Masala Zindabad

New Season! New Series!

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Mon, 6 Mar 2017 19:32:00 -0600

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and catch old episodes of Masala Zindabad on iTunes!
(We're working on getting it to iTunes again; please stand by.)

We're back! This new season kicks off with a series on comfort movies. First up is the 1971 Sharmilee, starring Rakhee, Shashi Kapoor, Ranjeet, Nasir Hussain, and Iftekhar, with a groovy item number by Jayshree T.

Watch Sharmilee here.

Want more? Amrita recommends you watch this with Rakhee's Black Mail, costarring a delicious Dharmendra (film here), and Beth votes for the Shashi-tastic Manmohan Desai film Aa Gale Lag Jaa (our podcast episode here; film here).

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Thu, 4 Jun 2015 19:58:00 -0500

We love this movie! So much that we talk about it for almost an hour!

(mp3 file)

Join us in a conversation about Dibakar Banerjee's latest in which we discuss:

detectives in Hindi films
book adaptations
Calcutta on film
distributing Uttam Kumar-ness in a 2015 film
the unibrow
femme fatales
white character actors who know what they're doing
the soundtrack
outsiders and emotional experiences of place
rewarding thoughtful viewers
signs of the hand of Aditya Chopra
"Bengalis may hate us for this, but..." and "My mommy doesn't make it like this! Boo!"
the finer points of the problematic-ness of the ending
in Dibakar We Trust, because he does things for reasons other than box office and cleavage
not being able to predict what he will do next, though that does not stop us from having opinions on the matter, especially since he's working with Yash Raj Films

And a warning: we do discuss aspects of the film's final 15 minutes; we try to say "Spoiler! Spoiler!" in situ but make no promises.

Aside on Bengali detective movies: since recording this episode, Beth has actually seen the Rituparno Ghosh adaptation of a Bakshy story, Satyanweshi, starring Sujoy Ghosh, and she liked it, even more than the 2011 Abar Byomkesh starring Abir Chatterjee. She did not like the newest Feluda, Badshahi Angti, which also stars Abir Chatterjee.

Don!

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:13:00 -0600

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Season 3 of Masala Zindabad kicks off just in time to speculate on one of the biggest releases of 2011. Join us as we review what worked and didn't in both the 1978 and 2006 versions of Don as we queue up for tickets for the new one!

Everyone should read this fascinating interview with Chandra Barot, the director of the 1978 Don, by Syed Firdaus Ashraf on Rediff. Among the tidbits you'll learn: it was dreamed up as a fundraising project for a friend, it was made on a shoestring over the course of three and a half years, its producer died during shooting, and it had very tough competition at the box office. And read about how Don's bow ties ripple through to today's fashion, at least for one interviewee in this Times of India story.

A note from the Quality Control Office: We apologize for the technical problems with this recording. Most of our discussion of the character of Roma did not record (you will hear what sounds like a context-less discussion of how she is introduced in the 2006 version of the film), and there are also some bits that drop syllables or short strings of word and sound a little like a radio station that isn't quite coming in. Also, I (Beth) forgot to add music as an intro and fade-out, but given everything else that happened with my work and home computers today, I'm lucky just to still have a keyboard that works. Sorry!

Aa Gale Lag Jaa, You Roller-Skating Demon!

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:33:00 -0500

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Catch Masala Zindabad on iTunes

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What Every Woman Needs: stalkers in fancy dress!

As regular visitors will have no doubt realized by now, this is a podcast that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the international territory of Shashi Pradesh, a magical land of wicked grins, illegal amounts of charm, great hair, seductive eyes, and surprising amounts of body hair.

Moi?

Our national dance is called The Aggravated Puppet and it is awesome. It won't surprise you, therefore, to learn that Masala Zindabad has more than one measly "favorite Shashi Kapoor movie." We have one for every season and every mood! But one we love to discuss again and again and just once more for luck is 1973's Aa Gale Lag Jaa.

In which Shashi is still figuring out the difference between newborns and footballs. SOB!!!

This under-rated Manmohan Desai movie co-starring Sharmila Tagore, Om Prakash, and Shatrughan Sinha is beloved for reasons that took us many years and several blog posts to fully examine. Meet us in ten years, and we might just surprise you with a few more to add to the list.

