The Awful & Awesome Entertainment Wrap

This episode brings you not only the usual dose of entertainment but some exciting news as well. The Awful & Awesome Entertainment Wrap has been nominated for the Best Podcast award at the Asia Podcast Awards. Please click on this link(https://asiapodcastawards.com/) to ensure the podcast that YOU have helped us create wins. Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen, as usual, talk about ads, series, and movies. Discussing the new Cadbury Dark Milk ad starring Aishwarya Rai, Rajyasree says, “I can’t see whether the ad is that good or not as the chocolate, although she is looking very good.” They talk about the Netflix series Bard of Blood, a spy thriller which Rajyasree thinks is “just very very bad”. The Family Man on Amazon Prime is much better, she adds. “Watch it because they have managed to string the whole thing together very well. I’m impressed that Amazon Prime has a better original series than Netflix does.” The recent release Joker has garnered a lot of attention. But Abhinandan thinks the director didn’t do justice to the film and the character of Joker as the quintessential villain. Rajyasree adds, “This character has nothing. Neither do you feel bad nor does he scare you. You just wish he died.” They also discuss China’s ban on South Park and its creators’ apology to Beijing, Ram Gopal Varma’s latest offering, Beautiful, and much more. Tune in!

Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen come together after two weeks for yet another episode of the Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap. They begin with talking about ‘Back to School Essentials’, a Public Service Announcement inspired by the Sandy Hook School Shooting. They discuss the recent Gillette advertisement starring Kanan Gill, Kenneth Sebastian and Sumeet Vyas. Talking about advertisements Abhinandan says, “If you’re making a jingle, it has to be memorable”. However referring to these ads particularly, he adds “It’s completely forgettable.” Rajyasree brings up the Netflix series ‘Unbelievable’. While she is all praises about the article that inspired the show, she remarks, “More than the show honestly, the article is brilliant.” Talking about another Netflix show, ‘The Politician’ she comments ‘It is a commentary on everything”. Abhinandan speaks of his experience of watching ‘Fleabag’. He says, “It’s a phenomenal show”. He also talks about the two movies he watched in the past days, Pet Semetary and Tumbbad. The podcast ends with the duo talking about a music video called ‘India’s Got Colour’. “It was just nice and catchy and it’s done without being preachy. But it wasn’t catchy enough for me to remember the tune” Rajyasree concludes.

In this episode of Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Abhinandan Sekri and Rajyasree Sen talk about the Netflix miniseries, The Spy, trailer for the upcoming movie The Sky is Pink, Bollywood newbie Karan Deol and his movie Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. They begin the podcast with Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Spy. Rajyasree notes, “It's not particularly gripping,” however, she also adds, “Watch it to see Sacha.” Abhinandan also talks about another series ‘Fauda’ which he doesn't like much as he says, “It’s not that great, it's okay.” They move on to discuss the ad campaigns by Absolut Vodka and Samsung. Rajyasree while talking about the Samsung ad says, “I understand the thought is very good and noble but the ad is over the top.” Abhinandan, on the other hand, appreciates the ad and the concept of the App and jokingly adds, “Felt that lump in the throat feeling or maybe it was the Delhi pollution.” They talk about the trailer of The Sky is Pink, lauding the change in air in Bollywood. Talking about the same, Abhinandan says, “It makes you want to watch the film.” They also talk about sexual harassers and the larger debate of excluding the art from the artist. In this context, they also talk about Roman Polanski and Amir’s decision to work with Subhash Kapoor. The podcast ends with Abhnandan’s quintessential Punjabi song recommendation which Rajyasree warns you to refrain from hearing.

