Episode 6: Hichki marks the return of Rani Mukherji in the role of a teacher with Tourette Syndrome. After a round of Geeton Ka Ghanchakkar and Filmi Khabrein, we discuss how disability has been portrayed in Bollywood films in our main segment Bollywood Behes.

Inspired by the book Front of the Class, and based on the real life story of an American teacher Brad Cohen, Hichki tells the story of a woman passionate about teaching despite the challenges presented by her neurological disorder. This film gives us an opportunity to look at some previous Bollywood movies such as Sparsh, Koshish and [Margarita, With A Straw] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zy3F0WVDK0) that similarly centre around characters with disabilities, and question how their stories have been told.

Music: Bollywood Blades by Professor Kliq/ Material Breakthrough by Peritune

Episode 5: In our fifth episode, we look at Pyaasa, a cult classic Bollywood film. After a round of Geeton Ka Ghanchakkar (The Pyaasa Edition) and Filmi Khabrein, we discuss what makes Pyaasa such an iconic Hindi film as part of our main segment Bollywood Behes.

Pyaasa is widely considered one of Hindi cinema’s path-breaking films. Made in 1957, the film was made in the vein of art-house films but was also commercially successful. Even today, it’s taught in film schools across India, and studied by an international audience as well. The film techniques used in Pyaasa also continue to inspire contemporary filmmakers and its songs entrall us.

Music: Bollywood Blades by Professor Kliq/ Material Breakthrough by Peritune

Episode 4: In our fourth episode, we look at Pari and Bollywood’s latest take on the horror film genre. After a round of Geeton Ka Ghanchakkar (The Horror Edition) and Filmi Khabrein, we discuss how Pari fits into the Bollywood horror films tradition as part of our main segment Bollywood Behes.

Prosit Roy’s debut film Pari, starring Anushka Sharma, is Bollywood’s latest foray into horror films. However, where previous Bollywood horror movies produced by the likes of the Ramsay Brothers and Ram Gopal Verma depended on sex and jump cut scares, Roy wanted to tread down the same atmospheric horror path as the classic horror film The Shining. Other films mentioned in the podcast include Junoon and Ek Thi Daayan.

Music: Bollywood Blades by Professor Kliq/ Material Breakthrough by Peritune

Episode 3: In our third episode, we pay tribute to Bollywood icon Sridevi. After a round of Geeton Ka Ghanchakkar dedicated to famous songs featuring Sridevi and Filmi Khabrein, we discuss the Bollywood star’s legacy as part of our main segment Bollywood Behes.

The news of Sridevi’s death on 24 Feb 2018 left her fans shocked. The Bollywood veteran actress had recently returned to the big screen after a 15 year break, starring in movies such as English Vinglish and Mom.

In this special episode, we pay tribute to Sridevi, charting her legacy as a child star in Tamil films, her work in Telugu and other languages, before she reigned over Bollywood in the late 80’s and 90’s. Our friends Sharada Eswar, Suman Gollamudi and Harish Iyer share their memories of the actress.

Music: Bollywood Blades by Professor Kliq/ Material Breakthrough by Peritune

Episode 2: In our second episode, after a round of Geeton Ka Ghanchakkar (where we discuss Bollywood songs stuck in our heads) and Filmi Khabrein, we discuss Bollywood’s spy films in our main segment Bollywood Behes.

Following the release of Aiyyary, Neeraj Pandey’s riff on the famous Adarsh Housing Society scam, we look at the legacy of spy movies in Hindi cinema – looking at CID (1956), Farz (1967), Ankhen (1968), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Baby (2015) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017).

Music: Bollywood Blades by Professor Kliq/ Material Breakthrough by Peritune

In the debut episode, Aparita and Baisakhi introduce Khabardaar podcast, play a minute-long round of antaakshari, brief you on some Bollywood news, and then move on to the main segment – Bollywood Behes.

Aparita and Baisakhi discuss the recently released Bollywood movie Pad Man, featuring Akshay Kumar, along with Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor; it’s based on the real life story of Arunachalam Murugunantham. They talk about Pad Man as a PSA (public service announcement movie), and the types of questions it raises (or not) while trying to create awareness about menstruation and sanitary napkins.

Music: Bollywood Blades by Professor Kliq/ Material Breakthrough by Peritune

In this teaser, Aparita and Baisakhi discuss the first time they watched a Bollywood movie. Just so you know that they know their filmi stuff.

Music: Bollywood Blades by Professor Kliq/ Material Breakthrough by Peritune