Talking Talkies

Benny and Minal

Movie buffs Benny and Minal break down some of their favorite movies from across the globe, by discussing what worked for them, what didn't, how the movie has aged over the years, interesting trivia, and much more.

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Top 10 Talking Talkies Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Talking Talkies episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Talking Talkies for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Talking Talkies episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The Beauty Inside - A unique love story

Talking Talkies

04/22/24 • 79 min

Episode 13: Beauty Inside

Release Date: 2015

In this episode we discuss the romantic film ‘Beauty Inside’ which had the most unique premise among the romantic films we have watched. The movie blends fantasy with real-life situations and makes you think about what you truly value in the person you love.

2015 South Korean romantic comedy film starring Han Hyo-joo and a multitude of actors portraying one character WooJin. The film was moderately successful, both commercially and critically. It led to a failed attempt to remake the film in Hollywood, starring Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones fame, and a more successful attempt to remake it as a Kdrama in 2018 starring Seo Hyun Jin and Lee Min Ki.

Synopsis: WooJin the main lead is a young man who wakes up as a new person every single day - it could be a child, an old woman, a middle-aged man or a young college girl - a different body and a different face yesterday. He is a furniture designer but is a recluse and runs his business with help do his best friend. He meets YiSoo, played by Han Hyo Joo, a furniture store salesperson. The movie is about how he falls for her and how their relationship evolves around his unique condition and the challenges it faces.

Cast:

The WooJins:

123 cast members played WooJin in the movie. Some notable actors/actresses playing WooJin:

Park Seo-joon (“Gyeonsong Creature”, “Itaewon Class”, “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim”, “The Marvels”)
Juri Ueno (Japanese actress)
Kim Hee-won - The main classroom teacher in ‘Moving’)
Lee Dong-wook : Goblin, Touch My Heart, Life
Chun Woo Hee: Be Melodramatic, Argon
Yoo Yeon Sook: Hospital Playlist, Interest of Love
Kim Ju Hyuk: Argon, Reply 1988 (The Elder Taek), Mr. Hong movie. was in the movie Mr Hong ( which was made into the drama Hometown Cha Cha). He died a very tragic death in a car accident and was just 40.

Han Hyo-joo :

Plays YiSoo the female lead.
Movies: Love 911, Cold Eyes, Alway
Drama: W, Happiness, Moving

Lee Dong-hwi as Sang-baek (Woo-jin’s friend) – also seen in Reply 1988, Pegasus Market, Movie: Extreme Job,

Moon Sook: Plays Woo-jin’s mom - Tinnel and Mask Girl

Favorite scenes

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Laapataa Ladies - Lost and Found

Talking Talkies

05/20/24 • 114 min

Episode 14: Laapataa Ladies

Release Date: 2024

This episode is our first listener request. Minal’s cousin Mitali asked us to do a podcast on the recently released movie Laapataa Ladies which is garnering great reviews from critics and audience alike. We are joined by special guest Amit - a marketing professional, an aspiring cricket umpire, and a food lover. You can follow him on Instagram @fooodzilla where he posts about his food, travel, and umpiring adventures.

The movie’s greatest strength lies in calling out patriarchy, portraying feminism, and taking every single character big or small on a road to self-discovery, while maintaining a light-hearted tone throughout.

Laapataa Ladies is a 2024 Hindi/Bollywood comedy-drama film directed by Kiran Rao whose last directorial venture was Dhobi Ghat/Mumbai Diaries, which was released in 2011. The film is produced by Aamir Khan Productions

The film stars two debutants Pratibha Ranta who plays Jaya and Nitanshi Goel as Phool as the 2 brides who get mixed up. Sparsh Srivastav of Jamtara TV series (Netflix) fame plays the groom Deepak

Other supporting cast members include:

Chaya Kadam as Mai the tea shop owner, an established actress in Marathi films/TV and theater industry.
Ravi Kishan as the inspector who after a not-so-promising career in the 90s in Bollywood moved to Bhojpuri films and became a superstar there. He took up character roles in Bollywood and re-established himself.
Geeta Agarwal Sharma - Deepak’s mom who we recently saw in 12th Fail and Fighter.

Plot Summary: The film is set in rural India in a fictional state called Nirmal Pradesh in 2001. 2 brides are traveling with their respective grooms on a train and there are many more newlywed couples in the same compartment. As was/is the tradition - the brides are in similar red sarees (bridal attire) with the veil over their faces. One of the grooms gets off at the station at night with the wrong bride and chaos ensues.