Aa Gale Lag Jaa, therefore, is a movie eminently worthy of our full and solo attention. So today, join us for an excursion to the mystical land of Shashi Pradesh. We follow a free immigration policy and our oaths of allegiance are very accommodating.

And now! Accordions on roller skates! With a side of yodeling and heartbreak! What more do you neeeeeed?!

Perhaps you like rumpled yet elegant beachfront single dads with roly-poly sqooshy-wooshy babies?

So wholesome!

PS - All Germans please note: we in no way, shape or form hold you responsible for Shatrughan Sinha.
PPS - Never, ever use this medical technique. Unless your patient is Shashi.

No animals were harmed in the making of this podcast: The Wild, Wonderful World of ANIPALS!

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 04:35:00 -0500

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Catch Masala Zindabad on iTunes

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Visit our Listen Online page (NEW!) to play all episodes online / get embed code

Todd from Die Danger Die Die Kill and Teleport City is back to talk with us about filmi friends furry, feathered, and finned. Join Charles from Doodh Ka Karz,

Sheroo the Wonder Bird (Dharam Veer),
the respectful tiger (Mard),

the villain-busting Fluffy (Khel Mohabbat Ka),

the subliminal marmoset (Pyasa Shaitan),

and the top primate himself, Pedro from the Zimbo films,

as we discuss Indian cinema's contributions to zoology.

Are all birds (including Allah Rakha from Coolie) inherently evil?

Which dog has the better trick: shooting Shetty (Rani aur Jaani)
or sniffing out Kader Khan and Kabir Bedi (Khoon Bhari Maang)?

Can you really call yourself a spy film villain if you don't have a lap cat as in Maha Badmaash?

Does any Hindi film character love their pet...or rather, any pet their human companion more than Moti of Teri Meherbaniyan?

Is Shashi Kapoor's Ajooba the most diversely populated anipal movie of all time?

And speaking of Ajooba, perhaps you prefer Khoon Pasina's take on the classic theme of Amitabh vs. tiger?

How villainous is this evil killer from James Bond 777?
Could he be turned to the good (but still very feisty) side by Moti (Mard)?

The growing field of human-ichthyological communications as depicted in Arya 2.

If this epic hour-long episode leaves you wanting more, you can read all of Todd's Animalympics posts here.

We Love the 80s: Disco, Glitz and Art

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:02:00 -0500

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Catch Masala Zindabad on iTunes

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Visit our Listen Online page (NEW!) to play all episodes online / get embed code

This week, we take on the mammoth froth of catchy music and bad fashion that is the 1980s in Hindi cinema with Anandini from the amazing retro-blog Bollystalgia.

Given the general lack of love experienced by this decade in Hindi fandom, the decade where the parallel movement was put on life support, we thought it might be fun to compare a list of movies that won the Filmfare Award for Best Film through the 80s with their blockbuster counterparts. The two lists threw up a few surprises to say the least! This chart will show you what we mean.

Of course, lists don't always represent the reality. For example, Amitabh Bachchan delivered some of his greatest hits during this decade without rating a mention in these lists. Meanwhile, the list is full of the old guard, which isn't an accurate description of a decade dominated by newcomers like Sunny Deol and Anil Kapoor. The trend continues today - the Khans dominate the box office even though the chatter is all about the young guns like Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan and Shahid Kapur.

Yes, you really DO need to watch Toofan!

In this episode we discuss

our list of the quintessential 80s movies / actors
why Sridevi was hot and Jayaprada was not
where is Amitabh? Delivering some of his greatest hits followed by some of his greatest clankers.
the star kids of yesteryear like Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Kumar Gaurav
where is Mithun? Becoming a national icon.
Rishi becomes Sweater Uncle
Jeetendra was the hero of our childhood
the always fascinating topic of 80s fashion! Say yes to apsaras in netting!

PS - According to an interview with Anusha Rizvi (Peepli Live) Kamal Swaroop's Om Dar-ba-dar - the title makes more sense once you figure out the pronunciation - was an excellent film that was either never released or couldn't manage a distribution deal. If anybody has seen it or knows where we might get to see it, do let us know!

