Bollywood Is For Lovers

We welcome filmmaker Jaydeep Sarkar, series director and executive producer of Rainbow Rishta, a new docuseries available now on Amazon Prime. Show notes: Jaydeep Sarkar Rainbow Rishta NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness  Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper!  Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!  Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Bollywood, #JaydeepSarkar, #HindiCinema, #HindiTV, #IndianTV, #Docuseries, #Documentary, #AmazonPrime, #LGBTQ+, #LGBTQ+India

Somehow we made it through 2023, which certainly was a year in Bollywood. Did Tiger 3 hit the jackpot? Did we soldier through Jawan? Find out now! Show notes: The 69th Annual Filmfare Awards (nice) Neeyat (Episode 150) Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Supplemental Episode 17) Jawan Jaane Jaan (Episode 149) Khufiya INTERVAL ("Dishoom Dishoom" from The Archies) Thank You for Coming 12th Fail Tiger 3 Animal This is the only Bullet Machine we respect in these parts The Archies Kho Gaye Hum Kahan NEXT TIME: Surprise Netflix and Dil! Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Bollywood, #2023Bollywood, #HindiCinema, #Neeyat, #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahaani, #Jawan, #JaaneJaan, #Khufiya, #ThankYouforComing, #12thFail, #Animal, #TheArchies, #KhoGayeHumKahan

It's hard for us to believe, but we've reached two million downloads! To celebrate, we wanted to look back at the evolution of the show and apologize for everything we have gotten wrong over the past eight and a half years. Show notes: Thank you to all of our listeners near and far for lending us your ears two million times! Supplemental Episode 8: 60 Questions (which was to celebrate 100 episodes, not one million listens) NEXT TIME: 2023 year end wrap up Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

We are on the case with Bollywood's leading actress, the incomparable Vidya Balan, will we solve it before she does? Listen to find out! Show notes: Vidya Balan Star power and acting prowess Bobby Jasoos Feminist themes Many spinning plates INTERVAL ("Sweety" from Bobby Jasoos) Neeyat Character actor cast Anu Menon Split diopter and split screen NEXT TIME: 2 million Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #VidyaBalan, #BobbyJasoos, #SamarShaikh, #AliFazal, #ArjanBajwa, #KiranKumar, #RajendraGupta, #SupriyaPathak, #TanviAzmi, #Neeyat, #AnuMenon, #RamKapoor, #RahulBose, #DipannitaSharma, #NeerajKabi, #AmritaPuri, #ShashankArora, #PrajaktaKoli, #ShefaliShah, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema, #DetectiveMovies

To celebrate Noirvember this year, we delve into the catalogue of Sujoy Ghosh with the (not exactly noir) thrillers Kahaani and this year's Netflix release Jaane Jaan.  Show notes: Noirvember and our Noirvember playlist Sujoy Ghosh Adventures in the Public Domain: Aladin and Arjun: The Warrior Prince Kahaani Kolkata as asphalt jungle The effectiveness of a pregnant detective INTERVAL ("Jaane Jaan" from Jaane Jaan) Jaane Jaan The Devotion of Suspect X and Keigo Higashino Comparisons to Drishyam "Aa Jane Jaan" from Intaquam The Kalimpong atmosphere  NEXT TIME: Detective Balan Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Noirvember, #FilmNoir, #NeoNoir, #SujoyGhosh, #Kahaani, #VidyaBalan, #NawazuddinSiddiqui, #SaswataChatterjee, #ParambrataChatterjee, #IndraneilSengupta, #JaaneJaan, #KareenaKapoor, #KareenaKapoorKhan, #JaideepAhlawat, #VijayVarma

Happy (belated) Halloween Lovers! We may be late but our tradition of exploring all things spooky that Hindi cinema has to offer lives on! This year we are sinking our teeth into Netflix's romantic horror-comedy Tooth Pari. Show notes: This episode is quite late as we were our of the country and Erin got sick Neighbours trailer Tooth Pari: When Love Bites Pratim D. Gupta and X: Past Is Present NEXT TIME: Noirvember Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #ToothPari, #ToothPari:WhenLoveBites, #PratimD.Gupta, #AnishRailkar, #TanyaManiktala, #ShantanuMaheshwari, #Revathi, #TillotamaShome, #SikandarKher, #SaswataChatterjee, #AdilHussain, #HindiHorror, #NetflixIndia, #Bollywood

