Queen is Dead - A Film, TV and Culture Podcast Queen Is Dead

In this episode, Sanjeet and Amartya welcome Devi (@film.trance) back to talk about two new Malayalam movies recently released on OTT: Jithu Madhavan's high-voltage action-comedy "Aavesham" (on Amazon Prime Video) and Girish AD's tender rom-com-drama "Premalu" (on Hotstar).

Both films serve up narratives that are largely popular in the Indian cinematic landscape but feel unique because their screenplays are shaped by rich characterizations, not elaborate plots. In "Aavesham," Fahadh Faasil's electric performance lights up the screen; "Premalu" is a carefree, almost experiential story of burgeoning youthful love.



Interestingly, both films are produced by Faasil. We discuss how his productions' stamp on contemporary Malayalam cinema makes them feel refreshingly unique.



Listen to the full, spoiler-filled episode to know what we thought about each of these movies and how pale Bollywood films look & feel compared to these films.



TIMECODES



Random baat-cheet - [00:00 - 04:13]

Intro - [04:13 - 05:33]

"Aavesham" - [05:33 - 01:12:00]

"Premalu" - [01:12:00 - 02:14:05]



Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

You can also follow our Instagram page:



https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast



Amartya: https://www.instagram.com/amartya25/Devi: https://www.instagram.com/film.tranceSanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/

Follow us on Letterboxd at:



Devi: https://letterboxd.com/cinemamadhuram/

Amartya: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/Sanjeet_Singh/

Looking for your jidaigeki fix after the finale of FX's "Shōgun" (2024)?



Travel back to the 1960s and watch the jidaigeki phase of one of the most celebrated (and yet still somehow not as widely known) Japanese filmmakers, Masaki Kobayashi. All these films -- "Harakiri" (1962), "Kwaidan" (1964), and "Samurai Rebellion" (1967) -- take place in the Edo period (the early 1600s to mid-1800s) -- right after the explosive battles of the FX series.



In this very special episode, Dhruv and Amartya spend the first half-hour contextualizing the timeline for both those aware and unaware of Jidaigeki films. Then, they make their way through the staunchly anti-authoritarian (hence, anti-samurai) films of Kobayashi that, piece by piece, dismantle what they so proudly call their "code of honor."



Listen to the full episode for a detailed appreciation of Kobayashi's formal excellence, screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto's mazey screenplays, and composer Tōru Takemitsu's violently unnerving scores—all discordant elements that, when played together, manage to shake the towering foundation of the spick-and-span Samurai.



TIME CODES



Masaki Kobayashi: [00:00 - 06:56]

Jidaigeki Films: [06:56 - 12:14]

Samurai History and Terminology: [12:14 - 27:14]

"Harakiri" (1962): [27:14 - 01:07:53]

"Samurai Rebellion" (1967): [01:07:53 - 01:27:42]

"Kwaidan" (1964): [01:27:42 - 02:07:05]



Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify and rate us if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!



Follow our Instagram page:



https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast



You can also follow us on Instagram at:



Amartya: https://www.instagram.com/amartya25/

Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/



On Letterboxd at:



Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Amartya: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/

In what is undoubtedly our most publicized episode, we -- Dhruv, Sanjeet (!), Varun, Aryan, and Prithwish -- discuss the three Imtiaz Ali - A.R. Rahman collaborations that make up the most “sufiyana” phase of the director’s filmography. We first discuss the exhilaration and exasperation of glorifying Ruminess in “Rockstar” (2011); then the exhilaration and exhaustion of Indianizing Stockholm Syndrome in “Highway” (2014); then, finally, the exhilaration and excessiveness of stylizing storytelling in “Tamasha” (2015).



Listen to the full episode to learn not only what we like/dislike about these individual films (disagreements and civil arguments aplenty) but also what we think of how Ali uses Rahman’s music in all three of these films to guide us through his soul-searching narratives.



TIME CODES



Matargashtiyan: [00:00 - 07:00]

"Rockstar" (2011): [7:00 - 53:05]

Understanding filmmaking: [53:05 - 57:00]

"Highway" (2014): [57:00 - 01:04:20]

Can an Imtiaz character consume Petrol?: [01:04:20 - 01:05:15]

Back to "Highway": [01:05:15 - 01:35:00]

“Tamasha” (2015): [01:35:00 - 02:21:00]

Khatam kahaani?: [02:21:00 - 02:30:26]



Follow our Instagram page:

https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast



You can follow us on Instagram at:

Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/

Varun: https://www.instagram.com/varunonfilm/

Prithwish: https://www.instagram.com/little.lord_fauntleroy/

Aryan:  https://www.instagram.com/aryantalksfilm/



You can also follow us on Letterboxd at -

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/Sanjeet_Singh/

Varun: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/

Prithwish: https://letterboxd.com/prito98/

Aryan: https://letterboxd.com/aryantalksfilms/

In what is undoubtedly our most publicized episode, we -- Dhruv, Sanjeet (!), Varun, Aryan, and Prithwish -- discuss half of the peculiar filmography of Imtiaz Ali. The first half of this first part episode on the director is dedicated to "Jab We Met" (2007) and "Jab Harry Met Sejal" (2017) -- two films that share titles and character traits but tap into their respective romantic (and, perhaps, even toxic) impulses in distinctive ways. The exact format follows in the second half of the discussion, which involves the two "Love Aaj Kal" films.