Straddlers: Actors of Parallel and Mainstream Cinema, part 2

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 02:35:00 -0500

In the concluding part of our conversation with Carla of Filmi Geek about actors who have tried both mainstream and parallel cinema, we cover more key members of the cast who have been successfully straddling worlds for years as well as some newer performers:

Rekha (Carla: "She's just so much better when she gets to be fiery.")
Om Puri (Carla: "...and then he's in Disco Dancer.")
Aishwarya Rai (Amrita: "She has 'righteous face' going on.")
Kay Menon (Amrita: "I have no idea why he isn't a huge star.")
Konkona Sen Sharma (Beth: "Once again, KSS is the great hope of our podcast.")
and apologies to Neha Dhupia, Mahie Gill, and Abhay Deol, whom we talked about for several minutes, but the computer garbled their segment into unintelligible gibberish. As for the latter, we all three love him very much and he'll have to feature in a later episode.

Also for discussion:

What other actors would we like to see in Indian—and non-Indian—art films?
Would any moneybags out there like to make Carla's "Shabana Azmi + Helen Mirren" film?
Should the US have followed India's lead in banning Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom for its insane depiction of the country by blocking My Name Is Khan?

This episode is the second of a two-part conversation. You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Straddlers part 2 by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes, or downloading here. Part 1 is available for download here.

Straddlers: Actors of Parallel and Mainstream Cinema, part 1

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Thu, 4 Aug 2011 22:07:00 -0500

Carla of Filmi Geek joins us to talk about actors past and present who have worked in parallel cinema as well as more mainstream films. And what a star cast it is! Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Shashi Kapoor, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Sanjeev Kumar, Anupam Kher.... Points of discussion include:

What would it take to tempt you to sign a movie that turned out to be Dance Dance or Toofan after you've done things that are decidedly not Dance Dance or Toofan?
How to portray that certain kind of madness that results from Jeevan having stolen you away from your mother Indrani Mukherjee when you were just a wee baby.
The sensation of recognizing the family features under very different exteriors, aka "That looks like a KapooOHMYGOD!!!"
Does Shabana Azmi convince you she's a masala heroine in her early years?
The relationship between Masoom and Main Hoon Na.
Naseeruddin Shah shakes it in "Oye Oye" from Tridev

before we get to his later...er...foibles of blue footie pajamas and the BOOM! of Asambhav (pleasingly by the same director as Tridev).

This episode is the first of a two-part conversation. You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Straddlers part 1 by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes, or downloading here. Part 2 is now downloadable here.

Manmohan Desai & the Women

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:09:00 -0500

Over the course of a career that spanned three vastly different decades, Manmohan Desai revolutionized Hindi cinema - not by inventing something new, but by knitting the most recognizable bits of the very old into a one-size-fits-all comforter dubbed a masala movie. His work at the pinnacle of his creative years are classic Bollywood: Raampur ka Lakshman, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Roti, Dharam Veer, Chacha Bhatija, Parvarish, Amar Akbar Anthony, Suhaag, Naseeb, Coolie, Mard...a truly astonishing ten years.

Most people will agree that Amar Akbar Anthony was the ultimate masala movie ever made; our panel on the podcast today will testify that Mard is possibly one of the most camp movies ever filmed. The classic Desai film is always fun, patriotic, and family-friendly with wink-nudges for the adults. Everyone is the movie suffers through multiple horrifying incidents but at the end of three hours it all ends happily. They have become a part of the fabric of Indian life and have been remade into other languages, referenced in newspaper articles, and studied and cited.

So we sat down with known Desai-lover Angela of the Post-Punk Cinema Club to discuss the women in his movies - from the classic all-suffering Maa to the kickass criminal chicks, the virgin prostitute to the nice girls forgotten in all the action.

And of course, in true Masala Zindabad fashion, along the way we found the time to detour on to subjects like Shashi Kapoor's lovemaking skills vs. Amitabh Bachchan's, a short investigation into Dharmendra's underwear (again), and how religion leads to Bollywood fandom. You're welcome.

You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Manmohan Desai & the Women by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes, or downloading here.