In this episode of Awful and Awesome, Rajyasree and Abhinandan engage in a conversation about advertisements, beginning with the Fevicol and Fevikwik ad. Rajyasree talks about the Malayalam movie Kumbalangi Nights, the Mumbai Metro ad and the controversy surrounding the Brooke Bond Red Label Ad. They also review an award-winning short-film Banoffee Pie, the new Star Wars trailer, David Chappelle’s stand-up Sticks and Stones, Season 2 of Succession followed by more ads. The podcast starts with the two talking about the Fevicol ad. Rajyasree felt it was like watching a short film, while Abhinandan tries to figure out the meaning of ‘Bangali Kirmit’. The second ad they talk about is the Fevikwik ad. Abhinandan thinks it has a feminist perspective. He says “There is a feminist point, the kabadi is a woman as opposed to a man; most kabadis are men”. Rajyasree jokingly adds, “I felt that the girl is the person who believes in the NRC and the kabadi-wali is the one who wants everyone to be a part of India.” Rajyasree then goes on to review the Malayalam film Kumbalangi Nights. She says the movie is set in the backwaters and covers the story of four brothers. By and large, she was not very impressed with either the movies or its reviews. She says, “When I finished the film, it made zero impact on me.” They also talk about the depiction of male characters in Malayalam and Bengali movies, Abhinandan says, “Lots have shown how Bengali and Mallu men are lazy.” Rajyasree concludes by saying that people need to watch better movies if this is their idea of good cinema. Finally, the episode wraps up with Abhinandan’s Punjabi song recommendation. For this and much more, tune in.

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen talk about the second season of Sacred Games, the trailer of Laal Kaptaan, season two of Mindhunter, OkCupid's new ad campaign, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood and Euphoria's new song. The podcast kicks off with the latest season of Sacred Games, featuring a stellar star cast. According to Abhinandan, the directors left the end hanging. He says the first episode was the weakest but adds: "I didn’t think it was as good as Season 1 but at the same time, it was better than anything India has ever produced!" Rajyasree says, "I felt that it was too stretched, as in it was not plausible." Abhinandan wonders how Sartaj, the character played by Saif Ali Khan, ties his pagdi since he loses his left thumb in the first season. He also discusses the level of writing the series' writers will have to pursue for the third season in order to lure him back, since all the characters have been fully developed and there's not much to add to the plot. They go on to talk about Once Upon a Time In Hollywood starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo di Caprio. Abhinandan says, "I think every movie of Quentin Tarantino is a celebration of cinema." Rajyasree says the movie is a "riot". "It's really a fun ride, almost." Moving on to discuss dating apps, Abhinandan assures Rajyasree that he'll contemplate signing up on OkCupid, Tinder and similar platforms and then share his experience in the next podcast. Finally, Abhinandan expresses his thoughts on Vande Mataram, Euphoria's new song, saying this is just an attempt to cash in on the wave of patriotism. The duo also talks about disaster-themed films like The Meg. This and a lot more, so tune in!

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen talk about an episode of Man vs Wild featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Netflix series The Family, a controversy which involves Priyanka Chopra, Due Date, and an interview Abhinandan conducts with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, author of The Making of Star India. The podcast kicks off with the Man vs Wild episode featuring Narendra Modi. Rajyasree thinks it's the tamest episode of Man vs Wild ever. She says, “The episode should not have been shot in Corbett National Park since the others were shot in the wild, not in the tame parts of the wild.” Up next is the film Due Date starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. Abhinandan says: “The film has a promising start and had its moments but wasn’t very funny. So I was a little disappointed and was not thrilled with the film.” Abhinandan then interviews Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, a media specialist who tracks the entertainment business. They discuss Vanita's book The Making of Star India which is about the gripping story of the company that shaped the Indian media and entertainment business. Abhinandan says, “What Star has done for Indian television entertainment is like what Michael Jackson did for music television.” Rajyasree then recommends two Hollywood-inspired Hindi films, Khoon Bhari Maang and Masoom, while Abhinandan recommends a Punjabi song. This and much more, so tune in!