We welcome writer Sunny Singh to the show to discuss her fascinating new book A Bollywood State of Mind! Show notes: Thank you Sunny Singh for joining us! A Bollywood State of Mind: A journey into the world’s biggest cinema Heads up, we discuss some spoilers for Jawan if you haven't seen it yet NEXT TIME: Hindi Horror Halloween Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Bollywood, #HindiCinema, #SunnySingh, #ABollywoodStateofMind, #ShahRukhKhan, #AmitabhBachchan, #FootnotePress, #IndianCinema, #FilmTheory

We return to the career of Yash Chopra with two iconic mid-70s blockbusters: one, the first film to carry the YRF name and the other, maybe the most influential Bollywood film ever made. Show notes: Past Yash Chopra films we have discussed: Netflix and Dil: High and Low - Cinema Marte Dum Tak and The Romantics and Yaasssh Chopra: Lamhe & Veer-Zaara with Manish Mathur Zanjeer and the Angry Young Man Yash Chopra Rajesh Khanna Thomas Hardy and the cad awareness book "Ab Chahe Maa Roothe" Comparisons to Douglas Sirk INTERVAL ("Ni Main Yaar Manana Ni" from Daag) Deewaar Gunga Jumna and Mother India Matt is the evil brother Influences on Hong Kong cinema and Slumdog Millionaire What can we bring to a conversation about this film? Bachchan: Back to the Beginning NEXT TIME: Hindi Horror Halloween Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #YashChop

We go to the lawless deserts in Homi Adajania's blood-soaked Hotstar crime drama, Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo, to find out who Dimple Kapadia will choose as her successor, and see if they will even make it out alive to enjoy their inheritance. Show notes: Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo Homi Adajania We Want To Be Dimple Kapadia’s Friend: Bobby, Saagar, and Rudaali Netflix and Dil: Forget it, BiFL. It’s Mirzapur Next time: Deewaar Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Hotstar, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema, #SaasBahuAurFlamingo, #HomiAdajania, #DimpleKapadia, #IshaTalwar,#AngiraDhar, #RadhikaMadan, #VarunMitra, #AshishVerma, #UditArora, #JimitTrivedi, #MonicaDogra, #DeepakDobriyal, #NaseeruddinShah

After bemoaning the state of Bollywood in our last episode, Karan Johar has given us something worth celebrating! Show notes: Thank you Manish Mathur for joining us (and suggesting we record this surprise episode)! Listen to It Pod to Be You Rocky Aur Rani Prem Kii Kahaani NEXT TIME: Netflix and Dil Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Bollywood, #HindiCinema, #Bollywood 2023, #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahani, #KaranJohar, #AliaBhatt, #RanveerSingh, #Dharmendra, #JayaBachchan, #JayaBhaduri, #ShabanaAzmi

Somehow we are more than halfway through 2023, which means it's time for the midyear review where we discuss 11 Hindi-language films that have come out so far this year. Show notes: Pathaan (Supplemental 14) Almost Pyaar with Dj Mohabbat Shehzada Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar Mrs. Chetterjee vs Norway Bheed INTERVAL ("Bandaa Title Track" from Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai) Bholaa Gaslight Kathal Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai Bawaal Next time: Netflix and Dil Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Bollywood, #HindiCinema, #Bollywood2023, #Pathaan, #AlmostPyaarwithDJMohabbat, #Shehzada, #TuJhoothiMainMakkaar, #MrsChatterjeevsNorway, #Bheed, #Bholaa, #Gaslight, #Gaslight2023, #Kathal, #SirfEkBandaaKaafiHai, #Bandaa, #Bawaal