Iconic Female Characters in Hindi Cinema part 4

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:22:00 -0500

In the final episode of our series on iconic female characters with Ira of Old is Gold, we move from Sridevi in Chandni up to Konkona Sen Sharma's mature, modern working woman in Wake Up Sid. Despite both of these women making choices we don't quite understand - picking an irritating Kapoor father/son pair over the much better Khanna set - they're fascinating artifacts of their eras. No discussion of important characters of the 1990s would be complete without Simran, the girl millions of fans wanted to be. Does she still seem enviable in 2011? We're more impressed by how family attitudes towards daughters have changed by the time movies get to Geet of Jab We Met barely a decade later.

And yes, there is another detour about Shashi Kapoor...and Dharmendra's thighs. Trust us, they make sense when you listen to the whole thing.

"O Meri Mehbooba" from Dharam Veer. And here's Amrita's theory about thighs in case you hadn't read it.

You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Iconic Female Characters part 4 by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes, or downloading here. The other parts of this series are here:
• 1: the Bharatiya Nari
• 2: Fearless Nadia, Chhoti Bahu, Sujata
• 3: Mother India, Seeta, Geeta, and Bobby

Filmistan High Class Reunion: Koffee with Karan Season 3 in Review

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:13:00 -0500

Maria of the blog Filmiholic returns to Masala Zindabad to review the rest of season 3 of Koffee with Karan. Just like your yearbook, we're giving out our own awards—Karan's were so predictable, darlings— to statement, moments, and performances on the show.

The Good:

guest we'd actually want to meet for coffee or a drink
most pleasantly surprising guest
cattiest Rapid Fire round

The Bad:

most eye-roll-inducing guest/moment/episode
most adolescent behavior

The Ugly:

guest whose ensemble made us say "What were they thinking?!?"
biggest cringe/"Oh no they didn't!"

Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in Yadda Yadda Yadda:

A few suggestions for the future of the show:

number one change we wish they'd make to the format of the show
guests we'd love to see

And some thoughts on the new show by Simi Garewal, India's Most Desirable. Plus, if anyone knows why a man so interesting and articulate as Karan Johar insists on making such a terrible show, let us know!

If you missed our first post on KWK midway through its season, you can listen at this link. Masala Zindabad is available on iTunes and through subscription to our feed, and you can download this episode here.

Iconic Female Characters in Hindi Cinema part 3

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 8 Jul 2011 03:17:00 -0500

In the third episode of our series on iconic female characters with Ira of Old is Gold, our discussion moves from Mother India to Seeta aur Geeta to Bobby.

Beth wonders why the general term "Mother India" seems to connote something so much meeker and lamer than Nargis's character really is.
Ira proposes that even Geeta is not quite as independent as we'd like.
Amrita gets all kinds of grossed out thinking about Raj Kapoor's use of actual teenage actors to tell the more uncomfortable arcs of Bobby's story.

Also, this episode originally included a momentary tangent into Shashi Kapoor love scenes that one of us might have uploaded just for fun. Maybe. Possibly.

In case you missed them, here are parts 1 and 2 of this series. You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Iconic Female Characers by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes, or downloading here.

The other parts of this series are here:
• 1: the Bharatiya Nari
• 2: Fearless Nadia, Chhoti Bahu, Sujata
• 4: Chandni, Simran, Geet – and Sid wakes up

the International Indian Film Academy awards in Toronto (insert joke about "I I F, eh?")

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Sun, 3 Jul 2011 06:46:00 -0500

In this admittedly unpolished post, Beth reflects on her trip to Toronto for the IIFAs last weekend. Lots of pictures, too! Listen here, subscribe to our feed, or find us on iTunes.

before IIFA day
The lobby of the Fairmont Royal York hotel where many of the press and small events were held and several stars stayed.

This turned out to be my most successful celebrity-spotting location. Like this:

I also saw Madhavan, Arshad Warsi (whom I am fated to encounter on the steps of fancy hotels, apparently), Javed Akhtar, and Zeenat Aman, plus Tommy Sandhu, Raj, and Pablo from the BBC Asian Network.

Javed Akhtar and Vishal Bhardwaj at the IIFA music workshop. Squee!

Composing a song live at IIFA music workshop: from left, Ehsaan Noorani, Javed Akhtar, Vishal Bhardwaj, Shankar Mahadevan, and Salim Merchant. Akhtar wrote a few lines and the musicians made up a song on the spot.

awards night
The green carpet outside the stadium about five hours before the start of the show.

