Khabardaar Podcast

Episode 38: We watched Zero, the big budget Anand L. Rai extravaganza starring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, alongside top-billing female leads Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif. The movie didn't impress us much; but then neither did Race 3 or Thugs of Hindostan earlier in 2018. So, this episode features our experience of watching Zero, followed by a discussion on the relevance of Bollywood's Khan triumvirate.

Episode 37: In this special episode, a conversation with celebrated Indian documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan about his latest work Vivek/Reason.

Episode 36: In this episode, a look at Stree. This horror-comedy film starring Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurrana, Abhishek Banerjee and Pankaj Tripathi was a sleeper hit, telling an unusual story of an evil female spirit who kidnaps men.

Episode 35: In this episode, a look at Badhaai Ho, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Surekha Sikri. Although Hindi films typically centre around its younger stars, Badhaai Ho featured stand-out performances by the senior artists, stealing scene after scene, in a film that broached the topic of parental sex with gentle humour and tons of grace.

Episode 34: A look at Sriram Raghavan's body of work that leads up to his latest film, AndhaDhun - starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu and Radhika Apte.

Episode 33: We are back to our regular programming! In this episode, inspired by the Netflix hit To All The Boys I Loved Before, Aparita and Baisakhi pick their favourite contemporary Bollywood romcom aimed at young people.

Episode 32: In this special episode, a conversation with Janice Sequeira, a former broadcast journalist and entertainment reporter, about Bollywood's leading role in India's #MeToo movement.

Episode 31: A conversation with Nandita Das, who brought her second feature film Manto to TIFF 2018.

Episode 30: Our second TIFF-related episode features a conversation with Vasan Bala and Abhimanyu Dassani, the director and star respectively of Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, aka The Man Who Feels No Pain.

Episode 29: We kick off our TIFF-related episodes with a critics rountable. One of the world's best known film festivals, Toronto International Film Festival has long been a friend to Hindi and other Indian films. This year, along with the films, came a contingent of Indian film critics. We had a chance to speak with four of them about their thoughts on TIFF 2018.

Episode 28: In this special episode, a teaser from TIFF 2018. One of the world's best known film festivals, Toronto International Film Festival has long been a friend to Hindi and other Indian films. This year was no different, with films such as Manto, Manmarziyaan and Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota headlining the roster.

Episode 27: Bhavesh Joshi Superhero is Vikramaditya Motwane's latest feature film, and stars Harshvardhan Kapoor among an ensemble cast of stellar character actors. Inspired by the superhero/vigilante figures from graphic novels, Motwane tells a contemporary tale that also serves as an origin story of a homegrown Indian superhero/vigilante.

Episode 25: Karwaan is an offbeat addition to Bollywood's genre of road trip movies. Starring Dulquer Salmaan, Irrfan Khan and Mithila Palkar, it follows the unusual friendship that evolves between three seemingly disconnected people.

Episode 24: A look at Dhadak, a Hindi film adaptation which launched Bollywood progeny Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khattar, but downplayed the issue of caste raised in the original Marathi film Sairat.

Episode 23: A conversation with Varun Grover, the Indian National Award winning lyricist, writer and stand-up comedian.

Episode 22: Netflix India original series Sacred Games has been getting lots of acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan in main roles, alongside a stellar supporting cast, it is directed by Hindi cinema heavyweights Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap.

Episode 21: In this special episode, a conversation with documentary filmmaker, writer and critic Paromita Vohra on the Hindi film songs legacy of renowned poet Gopal Das Neeraj.

Episode 20: In this special episode, a conversation with Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta and Bollywood biographer Aseem Chhabra.

Episode 19: In this special episode, Yasser Usman talks about his unauthorized biography of Sanjay Dutt, and we meet one of the star’s biggest fans in Toronto.

Episode 18: Sanju purports to give audiences the true story of Sanjay Dutt, told straight by Sanjay baba himself, warts and all - no intermediaries or anonymous sources. Why is the film so superficial then?