Stay ConnectedA weekly wrap up of consumable and non-consumable entertainment curated, especially for the internet age. Hosted by Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen. Click here to support Newslaundry: http://bit.ly/paytokeepnewsfree
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In this episode of The Awful & Awesome Entertainment Wrap, Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen talk about the “viral videos” made around the Diwali season and some movies.Rajyasree starts off the discussion by talking about the "#MeToo bag" which has been designed by Priyanka Vachhani and which the designer says can also be used for self-defence. She explains how the #MeToo movement has been used in the fashion business and how the ad that was put out was cringe-worthy. The discussion moves on to HP’s recent Diwali ad titled "#GoLocal" which Abhinandan and Rajyasree think is overly emotionalised.The hosts then talk about the Hollywood movie BlacKkKlansman, directed by Spike Lee and released earlier this year. The movie is a true story about the first Black-American cop who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. The consensus is that our subscribers should watch this fun-packed and well-shot movie, which Abhinandan says is a political statement by the director against Trump. Abhinandan also briefly talks about a 1993 western action thriller called Tombstone.Abhinandan then moves on to romantic comedy-drama Crazy Rich Asians directed by Jon M Chu which released earlier this year. He says it's a classic love story but also reinforces some stereotypes. Rajyasree talks about a commercial by Ghadi Detergent, which steers the discussion into the stereotypes and set standards of gender and class in the Indian community. They discuss a special Karwa Chauth commercial by Nykaa titled "Qaid", featuring India’s first transsexual model Nikkiey Chawla. Abhinandan and Rajyasree ask the same question: “Why has Karwa Chauth been unnecessarily brought in to convey such an emotion?” They agree it's a good commercial, but Rajyasree says it's still a marketing gimmick.This and more, so listen up!
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In its 90th episode, The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap takes you on an entertaining ride of some of the worst and best developments of the week. Our hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen talk about two novels, latest shows on Netflix and an awful short film recommended for the mufatkhors!The Twice-Born: Life and Death on the Ganges is a novel written by Aatish Taseer whom Abhinandan calls one of the finest writers of his time. The book is about the Brahmin mind, Benaras, and modern politics. Another book discussed in this episode is Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif. The book is about America's war politics and its victims. Both books are highly recommended by our hosts.Taking a dive from a very highbrow discussion, Rajyasree takes us to Eros Now's latest drama series Smoke. A drama set in Goa and revolving around drugs, Rajyasree says Smoke is one of the most well-shot series and has a Narcos feel to it. The cast of this crime drama includes Tom Alter, Gulshan Devaiah, Kalki Koechlin and Jim Sarbh. Sen also thinks the series is as good as Sacred Games and has an Anurag Kashyap vibe to it.Moving on, we discuss Hasan Minhaj's latest series on Netflix, Patriot Act. Abhinandan and Rajyasree believe Hasan's style of stand-up comedy is different but quite predictable, unlike comedians like Stephen Colbert. With only two episodes out, maybe it's too early to judge what Patriot Act has in store but it's a remarkable feat for an American-Indian to have his own show on Netflix.Another recommendation coming from Netflix is BBC series Bodyguard starring Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes. They also discuss the latest trailer of Kedarnath starring Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput and how it was successful in piquing viewers' interest.The podcast also talks about a short film, The Playboy Mr Sawhney, which turned out to be a torturous watch. Listen to the full podcast to know why it's been highly recommended for our mufatkhors.
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On this week’s episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, our hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss everything ranging from the first episode of the latest season’s Koffee with Karan, to the recently released movie Badhaai Ho, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra.The Sensational Life & Death of Qandeel Baloch, a book written by Pakistani journalist Sanam Maher, the television show Styled by Neha, as well as two popular advertisements released recently during the festive season, are also spoken about.The episode kicks off with a discussion on Satam Maher’s book The Sensational Life & Death of Qandeel Baloch, based on the life of a Pakistani model and actress who was killed by her brother. “It’s an interesting read—especially during this #MeToo movement,” says Abhinandan.Rajyasree then weighs in on two television shows that are trending all over the commercial media space: they are Koffee with Karan and Styled by Neha. The sixth season of Koffee with Karan aired on Sunday night, and its first episode featured actresses Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone, who go on to discuss a lot of things—including their personal experiences with Ranbir Kapoor. Styled by Neha, a new show by Fox featuring former Miss India pageant Neha Dhupia, stylist and model Diva Dhawan, and celebrity make-up artist Elton Fernandez, is criticised by Rajyasree.Both hosts then talk about the recently released movie Badhaai Ho which deals with problems faced by a middle-class family when a mid-aged woman gets pregnant. “It is definitely worth a watch!,” said Rajyasree, and Abhinandan agrees with her.Moving on, Abhinandan and Rajyasree review two advertisements that have received a lot of limelight during this festive season; they are the Diwali special ad of Saregama Carvaan and Fortune Food’s controversial Durga Pooja advertisement.The discussion then shifts to the recent #MeToo allegations against Anu Malik, Sajid Khan and Chetan Bhagat, where our hosts take up different stances.Tune in to find out more.