The stage.

Sonu Sood wins best villain.

Bipasha Basu's set.

The set for "the sons of Punjab."

If you squint, you might be able to make out Bobby in white just a step or two behind the front row in the center of the stage.

Ranveer Singh wins best male debut and elicits mighty squeals.

Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor present best couple, and Neetu looks like she's heard it all before.

In fact, even I had heard this before. Rishi spouted the statistic about how many heroines have launched opposite him (23, I believe he said), the same one he trotted out at an interview I heard him do in London last year, and my reaction was also the same: "That means you were a hero too damn long!"

"What the what?" moments: Hillary Swank and Cuba Gooding Junior help present top awards.

at the Toronto International Film Festival's Raj Kapoor retrospective red carpet
Vivan Bhatena aka the cricket-playing boyfriend from Chak De India.

Raj's sons and the premiere of Ontario (as you do).

I have no idea who this is but the people in front of me wanted her autograph.

I was told the woman in white is Krishna Kapoor; in pink, Raj/Shammi/Shashi's sister Urmi?

Javed Jaffrey! He was really nice.

Best for last: Zeenat Aman and Neetu Singh.

Other bloggers at the IIFAs: Totally Filmi, Dolce and Namak, Filmi Girl, Shell's Bollyworld, and Daniel at Bollyspice. And here's a lovely post with photos and quotes from the "Bollywood, Hollywood, and Beyond" panel discussion with Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Kabir Bedi, and Lisa Ray. Dolce and Namak also wrote it up here.

Iconic Female Characters in Hindi Cinema Part 2: Fearless Nadia, Chhoti Bahu, Sujata

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:03:00 -0500

In the second episode of Iconic Female Characters with Ira of Old is Gold, our discussion moves from Fearless Nadia to Chhoti Bahu to Sujata.

We wonder if race played a role in the evolution of Nadia and her enduring effect on Indian cinema. Also, why does Beth hate the idea of a woman whose life has no value other than to love her husband? It worked so well for Chhoti Bahu!

What? Oh.

Plus, Amrita remembers her mother's favorite movie all wrong and Ira muses on the trend in Indian cinema where siblings pass around their exes. Spoilers abound but sixty to seventy years after the date of release, you ought to expect it.

You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Female Icons 2 by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes or downloading here.

The other parts of this series are here:
• 1: the Bharatiya Nari
• 3: Mother India, Seeta, Geeta, and Bobby
• 4: Chandni, Simran, Geet – and Sid wakes up

Tollywood in Oz

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:08:00 -0500

Temple of Cinema Chaat joins us to share her love for, among other masala marvels, Chiranjeevi. You know, this guy:

WARNING! The following clips contain silver go-go boots, crocheted capes, a robot, sparkles, leg warmers, flying, reverse camera action, and lots and lots of lycra.

More glitter planets? Coming right up!

Mythological!

Pleather!

Hitched-up lunghi means business!

And Beth's favorite.

What started with Magadheera (go on, ask her how many times she's seen it) has quickly spiraled into passion for the Megastar family, crowned by the dancing king himself. Temple also tells amazing tales of movie-watching in Melbourne, Australia, including her stint as an extra in the stands of the big matches in Chak De India or being a 5'10" gori in the cinema hall during the latest Tollywood releases.

other audience members, at interval: Do you understand what's going on?
Temple: Sort of.
other audience members: Do you speak Telugu?
Temple: No.
other audience members: Are you going to learn Telugu?
Temple: No.
other audience members: Oh. You speak Tamil, then.
Temple: No, but she [gestures at film-watching and blog-writing companion Heather] knows a bit.
other audience members: Hmm. Hindi?
Temple: A bit.
other audience members: Ah. But you don't speak Telugu?
Temple: [sigh]

Almost lost amidst all this fabulousness is a throwaway reference to house favorite and famed dance demon Shashi Kapoor (the dancing starts around 4:00 in the clip below):

You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Tollywood in Oz by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes, or downloading here.

