Breakdown Besties Podcast

Breakdown Besties Podcast

A screenwriting classroom experience for aspiring Bollywood screenwriters. Analysing and studying the screenwriting techniques used on the page to make Bollywood films come alive on the screen. Welcome to the Breakdown Besties Podcast! We're your hosts, Akshay and Ananya, two Bollywood screenwriters having written shows like Mismatched, Inside Edge, Wedding.con, Rana Naidu, Ishq in the Air, and Grahan, amongst others. Every Thursday, we breakdown films to examine the screenwriting techniques used to make iconic Bollywood films... well, iconic. We cover logline construction, hero's journey breakdown, scene and dialogue analysis, plot and theme, and other craft devices. Just like you would in a screenwriting classroom. Once you're done listening to the episode, rewatch the movie, now noting how the techniques used on the page come alive on the screen. And know that you're now one step closer to being a professional-level screenwriter. Questions? Suggestions? Ideas? Shoot 'em to us at breakdownbesties@gmail.com In case of a breakdown, your besties are right here for you!

  1. E14: Lootera Breakdown

    3d ago

    E14: Lootera Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Lootera (2013) starring Sonkashi Sinha and Ranveer Singh!  This heartbreaking adaptation of O’Henry’s The Last Leaf, written by Bhavani Iyer, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Anurag Kashyap, shows us how Western tales can be culturally adapted for Indian audiences and elevated to provide a gut-wrenching and mezmerizing cinematic experience. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:57 Logline breakdown 08:02 Hero's Journey analysis 24:01 World building techniques 29:31 Scene construction techniques 48:54 Character Creation Techniques 52:50 Dialogue analysis 54:22 Genre tropes breakdown And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Lootera (2013) again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties! All film clips and stills used belong to the owners. We do not own any copyright of the same. They are only being used transformationally for educational purposes.

    1h 4m
  2. E13: Fashion Breakdown

    May 28

    E13: Fashion Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Fashion (2008) starring Priyanka Chopro-Jonas!  This insider, almost voyeuristic view into the behind-the-scenes world of supermodels, written by Madhur Bhandarkar, takes audiences on a journey into a world we otherwise have little access to. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:47 Logline breakdown 07:19 Hero's Journey analysis 20:05 Theme analysis 23:57 World building techniques 29:25 Symbolism 32:09 Scene construction techniques 48:41 Character Creation Techniques And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Fashion (2008) again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

    55 min
  3. E12: Paan Singh Tomar Breakdown

    May 21

    E12: Paan Singh Tomar Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Paan Singh Tomar (2010) starring Irrfan Khan!  This poignant biopic about the state of Indian sportsmen and the dacoit crisis in India, written by Sanjay Chauhan and Tigmanshu Dhulia, tells an important tale to audiences right from the heartland. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 02:13 Logline breakdown 10:26 Hero's Journey analysis 30:14 Scene construction techniques 46:35 Genre tropes analysis 51:25 Character Creation Techniques 55:10 Theme analysis 1:00:17 Symbolism 1:01:37 World building techniques 1:04:27 Dialogue analysis And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Paan Singh Tomar again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties! All film clips and stills used belong to the owners. We do not own any copyright of the same. They are only being used transformationally for educational purposes.

    1h 7m
  4. E11: English Vinglish Breakdown

    May 14

    E11: English Vinglish Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film English Vinglish starring Sridevi!  This heartwarming dramedy which marked Sridevi’s comeback made going to the cinema an absolute treat for filmgoers in India! Written by Gauri Shinde, this film highlighted important themes of love and respect within the Indian middle class. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:38 Logline breakdown 06:19 Hero's Journey analysis 18:18 Character Creation Techniques 27:42 Genre tropes analysis 31:10 Scene construction techniques 47:44 Dialogue analysis 54:21 World building techniques 57:47 Theme analysis And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch English Vinglish again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

    1h 4m
  5. E10: Paa Breakdown

    May 7

    E10: Paa Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Paa (2009) This heartwarming father-son dramedy starring none other than Abhishek Bachchan and Ambitabh Bachchan as father and son respectively, written by R. Balki and assisted by Rishi Veermani, touched the hearts and souls of Indian audiences with moments of pure love and comedy. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:41 Logline breakdown 08:39 Hero's Journey analysis 32:08 Scene construction techniques 45:21 Character creation techniques 50:54 Dialogue analysis 56:08 World building 57:24 Plotting And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Paa (2009) again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

    1h 1m
  6. E09: Guru Breakdown

    Apr 30

    E09: Guru Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Guru (2007) This unofficial biopic of Dhirubhai Ambani film starring none other than Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwariya Rai, written by Mani Ratnam and Vijay Krishna Acharya, wowedIndian audiences with dramatic storytelling, swoon-worthy love stories, and a voyeuristic lens into the behind-the-scenes of business. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 03:51 Logline breakdown 09:10 Hero's Journey analysis 25:05 Character creation techniques 35:59 World building 40:21 Genre trope analysis 46:30 Scene construction techniques 58:55 Dialogue analysis And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Guru again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

    1h 2m
  7. E08: Johnny Gaddar Breakdown

    Apr 23

    E08: Johnny Gaddar Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Johnny Gaddar (2007) This genre-defining neo-noir caper film starring Neil Nitin Mukesh, written by Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti, Vinay Chaudhary, and Atul Taishete changed how Indian audiences consume caper crime films. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 02:34 Logline breakdown 08: 20 Hero's Journey analysis 27:10 World Building 33:49 Scene construction 49:05 Genre trope analysis 51:36 Plotting And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Johnny Gaddar again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

    57 min
  8. E07: Chak De! India Breakdown

    Apr 16

    E07: Chak De! India Breakdown

    Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Chak De! India (2007) This 2007 genre-defining sports drama starring none other than our favourite Shah Rukh Khan, written by Jaideep Sahni, changed how Indian audiences consume horror films. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 03:28 Logline breakdown 11: 38 Hero's Journey analysis 30:08 Symbolism 34:23 Scene construction 52:52 Genre trope analysis 56:20 Character creation 1:00:33 Dialogue analysis And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Chak De! India again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

    1h 5m
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About

A screenwriting classroom experience for aspiring Bollywood screenwriters. Analysing and studying the screenwriting techniques used on the page to make Bollywood films come alive on the screen. Welcome to the Breakdown Besties Podcast! We're your hosts, Akshay and Ananya, two Bollywood screenwriters having written shows like Mismatched, Inside Edge, Wedding.con, Rana Naidu, Ishq in the Air, and Grahan, amongst others. Every Thursday, we breakdown films to examine the screenwriting techniques used to make iconic Bollywood films... well, iconic. We cover logline construction, hero's journey breakdown, scene and dialogue analysis, plot and theme, and other craft devices. Just like you would in a screenwriting classroom. Once you're done listening to the episode, rewatch the movie, now noting how the techniques used on the page come alive on the screen. And know that you're now one step closer to being a professional-level screenwriter. Questions? Suggestions? Ideas? Shoot 'em to us at breakdownbesties@gmail.com In case of a breakdown, your besties are right here for you!

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  • Creator
    Breakdown Besties Podcast
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Breakdown Besties Podcast
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