Do the 2 brides return to their rightful destinations - Laapataa Ladies is the answer to this question.

Where to watch: Netflix

Favourite Scenes:

Director/Cast Interviews:

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Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge - did the big-hearted take the bride?

Talking Talkies

08/07/23 • 106 min

Episode 2 : Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ)

Translation: "The Big-Hearted Will Take the Bride"

Release Date: 1995

Benny and Minal travel back 3 decades to discuss DDLJ - one of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters that is still the longest-running movie in theaters and is playing at Maratha Mandir Theatre in Mumbai. DDLJ starred Bollywood’s superstars Shahrukh Khan (SRK) and Kajol, and is directed by Aditya Chopra (son of Yash Chopra) under the banner of Yash Raj Films (YRF).

Minal watched it as a teenager when it was released, and Benny watched it only a few weeks ago. In this episode, we discuss why this movie was a huge success and whether it stands the test of time.

Synopsis:

DDLJ is a romantic film about two Indian youngsters Raj & Simran living in London, who meet on a vacation in Europe and fall in love. Simran is betrothed to her father’s friend’s son in India and Raj travels to India to win over her family. Will they or won’t they get their happy ending?

IMDB Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112870/plotsummary/

Where to Watch: Prime Video

Scenes

Comedy Scenes: Raj & Dad - Raj fails his exam , Raj trying to impress Simran’s Dad

Problematic Scenes: First meeting Raj and Simran , Raj plays prank on Simran

Iconic Train Scene

Music : DDLJ - All Songs

Trivia/Interesting Links

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La La Land - A romantic classic for the ages?

Talking Talkies

07/24/23 • 86 min

Episode 1 : LA LA LAND

Release Date: 2016

Benny and Minal, the co-hosts kickstart the first episode of this brand-new podcast, where they revisit classic movies from around the globe, that at least one of the hosts has enjoyed, and try to answer the questions - what works, what doesn’t, and how does it hold up today.

The episodes are full of spoilers, so we suggest you watch the movie first and then tune in to the episode. That way you will enjoy it more. But if spoilers don’t fuss you, and you are wondering whether to watch or not - well tune in to find out!

Our first episode is on ‘La La Land’ which is amongst Benny’s all-time favorite movies - He has watched it 5 times! As for Minal, hang on, she had not watched it until Benny asked her to watch it so that they could talk about it on their podcast. Did she like it as much as Benny did? Go find out!

Synopsis

La La Land is 2016 American romantic musical film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The film was a huge commercial and critical success.

IMDB Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3783958/

Where to Watch: Netflix (US), Prime Video (UK), Apple TV

Favourite Scenes/Quotes:

I Ran - Seb and Mia Banter
I Hate Jazz : Seb on Jazz “It’s conflict, it’s compromise, it’s new every time, and it’s very, very exciting”
L.A. worships everything and values nothing
The Argument
The Observatory Scene
The Ending

Trivia/Interesting Links

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-parade

License code: MIE1N7HAVI6KJOSG

Andhadun - Murder Who Wrote?

Talking Talkies

12/11/23 • 112 min

Episode 9: Andhadhun

Release Date: 2018

Bollywood doesn’t often venture into the black comedy thriller genre but the rare times it does, it comes up with gems like Andhadhun. Today we have our second guest on this pod - Vipula, an avid book reader and culture blogger who chronicles her book reviews and travel logs. You can follow her features on Medium https://shadesofwords.medium.com/

Together we three discuss why Andhadhun has the makings of becoming a cult classic, and how it keeps the viewer engaged with every rewatch leading to new questions and leaving us in complete awe.

The film is co-written and directed by Sriram Raghavan. It stars Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte, and Anil Dhawan. Andhadhun received widespread critical acclaim garnering multiple awards for the creators and the cast.

Plot Summary:

The film tells the story of a piano player Akash played by Ayushman Khurrana who is faking to be blind to improve his piano skills and plays at the restaurant run by Sophie’s (Radhika Apte) father. A retired actor Pramod (Anil Dhawan) invites him to his place on his wedding anniversary for a private concert for his wife Simi played by Tabu. The visit leads to Akash becoming unwittingly embroiled in the murder and has his life turned upside down.