Iconic Female Characters in Hindi Cinema part 1: introduction

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:03:00 -0500

Ira of Old Is Gold joined us for a long—and we mean looong—conversation about iconic female characters in Hindi cinema. In this introductory segment, we discuss a few fictional filmi women who are icons to us, as well as cinematic iterations of the Bharatiya Nari ("Indian woman," for our non-Hindi-speaking friends). Future segments will move roughly chronologically through the twentieth century and into today's films, investigating memorable and representative female characters like Fearless Nadia, Radha of Mother India, Bobby, and Simran.

The opening music in this episode is courtesy of Paresh of the Curry Smugglers. As you will hear, it's a clip of a mix of MIA's "Galang" and "Mehbooba Mehbooba" from Sholay. According to Paresh, it's "from a bootleg by a DJ named Sunit out of parts unknown. It's the only remix that MIA has blessed on the bootleg circuit, probably because of its inherent coolness factor."

You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Female Icons by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes or downloading here. The upcoming parts of this series are here:
• 2: Fearless Nadia, Chhoti Bahu, Sujata
• 3: Mother India, Seeta, Geeta, and Bobby
• 4: Chandni, Simran, Geet – and Sid wakes up

Doss the Boss: Action Films of Director KSR Doss

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 3 Jun 2011 02:07:00 -0500

We're back, baby! This episode is worth the wait: with Thrills Coodinator Todd of Die Danger Die Die Kill and Teleport City on board, we romp and stomp through the films of director K. S. R. Doss. "Color! Action! Pure cinema!" raves Todd. If you've never seen any of Doss's 70s films (the focus of our show), you're in for an amazing treat. Elements like frenetic fights, stylized acting, "dances like Laxmi Chhaya on crystal meth," and even the female players leaping in with reckless abandon add up to the feeling that Doss "is trying to destroy the concept of subtlety itself...there's no room for anything to be understated." And we love them!

In addition to summaries and details of a few of Doss's films in detail, we discuss his influences and techniques, common elements across the films, what the kick-ass female characters are all about, and the relationships between his work and today's Telugu action films (other than the Superstar Krishna and Son connection).

Todd's take of some of the films mentioned in this episode can be found at the following links:

James Bond 777
Kaun Saccha Kaun Jhoota
Mosagallaku Mosagadu
Pistolwali
Rani Mera Naam
and a video podcast on Rani aur Jani at Steve Mayhem's Fighting Femmes, Fiends, and Fanatics series

Beth has also written up James Bond 777 and Mosgallaku Mosgadu. James Bond 777 is now available on Youtube.

You can listen to Masala Zindabad: Doss the Boss by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes or downloading here.

Viva Vamps!

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:07:00 -0600

Greta of Memsaab Story returns to Masala Zindabad for a discussion of vamps in Hindi films. Far more than one-number dancers or silent eye candy, the Amazons of Bollywood are sexy, bad, in charge, and out of control. Often they pay the ultimate price for behaving outside the bounds of filmified society, but in our conversation we discover interesting twists and exceptions to the moralizing cliché that sex = death.

Also for discussion:

What's the difference between an item girl and a vamp?
How do vamps relate to heroes? Must a vamp be defined in contrast to the heroic? Is there any kind of bond between them other than sacrifice and reform?
What kind of personality would a performer need to be a true vamp?
Have changing real-life conditions for women throughout the decades shaped the need or desire for vamps in contemporary films?

Some of the links we mention:

the evocatively worded profile on Faryal by "The Lip" (the source of the hilarious line about Faryal that Memsaab signs off with at the end of the episode)
Amrita's discussion of 70s vamps

Here are some clips of Faryal, Memsaab's current favorite vamp.

"Dekh To Kya Hai Aaj Ki Mehfil" (Puraskar, 1970)

Jewel Thief, 1967

"Chilman Ka Girjaana Allah Allah" (Shararat, 1972)

"Yeh Duniya To Hai Bas Paise Ki" (Do Thug, 1975)

The infamous not-really-a-bad-girl Padma Khanna number.

"Husn Ke Lakhon Rang" (Johny Mera Naam 1970)

And a turn from a modern-day vamp, Mumaith Khan.

"Bongaru Kodipetta" (Magadheera, 2009)

You can listen to Masala Zindabad - Viva Vamps! by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes or downloading here.

What. the. Frack?! The Films of 2010 - Part 2

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 07:36:00 -0600

In part two of our series on the films of 2010, Samrat is back with Amrita and Beth to talk about more oddballs, underdogs, and also-rans. Today's episode covers:

A few more Unusuals: Striker, Robot

Can you think of heroes more different than Siddharth and Rajnikanth? Neither could we.

