol Rani etc.
Speaker B:But Kajol and Rani had their own launch pads and they didn't really get launched by their families and things like that.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Anyway, it was the connections which worked for them.
Speaker B:But he signed them on after they were like big stars.
Speaker B:Rani already had Ghulam under her belt at that point.
Speaker B:Kajol had ddlj.
Speaker B:Shah Rukh had a lot of hits under him by that time.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Or Kajal Shahrukh had ddlj.
Speaker B:So Karan Johar is a very safe director.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:He will work with after they have had big hits.
Speaker B:Hrithik Roshan, he only signed on after Hrithik's fantastic debut to play Kabikushi Kabikam.
Speaker B:So he's.
Speaker B:He has this.
Speaker B:And I'm thinking, really, Karan, you're giving this advice.
Speaker A:So I just don't.
Speaker A:I know that it's being done for the gimmick.
Speaker A:Like, hey, look who we got for this film.
Speaker A:You know, like, look how we could just grab like a minute or two of their time for this role.
Speaker A:But I feel like that's like one instance where maybe some people didn't care about it.
Speaker A:But for me, even with my limited knowledge of like the inner workings of Bollywood, I was like, this is the wrong person to deliver this.
Speaker A:It's miscast.
Speaker A:Even for a cameo.
Speaker A:It's miscast.
Speaker B: cially now if you watch it in: Speaker B:Because you're like, dude, you're only launching Nepo kids.
Speaker B:What are you talking?
Speaker B:Because he did mock Sushant Singh a lot.
Speaker B:He's mocked Kangana, ran out a lot.
Speaker B:These are rank outsiders in the.
Speaker B:And he mocks them a lot on their tv, on his coffee with Karan.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So this is my issue and I'm like, no, dude, Karan, please.
Speaker B:It's not to you, but let's go.
Speaker A:To an actor that I truly love and admire.
Speaker A:And I know your feelings towards him are not the same.
Speaker B:Vikram.
Speaker A:Fame, power, money.
Speaker A:I can't even imagine what it must be like.
Speaker A:It's insane.
Speaker A:Whenever he appears on screen, I'm like, happy.
Speaker A:Even if it's for two minutes.
Speaker A:I don't know what it is about him.
Speaker A:I just like seeing him.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He's just got this charm that most actors would die for.
Speaker A:He just has a screen presence.
Speaker A:Now obviously this cameo was not like the most amazing cameo or anything, but he's supposed to convey something that is supposed to hit Faranakhtar's character.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like it's.
Speaker A:It's supposed to register with him and kind of make him understand something whether he takes it in or not.
Speaker A:I, I liked it.
Speaker A:I, I wouldn't say I loved it.
Speaker A:And I, I feel like you could have got it through any other source and.
Speaker A:Or you could have put some sort of different spin on it with like, maybe even like a minor character.
Speaker A:Like making Farhan realize that like, you know, that moment of realization.
Speaker A:But I think it was effective enough that it came from someone who's at the top of the game.
Speaker B:Yeah, right.
Speaker B:That was the main reason.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:If a minor character said this, it would have become like an advice or a lecture or whatever.
Speaker B:But this is Shah Rukh.
Speaker B:Who's Shah Rukh at that point telling.
Speaker A:Farhan, like, dude also who's not an advocate.
Speaker A:So he doesn't come from a place of privilege.
Speaker A:So unlike someone like Karan Johar.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker A:Or any of the other like big Nepal stars.
Speaker A:In Shahrukh Khan's case, like when he talks about it like you get it because he's truly, you know, worked his way up.
Speaker B:Yeah, he's gone through it.
Speaker A:And so for.
Speaker A:And I think that was such a poignant moment when he's talking about friends and the ones who will stick with you or the ones who have seen you before you became like the big thing.
Speaker A:I think that that was like a very good scene and I thought that was a very effective cameo.
Speaker A:Like not just for a gimmick, but it actually is critical to the plot.
Speaker A:And it's also a crowd pleasing thing.
Speaker A:I mean, that's the whole point of cameos.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like, you shouldn't detract from the movie, which is what current cameo did.