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On this week's episode, hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri talk about the #MeToo movement, anonymous artist Banksy's painting, and Shweta Bachchan Nanda's new book.The duo also reviews the movie Andhadhun as well as talk about Operation Finale.Rajyasree thinks that the movie Operation Finale—based on the nail-biting Mossad operation— is a treat to watch. “The way they script their films is very impressive,” she said.Moving on to Bollywood, the hosts discuss the movie Andhadhun. Abhinandan praises Ayushmann Khuranna's acting and points out how contemporary cinema is effectively utilising the supporting cast to uplift the whole movie.Next, Rajyasree interviews Shweta Bachchan Nanda on her new book Paradise Towers. “It is better than Twinkle Khanna's book and is a light, breezy read,” she said.Moving forward, Abhinandan speaks about the MeToo movement and both hosts go on to discuss how it has spread like wildfire—from Bollywood to Media houses— as well as its implications and impact on different industries.The anonymous artist Banksy's painting—a video of which recently went viral after it ‘self-destructed’ at an auction—is discussed next, and both hosts don’t really seem convinced about the authenticity of the incident.Tune in to listen to more.
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The latest episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap brings you all-that-happened in the past week. Hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri talk about an advertisement on ‘Kerala Tourism’ by Samsonite, on the occasion of World Tourism Day. Both hosts were impressed by the message sent across by the ad and recommended that everyone give it a watch. “I love that it is sensitive and woke on gender,” expressed Abhinandan.The conversation then moves towards Tanushree Dutta’s sexual harassment controversy where both our hosts discuss the issue. They debate whether #MeToo will work even in the realm of Bollywood, and discuss the reasons whether it will or will not work. Rajyasree expresses that “No A-list star has spoken” and that even women weren’t coming forward to speak up. Abhinandan says: “The stakes in showbiz are so high that if you make it, I mean just the power of the star is so huge that you don’t want to compromise.”Moving on from women in Indian Cinema to Farhan Akhtar’s Rearview Mirror, both our hosts were disappointed with the single from Farhan’s upcoming album called “Echoes.”Both hosts then talk about a documentary movie called Asked the Sexpert, directed by Vaishali Sinha. It is about a sex advice columnist who gains popularity after a school bans sex education. Abhinandan says: “I thought there were a couple of bloopers, the background score, the music was outstanding, perfect not in your face….”Rajyasree moves on to Shilpa Shetty’s new reality show called “Hear me, Love me,” which is the remake of an Italian reality dating show, and expresses how she detests it. Abhinandan talks about the trailer of Thugs of Hindostan which is a Hindi remake of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Joker.Tune in to listen to more.
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On this episode of Awful and Awesome, Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss plus-size Model Tess Holliday’s Cosmo cover, Manto, Serial the podcast and more.The Cosmo cover with Holliday created quite a lot of stir in the media. Abhinandan and Rajyasree discuss the reactions it has elicited. Rajyasree talks about Twinkle Khanna’s book, Pajamas are Forgiving and compares Twinkle with Chetan Bhagat in the context of their writing style.The two, then, talk about Manto directed by Nandita Das. Abhinandan didn’t quite like the music in the movie, especially the song by Raftar. Abhinandan feels that Manto, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, deserved a better film. Rajyasree compares the film with ‘poorly made school play’.Moving on, Rajyasree speaks about a new show called Side Hero, starring Kunaal Roy Kapur and directed by Rohan Sippy, and why it’s worth a watch. Abhinandan talks about the third season of the podcast, Serial. He talks about the art of storytelling and also adds that he didn’t find this season as compelling as the last ones. Tune in to find out more.
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After the hiatus last week, The Awful and Awesome Entertainment wrap is back with a bang, along with our hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri. The conversation starts with Rajyasree’s review on the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards; she found all of the 60-minute show boring, and shares the things that were talked about at the awards: Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage—who is known to play Tyrion Lannister in the series—won the 'sexiest dwarf' award. Netflix had many nominations and both hosts discuss how the media-service provider makes its money. Abhinandan goes on to tell us about a Time Magazine article review on the Emmy Awards and his opinion about the show.The conversation then moves towards Big Boss. “I have always felt that Big Boss, in the larger picture, is a commentary on the lowest that is in us as performers, as producers, as viewers and also as advertisers,” said Abhinandan. Rajyasree informs us that this is the last season of Big brother (UK). She then talks about how, apart from Anup Jalota, she had no idea who the other people were in Big Boss 12. Both hosts have a nice laugh at Anup Jalota, his girlfriend who is also his student, and their ‘Vichitr Jodi.’Abhinandan sheds light on the movie called Manmarziyaan, directed by one of his favourite Indian Director Anurag Kashyap. Its cast includes Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu, and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhinandan expresses his admiration for the film’s music, composed by Amit Trivedi, with Shelly on lyrics—especially the song ‘Hallah’. He also thinks that Jr. Bachchan is one of the worst actors in Indian cinema, whereas, on the other hand, Vicky Kaushal did a brilliant job. Rajyasree says: “I felt that the film had potential but then the potential was not achieved.”Rajyasree goes on to review a movie called I Tonya based on the true story of a talented figure skater—Tonya Harding—and her life, which goes down the drain after an attack on a beautiful figure skater named Nancy Kerrigan. According to Rajyasree, it is a dark-humoured movie, and she was amazed at Margo Robbie’s performance in it.Our hosts then discuss Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. Rajyasree insists on giving this movie, starring Annet Bening and based on a memoir by Peter Turner, a shot. She also highly recommends The Killing of Scared Deer for all the mystery aficionados out there. Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell play lead characters in the movie, making it worth a watch.The new trailer of Captain Marvel also released and it did not impress Abhinandan at all, whereas Rajyasree thought that the trailer did just fine. She mentions that as a child, she grew up watching superhero films. Abhinandan, then expresses his views on the new phenomenon of releasing a book along with a TV series type of trailer, something started by Indian authors Chetan Bhagat and Amish Tripathi. Both hosts discuss the new trailer of Chetan Bhagat’s The Girl in Room 105 and more.Tune in to listen to the entire episode.