The Little Movies that Could: Love Sex aur Dhoka, Udaan, Do Dooni Char

Other Things We Couldn't Remember: Badmaash Company, Chance Pe Dance, the roller skating one....

Plus wondering how Tees Maar Khan would turn out (this episode was recorded before it released) and our top picks for the year. Listen to Samrat's impressively prescient diagnosis and why Kay Kay Menon is awesome. For a more detailed discussion of Tees Maar Khan, join Beth et al at Upodcast: The Perils of Bollywood Fandom & Reactions to Tees Maar Khan.

Available on iTunes, through subscription of our feed, or download here.

What. the. Frack?! The Films of 2010 - Part 1

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Wed, 5 Jan 2011 07:36:00 -0600

Even as the stink on Tees Maar Khan begins to fade and voting for the Filmfare award nominations reaches a close, let's not say alvida to 2010 just yet. In a two-part series, Amrita and Beth are joined by friend and life-long film nut Samrat to review the fabulous, fine, foul, and completely forgettable films of 2010. Today's episode covers:

The "Comedies": Golmaal 3, Housefull, Action Replayy, No Problem

The Romantics: I Hate Luv Storys, Aisha, Anjaana Anjaani, Band Baaja Baarat, Kites, Guzaarish, Break Ke Baad

The Epics: Dabangg, Veer, Raajneeti, My Name is Khan, Raavan, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

The Unusuals: Ishqiya, Peepli Live, Striker

You'll notice we never got around to discussing some of the aforementioned, which should tell you something about them.

Available on iTunes, through subscription of our feed or download here. In the meantime, stay tuned for Part 2.

Inside the Halls of Filmistan High: Koffee with Karan

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:56:00 -0600

Hamper shamper! Karan Johar may be one of the most powerful people in the industry, able to wriggle longer, juicier answers out of directors and actors than even most practiced and reputable journalists, but we're not letting him or his ridiculous show off the hook.

Join Amrita, Beth, and special guest Maria of the blog Filmiholic, herself an experienced film journalist, in a discussion of this season of Koffee with Karan. We wonder what the show is actually about, why he asks the questions he does, and whether he's really a good tv host or just a bully in velvet. In trying to figure it all out, we cover:

the difference between being a host and a conversationalist
highlights from this season's episodes (featuring Aishwarya Rai-Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor-Imran Khan, Deepika Padukone-Sonam Kapoor, Farah Khan-Raju Hirani-Imtiaz Ali, Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan)
the significance (or not) of power players' sexuality and what coming out could do
navigating fame, fortune, and power as a young woman
an apparent fear among these big players of intellectual content and seeming smart
what guests could possibly have in their purses
and whether the set design looks a bit too much like a strip club.

Let us know: did we out-cat the cattiest show on Indian television? If not, should we release our outtakes?

(Side note: all of us now realize that the contents of the hamper have been exposed in previous episodes.)

Amrita and Beth also enjoyed Baradwaj Rangan's piece "Kogitating over Koffee".

Available on iTunes, through subscription to our feed, or download here.

Kaala Pathhar (1979)

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Sat, 4 Dec 2010 05:48:00 -0600

The featured movie for December is 1979's Kaala Patthar, directed by Yash Chopra, written by Salim-Javed, and starring half of Bollywood: Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee Gulzar, Shashi Kapoor, Parveen Babi, Shatrughan Sinha, Neetu Singh, Prem Chopra, Mac Mohan, Parikshit Sahni, Poonam Dhillon, Iftekhar, Madan Puri....

Join us for an in-depth look at one of our favorite socialist-masala movies. We'll put in a spoiler warning for those of you who've never seen it before and direct you to Beth's review, which comes complete with a screenshot of Shotgun Sinha's impeccable manicure.

Things discussed in this podcast include:

Parveen Babi's shiny, shiny hair guaranteed to leave the rest of us unfortunates green with envy
Shashi Kapoor's general awesomeness, especially when tackling men roughly double his size
Amrita's love of the Amitabh-Rakhee pairing and Beth's love of Shatrughan Sinha
Charles Bronson, coal miner extraordinaire
the (possible) significance of water (maybe?)
and just what the hell was Amitabh's problem? We're all at sea!