Listen to the full episode to learn not only what we like/dislike about these individual films (disagreements and civil arguments aplenty) but also what we think of Imtiaz's films of "Aaj" (today) in relation to his films from "Kal" (past).



TIME CODES

 

Matargashtiyan: [00:00 - 07:55]

Imtiaz Kal, circa. 2000-2010: [07:56 - 30:29]

"Jab We Met" (2007): [30:29 - 01:09:22]

"Jab Harry Met Sejal" (2017): [01:09:22 - 01:53:27]

"Love Aaj Kal" (2009): [01:53:27 - 02:14:13]

"Love Aaj Kal" (2020): [02:14:13 - 02:31:11]

Imtiaz Aaj (aur Dibakar Banerjee Kal): [02:31:11 - 02:36:47]



Follow our Instagram page:

https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast



You can follow us on Instagram at:



Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/

Varun: https://www.instagram.com/varunonfilm/

Prithwish: https://www.instagram.com/little.lord_fauntleroy/

Aryan:  https://www.instagram.com/aryantalksfilm/



You can also follow us on Letterboxd at -



Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/Sanjeet_Singh/

Varun: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/

Prithwish: https://letterboxd.com/prito98/

Aryan: https://letterboxd.com/aryantalksfilms/

In this very special episode, Dhruv and Srilekha celebrate the thoroughly depressing and despairing films of Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, who turned 82 a week ago on March 23rd.
We first discuss his exacting style that has inspired several high-profile European filmmakers (Ruben Östlund and Yorgos Lanthimos, the most famously known amongst them) to address themes of colonial guilt, fascism, racism, and class inequality in a similarly discomforting way. We then choose three films from his filmography that most overtly (but still mysteriously) engage with these themes — “Code Unknown,” “Caché,” and "The White Ribbon."



Listen to the full episode for our spoiler-filled thoughts on these three movies and brief discussions of “Funny Games” and “The Piano Teacher," which we use to introduce listeners to the director's chillingly unnerving worlds.



TIME CODES



Michael Haneke's Auteurism - [00:00 - 14:15]



"Funny Games" (1997) - [14:16 - 24:42]



"The Piano Teacher" (2001) - [24:42 - 33:44]



"Code Unknown" (2000) - [33:44 - 01:00:52]



"Caché" (2005) - [01:00:52 - 01:19:52]



"The White Ribbon" (2009) - [01:19:52 - 01:45:54]



Haneke & the Lineage of European Art Cinema - [01:45:54 - 01:53:56]



Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify and rate us if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people



Follow our Instagram page:

https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast



You can also follow us on Instagram at:



Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Srilekha: https://www.instagram.com/mitra__srilekha_



Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!



Follow us on Letterboxd at:



Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Srilekha: https://letterboxd.com/srilekha__mitra/

In this episode, Dhruv and Amartya welcome Devi (@film.trance) back to talk about two Malayalam movies recently released on OTT: Anand Ekarshi's morally complex drama/thriller "Aattam" (on Amazon Prime Video) and Rahul Sadasivan's folk horror film "Bramayugam" (on Sony Liv).



Both films serve up narratives and, especially, aesthetic styles largely underexplored by contemporary Indian cinema. Reference points range from international—Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi and A24's elevated horror films—to local—legendary Malayalam filmmaker K.C. George and Rahi Anil Barve's "Tumbbad." But these films feel wholly original, either wanting to tackle thorny subject matters in contemporary society in thorny ways ("Aattam") or creating a new Old world whose order -- even in the wilderness -- eerily resembles that of our reality ("Bramayugam").



Listen to the full, spoiler-filled episode to know what we thought about each of these movies and how their superior quality makes Dhruv and Amartya want to tear their hearts out when they see contemporary B'wood movies.



TIMECODES



INTRODUCTION - [00:00 - 03:40]

"AATTAM" - [03:40 - 01:11:10]

"BRAMAYUGAM" - [01:11:10 - 02:21:00]



Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!


You can also follow our Instagram page:



https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast



Amartya: https://www.instagram.com/amartya25/
Devi: https://www.instagram.com/film.trance
Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/


Follow us on Letterboxd at:



Devi: https://letterboxd.com/cinemamadhuram/

Amartya: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/
Dhruv - https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/