The Awful & Awesome Entertainment Wrap

While discussing Heeramandi : Rajyasree: If you wear velvet and zardozi in the heat of Lahore, you won’t have a nawab around you because you will be stinking. Abhinandan: As if the nawabs themselves were smelling of roses, they were probably piss-drunk. Rajyasree: Chee, chee, chee! Abhinandan: It’s such a stupid concept, it took me three days to watch 24-odd minutes. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri discuss the series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and the films Unfrosted and The Idea of You. Abhinandan recommends Saba Dewan’s documentary, The Other Song. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 03:51 - Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar 20:09 - The Other Song - Abhinandan’s Recommendation 29:44 - Announcements 31:45 - Unfrosted 38:55 - Letter 40:57 - The Idea of You 44:24 - May December - Rajyasree’s Recommendation 49:18 - Kettan Singh and Met Gala References Subscribe to Newslaundry NewsAble Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar The Other Song Unfrosted The Idea of You May December Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Shubang Gautam and edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Laapataa Ladies: Rajyasree: It was a sweet film. I cried at the end. Abhinandan: Which is so rare. You cry in every film, even in Ram Ratan Dhan Payo. Rajyasree: It’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. In fact, you almost cried upon realising what a shit film it was. I cried in Chennai Express. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri discuss the films Scoop, Laapataa Ladies, and Amar Singh Chamkila. Abhinandan also shares some entertaining pop culture headlines he came across. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. Producer’s note: The films and series reviewed in this episode were reviewed earlier, but Rajyasree and Abhinandan have new perspectives to offer. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 3:04 - Pop culture headlines by Abhinandan 9:05 - Letters and an apology by Rajyasree 14:25 - Laapataa Ladies 28:15 - Amar Singh Chamkila 35:45 - Scoop 41:40 - Some more political ads and songs References Amar Singh Chamkila Scoop Laapataa Ladies Shivsena UBT Hindi Advertisement BJP rap song Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced, recorded by Shubang Gautam and edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Ferrari: Rajyasree: In House of Gucci, I felt Adam Driver overacted. Abbas: Everyone in that film was given a brief to overact. Rajyasree: Yeah a bit over the top...actually it's their version of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Abbas Momin discuss the films Ferrari and Aavesham, and Rajyasree gives her thoughts on the series Ripley. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. General elections are here, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have a series of ambitious coverage planned. To support our journalism, choose an election project and contribute here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 02:11 - Ferrari 16:48 - Letter 17:27 - Rajyasree’s take on Ripley 27:30 - NL TNM Election Fund 28:41 - Aavesham 35:32 - Backlash to Chamkila review References General Elections 2024 Fund Ferrari Ripley The Talented Mr. Ripley Aavesham Amar Singh Chamkila Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced, recorded by Shubang Gautam and edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing headlines: Jayashree: Does your fandom of Akshay Kumar extend to you watching his movies? Rajyasree: No, that’s too much. I just think he’s a very good-looking man. Jayashree: I think the last Akshay Kumar movie I watched was Garam Masala, 20 years ago. Rajyasree: I have nothing to say to that. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Jayashree Arunachalam discuss the films Amar Singh Chamkila and Aattam, and the series Baby Reindeer. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. General elections are here, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have a series of ambitious coverage planned. To support our journalism, choose an election project and contribute here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 02:25 - Headlines 6:20 - Baby Reindeer 20:30 - Amar Singh Chamkila 31:48 - NL TNM Election Fund 32:35 - Aattam References General Elections 2024 Fund Amar Singh Chamkila Aattam Baby Reindeer Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced, recorded and edited by Shubang Gautam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Ripley: Abbas: So, Andrew Scott became famous as the hot priest in Fleabag. Nainika: How can you forget he was Moriarty in Sherlock? Abbas: Ah, right. Nainika: A generation of girls on Tumblr were raised looking at Andrew. Abbas: Tumblr. I can totally fill in the blanks. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Nainika Rathore and Abbas Momin discuss the mini-series Ripley, the film Scoop, and election campaign songs. Abbas ends the episode with a summary of the latest WrestleMania. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. General elections are here, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have a series of ambitious coverage planned. To support our journalism, choose an election project and contribute here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 02:24 - Headlines 3:30 - Ripley 15:40 - NL TNM Election Fund 16:30 - Election campaign songs 29:10 - Scoop 35:10 - WrestleMania References General Elections 2024 Fund Ripley BJP - Modi Ka Pariwar Congress - Nyay Song TMC Song - Jonogoner Gorjon 5 Saal Kejriwal Scoop WrestleMania The World of Wrestling by Roland Barthes Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Shubang Gautam, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Crew: Rajyasree: Maybe my expectations were very low. Abhinandan: That's the theme of your life. You find Saif hot, you watch Akshay Kumar films… Rajyasree: Saif is very hot. And by the way, I enjoyed Akshay in Yeh Dillagi. Rahul: Man, those were the days! This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri, Rajyasree Sen, and film critic Rahul Desai discuss the series The Regime, the movies Crew and The Zone of Interest, and the latest BJP and Congress ads. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have a series of ambitious coverage planned. To support our journalism, choose an election project and contribute here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 03:34 - Crew 19:27 - BJP Ads 22:37 - The Zone of Interest 43:24 - The Regime References General Elections 2024 Fund Crew The Zone of Interest The Regime BJP Election Advertisement Rahul Desai’s review of Crew Laapata Ladies Merry Christmas Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Shubang Gautam, edited by Satish Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing the headlines: Tanishka: Kangana Ranaut was declared BJP’s candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh…It’s the audition she’s been doing for years now. Nainika: That too on Twitter…which is why you should keep posting on social media. Tanishka: Shitposting is great! Nainika: Doesn’t matter what your mom says. You should always be on your phone. One day it could result in a Lok Sabha seat. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Nainika Rathore and Tanishka Sodhi discuss the series Maamla Legal Hai and The Gentlemen, and the movie Irish Wish. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have a series of ambitious coverage planned. To support our journalism, choose an election project and contribute here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 01:10 - Headlines 04:02 - Maamla Legal Hai 23:42 - NL TNM Election Fund 24:35 - The Gentlemen 36:40 - Irish wish 47:04 - Letters References General Elections 2024 Fund Maamla Legal Hai Irish Wish The Gentlemen Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Shubang Gautam, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Kate Middleton’s ‘disappearance’: Rajyasree: It is a little weird that she is nowhere to be seen. But then the royal family has had a bit of a dull phase. Abbas: Exactly. Rajyasree: Too bad that our public figures don’t go missing. Abbas: Or are half as interesting. Kate, if you’re listening to this, please show up. Rajyasree: And subscribe to Newslaundry! This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Abbas Momin discuss the movie Murder Mubarak, the series Big Girls Don’t Cry, and Can’t, the new special by stand-up comic Daniel Sloss. This episode is outside the paywall. Watch it, enjoy it, and subscribe to Newslaundry, so you can tune in every week. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have a series of ambitious coverage planned. To support our journalism, choose an election project and contribute here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 02:21 - Headlines 04:41 - Murder Mubarak 19:23 - NL-TNM Election Fund 21:19 - Big Girls Don’t Cry 36:34 - Daniel Sloss: Can’t References General Elections 2024 Fund Murder Mubarak Big Girls Don’t Cry Daniel Sloss: Can’t Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Shubang Gautam, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Poor Things: Jayashree: You threw me under the bus. I asked if I should watch American Fiction or Poor Things, and you led me to Poor Things. Rajyasree: Which has won an Oscar. Jayashree: So many terrible movies have. I had to watch Poor Things over dinner. So, I did not get my calorie intake last night, because it was a struggle. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Jayashree Arunachalam discuss the movies Poor Things, American Fiction, Manjummel Boys, and the 96th Academy Awards. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together. Choose an election project you would like to support and power our journalism. Click here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 01:29 - Headlines 03:45 - Poor things 18:40 - American Fiction 25:54 - NL-TNM Election Fund 27:28 - Manjummel Boys 34:10 The Oscars References General Elections 2024 Fund Poor Things American Fiction Manjummel Boys 96th Academy Awards Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Shubang Gautam, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abbas: Did you see? Karan Johar has put up a high production quality pre-wedding video of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Our pre-wedding videos are by some random ‘Chandu video wala’. Nainika: No, Abbas. You’re Bombay royalty. You should have one of your director friends come in and shoot your wedding with a film camera. Abbas: I think I’d get Suraj Barjatya, or maybe Quentin Tarantino. The joota-churai ceremony would be epic. Nainika: Oh my god, you did not just say that. (laughs) This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abbas Momin and Nainika Singh Rathore discuss the movies The Holdovers and Laapataa Ladies, the series Mr and Mrs Smith, and the hullabaloo around Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding festivities. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. By the way, general elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together. Choose an election project you would like to support and power our journalism. Click here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 02:18 - Headlines 04:02 - Ambani bash 21:06 - NL-TNM Election Fund announcement 22:08 - Mr & Mrs Smith 28:59 - Subscriber letter 30:05 - Laapataa Ladies 37:56 - Subscriber letter 40:05 - The Holdovers References General Elections 2024 Fund Laapataa Ladies The Holdovers Mr and Mrs Smith Has It Aged Well? Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Shubang Gautam, edited by Samarendra K Dash and Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, it’s time to unwind as we look back at our favourite moments and best clips from the past few weeks. This special episode is free unlike others behind the paywall. Subscribe to listen to our previous episodes. Awful and Awesome will return with a new episode next week. Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Argylle: Nainika: I’ve seen a lot of movies since joining this podcast. I’ve watched the awful, I’ve watched the awesome, but I’ve never watched… Rajyasree: The boring? Nainika: No, the bizarre. (laughs) It was a bizarre film. I fell asleep, I woke up. Rajyasree: But, what a starcast they’ve got. Nainika: I think this film is a money laundering front for all those involved. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Nainika Singh Rathore discuss the series Love Storiyaan and Feud, movies Argylle and This Is Me…Now, and the BAFTAs. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. By the way, general elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together. Choose an election project you would like to support and power our journalism. Click here. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 01:27 - Headlines 03:01 - Love Storiyaan 15:09 - Letter 16:10 - Argylle 32:20 - Letter 34:23 - BAFTAs 39:10 - Announcement on NL Sena Modi 2.0 Report Card 40:09 - Feud S2 References NL Sena: Modi 2.0 Report Card Argylle Feud S2 Love Storiyaan This Is Me…Now BAFTAs Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Shubang Gautam, edited by Hassan Bilal and Saif Ali Ekram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya: Abbas: Dimple Kapadia, who is Shahid’s aunt in the film, plays the role of a scientist. Rajyasree: She did the same role in Pathaan too. Who knows, when filmmakers look at Dimple, they think, “This is what a scientist definitely looks like.” Abbas: Oh, and Shahid Kapoor is also a robotic scientist, by the way. Rajyasree: (laughs) This is really stretching the suspension of disbelief. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Abbas Momin discuss the films Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jia, Anatomy of a Fall, Bhakshak, and Ranveer Singh’s viral Bold Care ad. Have more to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters. Timecodes 00:00 - Introductions 01:14 - Headlines 13:07 - Letter #1 14:30 - Bold Care ad 20:25 - Announcement on NL Sena Modi 2.0 Report Card 21:40 - Bhakshak 34:23 - Letter #2 35:30 - Anatomy of a Fall References NL Sena: Modi 2.0 Report Card Teri Baaton Me Aisa Uljha Jiya Ranveer and Johnny Sins Bold Care Ad Bhakshak NL Interview: Bhumi Pednekar on Bhakshak and the power of journalism Anatomy of a Fall Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS. Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Shubang Gautam, edited by Samarendra K Dash and Saif Ali Ekram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the film Animal, the series The Expats and Griselda, and the documentary The Greatest Night In Pop. Also in this episode, a special interview with Bhumi Pednekar about her Netflix film Bhakshak. Stay tuned till the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole lot of awful and awesome as Nainika Singh Rathore and Abbas Momin review the films Fighter and Anyone But You, series American Nightmare, trailer of Monkey Man, and the Paris Fashion Week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole lot of awful and awesome as Nainika Singh Rathore and Abbas Momin review the film Sam Bahadur and series Killer Soup, The Curse and Kanan Gill’s comedy special Is This It? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Manisha Pande review the film Merry Christmas and series The Curse, Killer Soup, and First Act. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole lot of awful and awesome as Rajyasree Sen and Nainika Singh Rathore review the films Foe and Good Grief, documentary series Wedding.con, and the 81st Golden Globes Awards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Jayashree Arunachalam review the films Three Of Us and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, and the trailer for Merry Christmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen review the films Dunki, Maestro and Sajni Shinde Ka Viral Video; the documentary series The Hunt For Veerappan; and their best and worst picks for 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.