You can listen to Masala Zindabad - Kaala Pathhar (1979) by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, on iTunes or downloading here. Thank you for listening.

PS - can you identify the theme music for this month?

Women in Bollywood: What's Wrong with Current Actresses & How to Fix It

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:22:00 -0600

Women in Bollywood will be an ongoing, intermittent series on this podcast. In our premiere episode of the series, we discuss the current crop of female actors in Hindi cinema and whether the all-too-standard line that they're all looks and little talent is really true. We also have a few proposals on how to improve both performers and the material they have to work with. If any of our liked-minded listeners are movie producers, please get in touch.

Here are the Smashits and Filmfare lists we mention, and please enjoy some editorial input-heavy images and clips to accompany the podcast:

Best. Subtitle. Ever.

MZ is also not amused by your inclusion on the Filmfare power list.

And of ACT!ING!

No snark here. We liked this performance!

Kareena Kapoor in the red sweater that made a statement. From the movie Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai (2001), Tusshar Kapoor's debut.

Rekha in the "crocodile movie," Khoon Bhari Maang (1988) directed by Rakesh Roshan.

For further discussion:
why can't Beth ever remember the name of this film, even after she's seen it?

You can listen to Masala Zindabad - Women in Bollywood: Current Actresses by clicking the player above, on iTunes, subscribing to our feed, or downloading here. Thank you for listening.

The Forgotten: Character Actors in Hindi Cinema Part 2

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:10:00 -0600

In Part 2 of our conversation with Greta from Memsaab Story, we talk about her favorite finds and the man for whom she is searching desperately - The International Sombrero Man of Mystery. Please help if you can.

Listen to the tale of her dinner date with Boman Irani (strictly platonic and very cerebral, thank you very much!) and how Aamir Khan did her a great favor even though Dara Singh is her idea of a pin-up.

Below are a few more people discussed in this episode:

Edwina (in the gold dress) in Arzoo (1963)

Ted in Janwar (1965):

and in "Jaan Pehchaan Ho" from Gumnaam (1966) He is in the middle and the guy on the far left - on Ted's right - is Helen's brother Roger

Herman and Edwina in Anari (1959):

Herman Benjamin (dancer turned choreographer, sadly died young in 1969), also in "Jaan Pehchaan Ho"

To wrap things up, here is someone who sadly got edited out of the final show but deserves to be mentioned all the same: Jagdish Raj, father of Anita, who played a police officer in 144 films. And that's in addition to all the films he made where he didn't don an uniform.

You can listen to Masala Zindabad - The Forgotten Part 2 by clicking the player above, subscribing to our feed, or downloading here. Thank you for listening.

The Forgotten: Character Actors in Hindi Cinema Part 1

bethlovesbollywood@gmail.com (Amrita Rajan and Beth Watkins) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:20:00 -0600

In our first official episode of the Masala Zindabad podcast, we talk to the always lovely Greta from Memsaab Story about actors we all recognize but seldom know by name. Memsaab Story, for those few of you who don't already know, has fast developed into a go-to resource for fans of Hindi cinema, especially for films of the 1970s and before.

The first of our two-part discussion includes the story of the (surprising?) movies that introduced Greta and Beth to Bollywood, hard-to-find actors like Nazir Kashmiri a.k.a. the Ramu Kaka of countless films who led to the start of Greta's Artist Identification Project, and how the supporting cast frequently outshone the lead actors.

Here are a few of the faces you'll hear about in our conversations about "Oh...that guy!"

Chandramohan in Roti (1942)
Nazir Kashmiri in Dilruba (1950)
Maybe Bismillah (on the left with the red turban) in Zabak (1961)?

And here's a link to Surjit Singh's gallery that inspired Greta's own massive galleries of actors through the decades.

You can listen to the Masala Zindabad podcast on iTunes, by clicking on the player above, subscribing to our feed, or simply by downloading here.

Join us next time for Part 2 featuring Sombrero Man and some truly astonishing stats.

Apradh (1972)

PS - Amrita would like you to know that, her crappy editing skills to the contrary, all members of this podcast do actually pause to breathe. Just fyi.