Speaker A:But in SRK's case, it actually helps the film.
Speaker A:So, yeah, I, I, I love that.
Speaker A:I didn't think that scene was very good.
Speaker A:So let's talk about any other scenes that stood out for you.
Speaker A:Anything else that you liked, because I have a couple.
Speaker A:And then we can jump into the trivia.
Speaker B:Yeah, we're going to talk about Konkana and Farhan.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So that's, that's, oh, right, right, right.
Speaker B:Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker B:So, yeah, let's talk about Farhan and Konkana.
Speaker B:So this is the Akhtar film, right?
Speaker B:Written by the father and the sister, directed by the sister.
Speaker B:He's acting in it.
Speaker B:And I felt, I don't know what you felt, but I felt that this was more of Konkana's film.
Speaker B:It was, it should have been Farhan's film.
Speaker B:But when I watched it the first time, I came out thinking this is Konkana's film.
Speaker B:She impressed me much more.
Speaker A:I just wish we had seen more of Konkana because it was her film, but we didn't see enough of.
Speaker B:Yeah, but imagine, even in that limited time, she left a bigger impact through her acting.
Speaker B:Her eyes are amazing.
Speaker B:I love Konkana's eyes because I think she just talks through her eyes.
Speaker B:And I have a soft spot for actors and actresses who can emote through their eyes without saying anything.
Speaker B:And Konkana does that in so many scenes.
Speaker B:But for me, I was more glued into her story or her wins or her tragedies or her failures much more than Farhan's.
Speaker B:Because midway you kind of know Farhan's an idiot and he's not going to change.
Speaker B:He's, he's selfish and he's going to go get his way.
Speaker B:But you got more.
Speaker B:At least I felt more attached to Konkana and her story was more believable because she doesn't become that successful in what she wanted to be.
Speaker B:But she chooses a path of happiness and she's happy being a TV star.
Speaker B:And, you know, the last monologue is so fantastic for her.
Speaker B:And the scene, if you ask me, my favorite scene in the entire movie is, you know, Farhan comes out of after that talk with Shah Rukh to come and apologize to Konkana and she very politely says, ismay tumhari kohi kaltinayi kuch lok tombi kyakar sakteho kuch lok hote, implying that you are, you are an ah and you're going to stay that.
Speaker B:So it doesn't really matter.
Speaker B:It was such a soft punch and deliver soft blows.
Speaker A:Let me.
Speaker A:I want to talk about that scene, but I very quickly want to touch upon the actors themselves, the leads of this, because I realized we didn't really talk about them too much.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So Konkana Sen obviously has a body of work for the last few decades now, widely considered to be one of the best actors in Indian cinema.
Speaker A:She does come from a place of privilege.
Speaker A:Her mom was an actress.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:In Bengali.
Speaker B:Much bigger.
Speaker B:Much bigger actress.
Speaker B:Bengali, Indian and Bollywood, both.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:But she concent.
Speaker A:Doesn't fit into the stereotype of, you know, actors or actresses coming from like this filmy family because she's not acted in like any major, like, blockbuster films.
Speaker A:She acts in more like indie films or like serious, like, dramatic roles.
Speaker B:Artsy art scene.
Speaker B:Artsy.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And she has done such a great job.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:But also at the same time, this film hits a little too close to home for her, I feel.
Speaker A:Because, you know, whatever they say about her character, it's in many ways it's about her too, you know, the actor.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Because she doesn't fit.
Speaker A:You mentioned it earlier.
Speaker A:She doesn't fit the stereotypical image of like a Bollywood actress.
Speaker A:The glamour and the looks and all of that.
Speaker A:She looks good.
Speaker A:Let's not take that away from her.
Speaker A:I love her, but not according to what Bollywood says, like who an attractive.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Woman is.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But she takes it in her stride.
Speaker A:She still keeps churning out quality work, you know, year after year in every role that she does.
Speaker A:And in this role too.
Speaker A:And again, I wish she had more time, but she.
Speaker A:You know, the scenes where she conveys her anger, like the rage, her frustration, you feel it along with her.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Because, you know, this is so true for women who look like her.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And she does it in such a convincing manner.