It's been a rough year so far for Bollywood, but luckily there are plenty of new streaming shows that have caught our attention, some might say too many though. That means it's time for another pilot season where we watch the pilot of six shows and choose which one we are going to watch, and review, a whole season of! Show notes: The Streaming Show Bestseller The Night Manager Tooth Pari: When Love Bites Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo Dahaad Scoop NEXT TIME: 2023 Midyear Review Our sponsor this episode is #BollywoodMonsterMashup, the LARGEST South Asian festival in Canada and features FREE performances by international Bollywood stars, food, shopping, dance performances, a laser show and more! The whole family can enjoy this monstrous event with FREE entry, FREE parking and FREE family activities. Come dance, sing and feast with us at this one-of-a-kind production taking place at Mississauga Celebration Square! Check out BollywoodMonsterMashup.com for more info! Want a FREE Bollywood Monster Coupon Book? Go to

We welcome Canadian musician and playback singer Shashaa Tirupati on to discuss her career in Indian cinema, as well as winning a National Film Award and what it's like to work with A.R. Rahman and other top composers. Show notes: Shashaa Tirupati and her Youtube channel Shashaa's beautiful Tamil interpretation of Bon Iver's "Perth" #BollywoodMonster Mashup 2023 IG Meet and Greet live on Instagram (@BollywoodMonsterMashup), Sunday July 9, 12 PM EST/ 9:30 PM IST NEXT TIME: Pilot Season Part 2 Our sponsor this episode is #BollywoodMonsterMashup, the LARGEST South Asian festival in Canada and features FREE performances by international Bollywood stars, food, shopping, dance performances, a laser show and more! The whole family can enjoy this monstrous event with FREE entry, FREE parking and FREE family activities. Come dance, sing and feast with us at this one-of-a-kind production taking place at Mississauga Celebration Square! Check out BollywoodMonsterMashup.com for more info! Find us on Apple Podcast

Strap in Lovers, we’re going on an international chase to catch Asia’s biggest criminal mastermind, Don.  Show notes: It's not only difficult to catch Don (1978), it's impossible “Bachchan ‘76 - ‘78″ The Making of Don Don: The Chase Begins Again  Petronas Towers, as seen in Entrapment Songs: “Yeh Mera Dil,” “Main Hoon Don,” and “Khaike Paan Banaraswala” Comparisons to contemporary Bollywood action Don has read The Game (INTERVAL (“Aaj Ki Raat” from Don: The Chase Begins Again) Don 2 Another stacked year, and a great year for the Akhtars Hallo Berlin! Songs: “Zaraa Dil Ko Thaam Lo” and “Dushman Mera Don 2″ Mission: Impossible similarities Where will they go in Don 3? Suchin Mehrotra‘s The Streaming Show Next time: Pilot Season Vol. 2 Our sponsor this episode is #BollywoodMonsterMashup, the LARGEST South Asian festival in Canada and features FREE performances by international Bollywood stars, food, shopping, dance performances, a laser show and more! The whole family can enjoy this monstrous even

We go back to the swinging sixties to get our groove on and maybe solve a murder or two, or ten, if we don’t end up dead ourselves! Show notes: Erin forgets why they wanted to do this episode Ranveer Singh was in a ‘60s pastiche, and it was terrible Ghost World and And Then There Were None Gumnaam Pran is a fashion king Songs: “Hum Kaale Hain To,” “Is Duniya Mein Jeena Ho To,” and “Peeke Hum Tum Jo” (INTERVAL (“Jaan Pehechan Ho” from Gumnaam) Teesri Manzil We are continuing to fall for Shammi Kapoor’s charms Laxmi Chhaya returns! Songs: “O Haseena Zulfonwali Jaan-E-Jahan” and “Tumne Mujhe Dekha Hokar Meharbaan” Bond theme comparisons Next time: Don and Don 2 Thank you to Magic Mind for sponsoring this episode. Use our code    BollywoodLovers to get 56 per cent off your subscription in the next 10 days, or 20 percent off a one time purchase. Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow

We go back to the golden age of filmmaking in Bombay with Vikramaditya Motwane’s period drama Jubilee. Show notes: 68th Filmfare Awards Breaking Free: Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan, Lootera, and Trapped Jubilee “Jubilee Is a Beautifully Mounted Show About the 1930s but the Women Pioneers Have Been Erased” Next time: 60s murder mysteries Thank you to Magic Mind for sponsoring this episode. Use our code BollywoodLovers to get 56 per cent off your subscription in the next 10 days, or 20 percent off a one time purchase. Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Jubilee, #AmazonPrime, #AmazonPrimeVideo, #VikramadityaMotwane, #AditiRaoHydari, #AparshaktiKhurana, #RamKapoor, #SidhantGupta, #WamiqaGabbi, #ProsenjitChatterjee, #SoumikSen, #AtulSabharwal, #Filmfare, #FilmfareAwards, #FilmfareAwards2023, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema

Who better to play actors in Bollywood, than Bollywood actors? We discuss two films that present a very different take on the lifestyles of working screen actors. Show notes: Episode 3: Bollywood on Bollywood Should we redo or “react” to our early episodes? MST3K Khamosh Kaamyaab Super-R/geriatric cinema We were also surprised to find ourselves on IMDb (INTERVAL (“Aap Jaisa Koi” from An Action Hero) An Action Hero Nora Fatehi in “Jehda Nasha” #BoycottBollywood and news media Ayushmann Khuranna's career path The Littlest Hobo/An Action Hobo Next time: Vikramaditya Motwane’s Jubilee Thank you to Magic Mind for sponsoring this episode. Use our code    BollywoodLovers to get 56 per cent off your subscription in the next 10 days, or 20 percent off a one time purchase. Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #Bollywood, #HindiCinema, #Kaamyaab, #Sanjay

In our second annual Madhuri Madness we discuss two awards-nominated performances from the early 90s. Show notes: Madhuri Madness 2022: Parinda and Dil and The Fame Game   Sadly The Fame Game has been cancelled Saajan “playboy-operator type“ Comparisons to Cyrano de Bergerac Is Sanjay Dutt a convincing romantic lead? Songs: “Bahut Pyar Karte Hain,” “Pehli Baar Mile Hain,” “Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hai,” “Dekha Hai Pehli Baar,” and “Bahut Pyar Karte Hain (Male)”   (INTERVAL (“Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” from Khalnayak) Khalnayak Zee5 is missing over 20 minutes of this film Now here Sanjay Dutt is convincing Songs: “Khal Nayak Hai Tu,” “Aye Sahib Yeh Theek Nahin,” “Aaja Sajan Aaja,” “Palki Mein Hoke Sawaar,” and “Khal Nayak Hoon Main”   Next time: actors playing actors Bollywood is For Lovers is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network Listen to The Well Endowed Podcast Check out Park Power Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! Tha

We welcome The Romantics director Smriti Mundhra on to discuss her new Netflix docuseries on Yash Raj Films, Bollywood stars' bookshelves, the nepotism question, and whether Befikre will ever find its audience.  Show notes: Thank you Smriti Mundhra! Netflix and Dil: High and Low - Cinema Marte Dum Tak and The Romantics NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness Bollywood is For Lovers is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network Check out The Well Endowed Podcast Listen to What’s The Tsismis? Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #TheRomantics, #SmritiMundhra, #Netflix, #NetflixIndia, #YashRaj, #YashRajFilms, #YashChopra, #AdityaChopra, #Bollywood, #HindiCinema

We go behind the scenes to learn about the making of some of Hindi cinema’s most famous and infamous films with two new docuseries. Show notes: Thank you Rakesh KT! Cinema Marte Dum Tak Vice Media The Romantics Smriti Mundhra Yash Raj Films NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness! Bollywood is For Lovers is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network Check out Telus Storyhive and Edmonton Public School’s Open House Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper! Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork! Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! #CinemaMarteDumTak, #VasanBala, #ViceStudios, #ViceMedia, #J.Neelam, #KantiShah, #KishanShah, #DilipGulati, #VinodTalwar, #SapnaSappu, #ArjunKapoor, #AmazonPrimeVideo, #AmazonPrimeVideoIndia, #TheRomantics, #YashRajFilms, #YashChopra, #AdityaChopra, #SmritiMundhra, #AmitabhBachchan, #ShahRukhKhan, #RanveerSingh, #Kajol, #DDLJ, #DilwaleDulhaniaLeJayenge, #Chandni, #KabhiKabhie, #Lamhe, #Darr,