IMDB link : Andhadhun

Favourite scenes:

The piano murder scene - Tabu is glorious here!
Simi catches’s Akash’s lie : Both were excellent - like a chess game on song.
I’ll See You : Radhika is a delight in this scene

Interesting Reads:

The theories on ‘The Ending’ - This is a great thread on Reddit that encapsulates all
Raghavan’s film-making influences and meta references for the love of Bollywood: Read this excellent article on Medium.

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Oppenheimer - Savior or Destroyer of Worlds?

Talking Talkies

08/21/23 • 111 min

Episode 3 : Oppenheimer

Release Date: 2023

This episode’s movie is not a “classic”, but is well on track to become one. A few years from now, people will look back at this magnum opus and host multiple podcasts dissecting this movie scene by scene, and dialogue by dialogue. So as not to be left behind in the latest summer blockbuster rage - Benny and Minal had to talk about the latest Nolan offering ‘Oppenheimer’. The pod’s first-ever guest David Longenecker - a friend of Benny, videographer by profession, and a huge Christopher Nolan fan - joins the hosts to dissect the movie. We discuss our favorite scenes, cast members, and fawn over Nolan’s creative genius. This on its way to becoming a cult classic is a great cinematic experience to be watched in the theaters not once, but at least twice, as Minal and David would recommend you do.

Synopsis:

Christopher Nolan’s latest offering Oppenheimer is the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in developing the first atomic bomb. The movie follows his journey from a fledgling scientist to spearheading the Manhattan Project that created the nuclear bombs that were eventually dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending the Second World War. The movie’s latter half focuses on the closed-room security hearing of Oppenheimer that ended in his security clearance being denied. The movie delves into his personal life, political beliefs, and the strife he encounters after realizing the full scale of what his greatest achievement could do to the world.

IMDB Link: Oppenheimer (2023) - IMDb

Where to Watch: Theatres

Articles/Reviews:

Cast Interviews:

Fandango Interview : Jacqueline Coley interviews the main cast and Nolan
Best moments from Interviews
Blunt and Damon being Iconic
The Hollywood Reporter

Trivia

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Train to Busan - Are the Zombies Even the Worst Thing in the Apocalypse?

Talking Talkies

09/18/23 • 118 min

Episode 5: Train To Busan

Release Date: 2016

In this week’s episode, we head over to South Korea to discuss one of our all-time favorite films - Train to Busan. This movie was released in 2016 - the first live-action film of director Yeon Sang Ho. It stars Gong Yoo, Ma Dong Seok, and Jung Yu Mi - all well-known stars - and was commercially successful as well as critically acclaimed. Train to Busan is hailed as one of the best zombie apocalypse movies of all time. Whilst the main theme is survival, it manages to weave in political and social commentary - a rarity for the horror genre.

Minal doesn’t watch zombie or horror films and only Korean zombie shows and films have got her hooked to this genre. Benny came as a guest on a Kdrama podcast that Minal co-hosts and raved about the Kingdom K-drama and Train to Busan; and only after his praises did Minal decide to watch the show and the movie. Both the drama and this movie sit on top of Minal’s all-time favorite shows and movies. To know more about why both the hosts here loved this movie - tune in to the episode to find out!

Synopsis (From AsianWiki): Seok-Woo (Gong Yoo) is a fund manager in Seoul. He is separated from his wife and lives with his daughter Soo-An (Kim Soo-Ahn). Seok-Woo doesn't spend much time with his daughter or show affection to her. On the night before Soo-An's birthday, Soo-An insists on seeing her mother for her birthday. Seok-Woo has no other choice, but to take her to Busan. Early the next morning, they board the KTX train for Busan at Seoul Station. Before the KTX train leaves Seoul Station, a zombie-like girl jumps onto the train. The girl is infected with a horrific virus that is spreading like wildfire. Seok-Woo, Soo-An, and the other passengers on the KTX train must now fight for their lives.

IMDB Link: Train to Busan

Where to Watch: Prime Video - Rent/Buy

Articles/Interviews:

Trivia: IMDB Trivia

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Nayakan - Are you a good man or a bad man?

Talking Talkies

09/04/23 • 119 min

Episode 4: Nayakan

Release Date: 1987

This episode features one of the ‘cult classics’ of Indian cinema from one of the largest regional film industries in the country - the Tamil Film industry called Kollywood - (based out of the Kodambakkam neighborhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu).