Speaker A:And that scene in the trailer where she meets with the producer guy who's been taking her for a ride all this year long.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, in that scene, it's like an acting masterclass because she goes through anger, denial.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But then she also has this moment of almost.
Speaker A:I don't know if it's quite empathy, but when the producer's wife walks in.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:They could easily have done the expected dramatic thing of like, he's deceived me and.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Nothing.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:She just.
Speaker A:She saves him in that moment.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, right, of course.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And she just goes on and she decides she's going to.
Speaker A:You know, she decides she's gonna do what she wants to do, even if opportunities, whether opportunities come to her or not, she's gonna keep doing what she thinks she should be doing and not compromising or sacrificing any of her principles, which is a direct contrast to Farhan Akhtar's role.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So she aced this.
Speaker A:This is definitely one of the best roles I've seen her in.
Speaker A:And the only downside is I wish there was more of her because this film would have been more impactful if we have more time with the struggles that she goes through and also how she accepts it and still, you know, goes after what she wants.
Speaker A:And Farhan Akhtar, I don't think he's a great actor.
Speaker B:Me neither.
Speaker B:I like Farhan, but I don't think.
Speaker B:Okay, yeah, he's not going to get like the roles that he's got if he wasn't in a position of privilege.
Speaker B:Especially his voice.
Speaker B:His voice is a big drawback in my opinion.
Speaker A:His voice is okay.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's definitely not traditional leading man material.
Speaker A:And he looks good, he's charming, but he doesn't have the X factor, I guess for the.
Speaker A:Especially in this where he's supposed to convey this like the IT guy that everyone loves him and like, he's like charming.
Speaker A:I don't buy that.
Speaker A:He wasn't very convincing in that.
Speaker A:And he's a passable actor.
Speaker A:He's not terrible by any means, but he's like a good.
Speaker A:I feel like he's a good second role, like a supporting actor.
Speaker A:In fact, his favorite role of mine is from Zindigi Namileki Tobara, where he aces the role.
Speaker A:You know, he does.
Speaker A:I guess he kind of shares leading space with Hrithik Roshan and Abed Diol.
Speaker A:But that's the kind of role where either in a multi star or like as a secondary role.
Speaker A:I think he's perfect, just not in a leading role.
Speaker A:I don't know if anyone else.
Speaker A:Well, actually, I know.
Speaker A:I feel like anyone else could have done a better job.
Speaker B:A lot of people could have done a better job of it.
Speaker A:Listen, it helps that your sister is directing the movie in this case, which takes me to that scene that you.
Speaker B:Were and he was producing it.
Speaker B:His company produced it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Excel Entertainment.
Speaker A:Family affair.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:So it was a complete family affair.
Speaker A:Which now.
Speaker A:So that takes me to that final scene that you loved and I loved, you know, where he goes to apologize to her and at least to me in that moment.
Speaker A:First I thought it was very sincere and he's doing it from a good place.
Speaker A:But you can like, her character talks and essentially like puts him in his place, but in such a nice, gentle way, almost.
Speaker A:I was like, man, that is brutal.
Speaker A:But also, like, very gracefully done.
Speaker A:And you can see she kind of illuminates the fact that his character, like, in that moment, he's not doing it from a genuine place.
Speaker A:It's more like so that he can just like wipe away his guilt and then go on doing what he was doing.
Speaker A:And so I love that scene for what it is.
Speaker A:And full credit to the writing and for the direction in this because this is essentially serving as the climax of the film.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So you have to wrap it up.
Speaker A:You have to wrap up this film that's talking about the struggles and contrasting fortunes and whatnot.
Speaker A:And how do you wrap it up?
Speaker A:And so I thought this was done in such a way that illustrates that at the end of the day, people are who they are and they're gonna always look out for themselves.
Speaker A:They're gonna try to get ahead of the other person.
Speaker A:And there is no justifying it, no moral policing it.
Speaker A:And it and the industry is what it is.
Speaker A:And I thought it was done in such a way with Coconut's character really getting a brilliant line.
Speaker A:But also, you know, when the end credit.
Speaker A:End credits rolled.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Even that was so nicely done.