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In this issue of The Awful and Awesome podcast, our hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyashree Sen join us with a list of fresh things to explore—and some not-so-exciting things that could wait to be explored.The discussion starts with Quashik Mukherjee’s movie called Garbage. Rajyashree sounds fairly disappointed with the movie but also suggests that Q—as a director—is very impressive since his movies are mainly provocative and about things we don’t usually see in Indian cinema. She explains the storyline in detail and explains why, according to her, the plot was weak, and what went wrong.Abhinandan talks about Stree, the Horror Comedy directed by Amar Kaushik and written by Sumit Arora. He also mentions that this one of the best Hindi movies he has watched in several months. He points out that “Rajkumar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi are a boon to Indian Cinema.” Both hosts agree on the messages conveyed through the movie, like the subtle commentary on politics, discussion about independent women, sexual liberation, and so on.Moving on with the discussion, Rajyashree sheds light on a movie called Once again, released on Netflix. The cast has Shefali Shah and Neeraj Kabi and resembles Lunch Box. According to her, it was a sweet movie—which at times didn’t make any sense.Rajyashree and Abhinandan shed some light on the trailer of an upcoming movie starring Hugh Jackman called The Front Runner. The movie takes us back in time to the set of 1988 which is also based on a 2014 book called All the Truth is out. Abhinandan expresses that it is “a very compelling trailer and it really makes you want to watch the film.”Another trailer which both our hosts review was Andhadhun, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte, and Tabu. The film is about a blind pianist, and both hosts were thrilled with the trailer and are looking forward to watching it.Rajyashree also tells us about The New Yorker Festival and the Steve Bannon interview controversy and she and Abhinandan put out their views on the subject.Tune in to listen to more.
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This episode of The Awful and Awesome brings you an action-packed week with our hosts—Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyashree Sen—both of whom have a lot to share.The conversation kicks off with a discussion on the new podcast ‘Kalki Presents: My Indian Life’ by BBC World Service, hosted by Bollywood actor Kalki Koechlin. Abhinandan points out that although Kalki is a good presenter, a much more apt title for the podcast would have been “Conversation with Kalki” instead of “Kalki Presents: My Indian Life.” He adds that he doesn’t see any evolution to the stories in the podcast, and concludes that the tone of the podcast is more like an interview with artists and celebrities. He also mentions that a Karan Johar interview would be more entertaining than this podcast.Rajyashree talks about the Video Music Awards and mentions her craze for all the scandals, controversies and mind-blowing performances that take place during the VMAs. But none of that happened except for the VMA Van Guard Award, which was given to Jennifer Lopez, and the tribute paid to Aretha Franklin by Madonna. Both Rajyashree and Abhinandan discussed the tribute given by Madonna even though it was more about herself.They move on to discuss the new Netflix original series called Ghoul, directed and written by Patrick Graham, and starring Radhika Apte. Rajyashree was not really pleased to watch this three-episode series and thought it was like Quantico with Radhika Apte and a demon, whereas Abhinandan really appreciated the production and sound design. Heads-up: the conversation contains a few spoilers.Rajyashree recommends everyone to watch a Persian movie called Under the Shadow and shares a quick review of the movie.She goes on to share her views on another new movie called Alpha and pointed out that the movie is visually appealing, with good cinematography and a unique language.Abhinandan talks about the Twitter threat by Nishant Kaushik and his horrible experience of the Indian Idol, followed by Rajyashree discussing Mini Mathur’s tweet. Tune in to find out more.
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In this episode of the Awful and Awesome, our hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri discuss the Asia Argento scandal and debate whether the scandal is as bad as it seems. Rajyasree also discusses a new show called Succession and a movie, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, which she really liked. She also talked about a new reality food show called the Million Pound Menu. The duo also discusses a Borosil advertisement and two trailers, Vishal Bharadwaj’s Pataakha and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota. They also mention the trailer of Rah De Ma and why you shouldn’t miss out on this one.This and more, listen up!
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