Nayakan is a crime drama, written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Mani Ratnam today is heralded as one of the finest film directors in India. The film stars the great Kamal Haasan - one of the biggest superstars and finest actors in India, with support from Saranya (in her feature debut), Janagaraj, Delhi Ganesh, Nizhalgal Ravi, and Nassar. The story is loosely based on the life of the Bombay underworld Don Varadarajan Mudaliar and the American film The Godfather (1972). The movie became a critical and commercial success and won national awards for Kamal Haasan as best actor, PC Sreeram for best cinematography, and Thota Tharani for best art direction. It was India's official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 60th Academy Awards, and was included in Time's list of the "All-Time 100 Best Films".

This is Benny’s all-time favorite movie. Minal watched this movie much later after its release as a teenager when regional films were telecast on the national channel on Sunday afternoons. 36 years down the line when they both sat down to discuss Nayakan - did they still stay in awe of this film and did it stand the test of time? Tune in to the episode to find out.

Synopsis:

A common man's struggle against a corrupt police force puts him on the wrong side of the law. He becomes a don, who is loved and respected by many, but his growing power and influence come at a heavy price. Specifically, it is the story of Velu Naicker, who transforms from an ordinary slum dweller to a feared don, and how his actions impact his loved ones.

IMDB Link: Nayakan

Where to Watch: YouTube

Articles/Interviews:

Kamal Haasan on Nayakan - 25 years later
Two scenes in Nayakaan - Where music tells the story.
Mani Ratnam Interview - 35 years later

Trivia

60 lesser-known facts

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Talking Talkies - Trailer

Talking Talkies

07/11/23 • 1 min

Hosted by Benny and Minal, please welcome the newest movie podcast in town - Talking Talkies!

Tune in for a bi-weekly show on movies from around the world, where we will revisit some of the classics that has stuck with us over the years. New episodes coming soon!

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Vacation Beat:

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12th Fail - Restart!

Talking Talkies

03/25/24 • 86 min

Episode 12: 12th Fail

Release Date: 2023

In this episode, we discuss the success of the movie '12th Fail’.

This is a 2023 Hindi film which is a biographical drama film directed, produced, and written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is based on the 2019 non-fiction book Twelfth Fail - Har Vahi Jo Lada Nahi by Anurag Pathak about Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become an Indian Police Service officer.

The film stars Vikrant Massey as Sharma, alongside Medha Shankar, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Priyanshu Chatterjee. The film received widespread critical acclaim and emerged as a sleeper hit, grossing over ₹69 crore (US$8.6 million) worldwide on a ₹20 crore (US$2.5 million) budget. At the 69th Filmfare Awards, it won five awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor (Critics) (Massey).

Synopsis:

12th Fail traces the journey of a young man Manoj Kumar who overcomes poverty and extreme adversities to achieve his dream of becoming an IPS officer after being inspired by an honest police officer in his village Chambal (notorious for its dacoits).

Favorite Scenes:

DSP Dushyant Singh - Stop Cheating - The moment that changes the course of Manoj’s life.
Manoj comes home to learn about his Grandmom’s death - Topnotch performance by both actors (mother-actor Geeta Sharma)
Manoj’s dad comes to see him - powerful and right there with the climax as the best scene from the film
Gauri Bhaiya backs Manoj as he prepares for his last attempt at the civil services exams
Restart
Shraddha’s proposal
The climax - as predictable as it was, it was pure satisfaction.

Other movie recommendations to watch:

How Phoolan Devi after the atrocities she faced, went on to become Chambal’s famous dacoit known as The Bandit Queen. Seema Biswas starred in and as The Bandit Queen directed by Shekhar Kapoor.
To understand the true genius of Vidhu Vinod Chopra watch the cult classic that changed the course of Bollywood films - the noir film based in Mumbai - Parinda

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FAQ

How many episodes does Talking Talkies have?

Talking Talkies currently has 16 episodes available.

What topics does Talking Talkies cover?

The podcast is about Film History, Podcasts, Tv & Film and Film Reviews.

What is the most popular episode on Talking Talkies?

The episode title 'Laapataa Ladies - Lost and Found' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Talking Talkies?

The average episode length on Talking Talkies is 92 minutes.

How often are episodes of Talking Talkies released?

Episodes of Talking Talkies are typically released every 14 days.

When was the first episode of Talking Talkies?

The first episode of Talking Talkies was released on Jul 11, 2023.

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Talking Talkies

Benny and Minal

Top 10 Talking Talkies Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Talking Talkies have?

What topics does Talking Talkies cover?

What is the most popular episode on Talking Talkies?

What is the average episode length on Talking Talkies?

How often are episodes of Talking Talkies released?

When was the first episode of Talking Talkies?

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