Speaker A:Where she's sitting in this taxi.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And she's content.
Speaker A:She's not necessarily happy with how everything has turned out, but she's like, I'm content in how I'm going ahead with my life and let's just see where it takes me.
Speaker A:So I thought that was.
Speaker A:That was done brilliantly by a brilliant actor.
Speaker A:In contrast to Farhan, who's.
Speaker A:He's okay.
Speaker B:He's average.
Speaker B:He's average.
Speaker B:He's in like, great.
Speaker B:I like him, but it's.
Speaker B:He's not like, yeah, he won't fit in my top actors, probably in my top directors.
Speaker B:But Benny, before we go into the trivia, one minute we have to talk about the soundtrack and Shankar Ehsan Loy have great discography.
Speaker B:Okay, Great.
Speaker B:Just wonderful.
Speaker B:No question about that.
Speaker B:But for me, the opening song in this movie, like all songs are great, especially the opening song and the way it's picturized.
Speaker B:Because I have watched that song so many times.
Speaker B:And it evokes the same emotions in me that what we see who are successful in Bollywood is like 1%.
Speaker B:The rest is just full of struggle and endless struggle and endless struggle day in and day out.
Speaker B:Out.
Speaker B:And I think the opening, opening credits just are perfect.
Speaker B:I haven't seen.
Speaker B:I can't think of better Opening credits in a film, to be very honest, which I've loved so much.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:And I love the song and the song, actually the lyrics.
Speaker B:Part of the lyrics go is that everybody walks into this place with so many dreams and hopes and they don't realize when those get crumpled and crushed.
Speaker B:But yet they cannot show that they've been crumpled and crushed.
Speaker B:So they just, just go on with their life as it is.
Speaker B:Like they accept it and they move on.
Speaker B:It's just brilliant.
Speaker B:This is Javid Akhtar writing, right.
Speaker B:The lyrics.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I, I loved how colorful Hrithik's Babari the song is.
Speaker B:And it's got that lovely Jugal Bandi or the.
Speaker B:Between Shankaraisan Loy and the Rajasthani group.
Speaker B:And you know, it blends folk and modernism so modern music so well.
Speaker B:So those two like really stood out for me when Konkana is very happy.
Speaker B:That song is also very nice.
Speaker B:It's a great soundtrack.
Speaker B:It doesn't get spoken about a lot in Shankara San Loy's discography, but when you talk to people and we are again, when we're talking about music and reminiscing all this, this, this picture soundtrack always comes up in discussions.
Speaker B:So yeah, a big shout out to Shankara and Loy.
Speaker B:I think they did a swell job.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And I love it all.
Speaker A:You know, whenever Shankar Isan Loy, they're involved.
Speaker A:Shankar Bhadian's voice is so distinct.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like I always say this, it's such a privilege.
Speaker B:Like my generation got Sonu Nigam, Sean kk, Shankar Mahadevan at the same time.
Speaker B:And in Ladies we got Sunidhi, Shreya, Shilpa Rao and then there are a whole lot of Rekha Bharatwaj and Kavita said, the unconventional voices, but Sukhvinder.
Speaker B: , if you go back to Bollywood: Speaker B:You know, there were a lot of flop movies.
Speaker B:There were never flop songs.
Speaker B:That was the beauty.
Speaker B:That was the beauty.
Speaker B:And that's gone.
Speaker B:That's gone from Bollywood.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Well, let's jump into some trivia.
Speaker A:What do you have for us?
Speaker B:Yes, very interesting.
Speaker B:Do you know while you spoke about Shah Rukh, there was another superstar who was also in the film, had a cameo, which is Aamir Khan.
Speaker A:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:In the beginning.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:And Aamir and Shah Rukh have only ever starred in two films together.
Speaker B:And in only one film where they have shared screen space, both were cameos.
Speaker B:Both where they played themselves and the first movie and I have seen this.
Speaker B: seen this was Pehlana Shah in: Speaker B:Guess who was the leading role?
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker B:Deepak Tejori who was like the second lead.
Speaker B:If you ever remember Jojita Vahisekandar.
Speaker B:Have you seen Jojita Vaisekandar?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker B:Benny.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Have you seen Khiladi?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Anyway, Deepak Te Jori was like the second.
Speaker A:Sorry, I'm too busy watching Shahrukh Khan's filmography.
Speaker A:I know you gotta get out of Shahrukh confidence.
Speaker B:So Deepak Jori was the second, the best friend of the male hero kind of roles and he was in the lead role.
Speaker B:And this is again set in films industry or something like that.
Speaker B:And in one of his dreams or something that he's getting an award.
Speaker B:He's the Charukh and Amir.
Speaker B:So there were only two movies which Aamir and Shah Rukh have come together.
Speaker B:They haven't done a movie together.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:The amount of films that Shah Rukh and Salman have appeared together.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:I'm like really like Shahrukha and Amir haven't appeared together for too many.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker B:No, that's insane.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Aamir after a point didn't do many multi stars or if he did, they were not the big stars as he was.
Speaker A:Well, his brand of films has also evolved.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, whereas Shahrukh's is.
Speaker A:They both have got very distinct and very distinct runs.
Speaker A:But they have their own unique kind of films that work and they.
Speaker B:Yeah, stick to it.
Speaker B:But just for the listeners, this is the trivia.
Speaker B:They've never ever starred.
Speaker B:They've just appeared as themselves.
Speaker B:I was trying to count the cameos.
Speaker B:They were about like 25 + cameos from directors like Anurag, Kasha, Rashka.
Speaker B:So it's a great who's who.
Speaker B:Where did you first see them?
Speaker B:Which was their first film?
Speaker B:We'll make a great quiz like Oppenheimer.
Speaker B:We said this, right?
Speaker B:Who was there?
Speaker B:Who was there.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Same way you could do it.
Speaker B:Do you know the irony of the.
Speaker B:Another irony.
Speaker B:We discussed the main nepotism irony during the other one.
Speaker B:Saif Ali Khan rejected Farhan's role.
Speaker B:Tabu rejected Konkara's role.
Speaker B:So Zoya did go through the cycle that Rolly Romy went through.
Speaker A:Saif Ali Khan.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker B:He might have Done a good job.
Speaker A:It.
Speaker A:I feel like the role would have been different interpretation.
Speaker A:He could definitely not have portrayed it the way Farhan did.
Speaker A:I mean, I'm not like the biggest like Farhan, great actor, you know, club or anything, but I feel like between the two of them, I feel like Farhan was more suited for this, at least the way this role was written.
Speaker B:So Saif Ali Khan, maybe she changed it.
Speaker B:Who knows?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because Saif Ali Khan would have to almost tone it down.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:He's more flamboyant.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you think he's more comedy and more comic.
Speaker B:But I think Seth, have you seen.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Have you seen Omkara, which is one of Seth's best roles ever.
Speaker B:And he was evil.
Speaker B:He was pure evil in that.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:So I think Saif could have pulled out the nastiness.
Speaker B:That's my view probably.
Speaker B:But I don't know how Saif and Tabu would have gone together.
Speaker A:I'm glad Tabu didn't.
Speaker A:Honestly, I think was perfect for this role.
Speaker A:I don't want to see anyone else.
Speaker A:And also Tabu, she.
Speaker A:She somewhere in between.
Speaker A:Yeah, sorry.
Speaker A:When we were talking about beauty standards, I feel like she is kind of in between Konkanau Sen and some of the more accepted Bollywood actors.
Speaker A:So, yeah, I don't think it would have been as convincing if someone said, no, you, your looks don't go with.
Speaker A:I'm like, are you seeing who you're talking to?
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:So yeah, these were the couple of trivias, interesting ones that I came across when I was reading.
Speaker B:There are many more, but we could go on for two hours and we.
Speaker A:Could talk about it.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:So all the film posters that were.
Speaker A:There and what was the linkage?
Speaker A:We are definitely not going to go for two hours.
Speaker A:We're going to wrap it up.
Speaker A:But before we do, we have to give our final score our verdict and then tee up.
Speaker A:What's up ahead or what's coming next.
Speaker A:But yes, what is your score for this film?
Speaker B:8 out of 10.
Speaker B:Because just from, like I said from a Bollywood fan in terms of how many nuances are there.
Speaker B:And I didn't even mention Sanjay Kapoor's character.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:The director one in this we didn't discuss.
Speaker B:He had some amazing dialogues as well.
Speaker B:So, yes, from everything that I love in films that can take a diss and laugh at their own selves, self reference, meta, whatever you call it.
Speaker B:And the soundtrack.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And the acting.
Speaker B:So yeah, eight on 10 for me.
Speaker A:Penny, I would go seven, just one point less.
Speaker A:And again, like I said, at the start.
Speaker A:I love this film.
Speaker A:Well, I like this film.
Speaker A:I just couldn't fully love it because there were all these little, little things that just kept like, you know, nibbling, nagging you.
Speaker A:Right, right.
Speaker A:The fact that the film about the struggles in Bollywood for newcomers, but made by people who are well trenched in the industry and coming from a place of privilege, I mean, as good as a movie as it was, I just couldn't shake that off.
Speaker A:And then within the film itself.
Speaker A:Yeah, and within the film itself, I just wish they had given more time for the relationship between Konkana and Ferran's characters because that was probably the most interesting part of the film for me, because that truly conveyed the contrasting fortunes of the ones who get that break versus the ones just try and try and just cannot crack through.
Speaker A:And I feel maybe it was just a commercial constraint.
Speaker A:Maybe people would not have enjoyed that because that was a little too realistic.
Speaker A:Would not have been as entertaining for me, though.
Speaker A:And again, maybe it's just in the context of the time that I'm watching it and maybe 15 years ago if I watched that, maybe I would have had a different take, but right now I would have loved to see that more.
Speaker A:And just the abrupt way in which Zoya kind of like tried to show that, especially in the second half of the film, that didn't really land for me.
Speaker A:So in that context, I give it seven.
Speaker A:It's still a movie that you wish they made more movies like these.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:They need to make more movies like this.
Speaker B:I would.
Speaker B:I would love to watch.
Speaker B:I wish Zoya makes a second one.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And self reflects after what she did with the Archies.
Speaker A:Oh, my God, what a contrast between.
Speaker B:Oh, my God, oh my.
Speaker B:And she went and defended all the Nepo kids and I was like, zoya, sorry, I have lost all respect and love I had for you and your films.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, speaking of which, we have to let our listeners know.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:That we are doing something that we kept promising but never did till now.
Speaker A:We are going to do this as part of.
Speaker A:It's really a two part series because we are taking two movies, two movies that talks about Bollywood, the inner workings of Bollywood, and kind of pair it up and see which one, you know, how.
Speaker A:How each film, you know, on their own merit, how they tackle it and how entertaining they are and how close they are in their depiction of the inner workings of Bollywood.
Speaker A:So we picked two films and obviously this is the first of the two and the second is In My Lane.
Speaker B:Which Benny is dying to talk about.
Speaker A:I am dying to talk about it.
Speaker A:It is of course the king in his.
Speaker A:You know what?
Speaker A:I'll.
Speaker A:I'll wait till we record because I have so many thoughts on it and I want to talk about this film.
Speaker A:So I'll save it for then.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:Shahrukh Khan.
Speaker A:Om Shanti Om.
Speaker A:Directed by Farah.
Speaker A:Farah Khan.
Speaker A:And so that's going to be our next episode.
Speaker A:So we promise that it will not be a long gap between these two.
Speaker B:And if the listeners don't already know, Farah Khan and Zoya and Farhan are cousins.
Speaker B:First cousins.
Speaker A:Oh, perfect.
Speaker A:I didn't even know that.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:They're still all in the family.
Speaker A:Bollywood is just a whole big family affair.
Speaker A:With a few outsiders welcomed here and there.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:That's what it is.
Speaker A:But anyway, we will be talking about next time, so please do tune in.
Speaker A:But again, to our listeners.
Speaker A:Thank you for listening.
Speaker A:Please be sure to follow us on social media.
Speaker A:We'll include the links in our episode show notes.
Speaker A:And until the next time we talk, well, we'll just see you at the movies.
Speaker B:Bye.