In this episode of the Awful and Awesome, Rajyasree and Abhinandan delve into the depths of non-Hindi and non-English movies. They review Ek Haseena Thi, Kia and Cosmos, The Great Hack, Chhichhore, and Man Vs Wild’s special episode with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also talk about the demise of Toni Morrison, who received the Noble Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction writing. Abhinandan initiates the discussion by dismantling Ek Haseena Thi, starring Saif Ali Khan and Urmila Matondkar, a movie Rajysree is fond of. Next, they discuss Kia and Cosmos, a movie about a girl with a development disorder (Ritwika Pal) and her mother (Swastika Mukherjee). Among other things, Rajyasree says that the movie is very beautifully shot and the portrayal of the mother's emotions was done well. They next discuss Toni Morrison, who passed away on August 5, 2019. According to Abhinandan, Toni Morrison was a revolutionary writer since she inspired the future generations of black writers that they “don’t have to write for the white man”. There’s this and much more. Tune in!

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri cover, among other things, the letter and counter-letter written by celebrities. The duo kicks off the podcast by talking about the open letter to the prime minister signed by a host of celebrities, and the subsequent counter-letter. They discuss the members of both camps and the heavy presence of "Bongs" in both. Rajyasree says, “You shouldn’t just focus on your art, celebrities can influence political opinions.” Abhinandan adds, "It's all right as long as it's just letters.” Moving on to Spider-Man: Far From Home, Abhinandan says, “I’m not usually the one who hates superhero movies, but I don’t like Spider-Man movies.” He found it whiny and difficult to sit through. Rajyasree talks about The Loudest Voice, a series on Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News. She and Abhinandan discuss the life and times of Ailes and his influence on American politics, as well as the sexual harassment controversy he was embroiled in.  The conversation shifts to the documentary Rhythm & Hues: Life After Pi, which covers the shutting down of the visual effects studio Rhythm & Hue. Abhinandan says, "Even if you're the best at what you do, it doesn't mean you'll be sustained. The model is broken." For this and more, tune in!

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri cover Netflix series Typewriter, the new Lion King movie, Top Gun: Maverick, a controversy involving Priyanka Chopra, and more. Kicking off with Typewriter, Rajyasree says she's especially impressed with Kanwaljit Singh’s performance in the show. However, she adds: “There was nothing scary in it.” Abhinandan comments, “This is no Stranger Things.” Rajyasree and Abhinandan discuss their love for the original Lion King movie and how the new photorealistic remake fails to live up to the original, despite excellent visual elements. What stole the show for Abhinandan was John Oliver’s character Zazu, who he felt was fantastic. Rajyasree adds that the Hindi version’s trailer was “unimpressive”. Up next is Top Gun: Maverick. Despite not being a huge fan of Tom Cruise, Abhinandan says his reaction upon watching the trailer was “bete ye toh deknhi padegi”. He talks about the iconic nature of the original Top Gun and how the new one could be better or worse. Bringing up the iconic love song in the original movie, he lists other excellent "lovemaking" songs. (Hint: there’s a surprise here!) Finally, the podcast moves to the controversy surrounding the three Masterchef Australia judges quitting the show. The hosts discuss charges of non-payment to workers surrounding one of the judges, and the reasons that led to all three leaving. They also debate whether the show can survive without them. For this and more, tune in!

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri cover Stranger Things season 3, the Ambani family’s birthday video for Shloka Ambani, Danny Boyle’s Yesterday and more. Since Abhinandan finally watched Stranger Things, the duo discusses the latest season. Abhinandan shares his admiration for Winona Ryder, saying, “When I was a young boy, she was the love of my life." They talk about the casting and the acting, calling it “brilliant across the board”. When asked which season she liked best, Rajyasree said: “Season 1 was nice, but season 2 didn’t do anything for me." Up next was the film Yesterday. Rajyasree felt the lead actor wasn’t “very good looking” and Kunal Nayyar from the Big Bang Theory would have been a better-looking fit. Although, she did love his acting. They also discuss the premise of the film and its relation with The Beatles. The duo shares their love for The Beatles and how they hummed along to the songs in the movie. Abhinandan also felt that “if you’re making a film about The Beatles, the film better be as legendary as the band”. Next, the duo discusses Amir Khan production’s Rubaru Roshni and the stories that it brings to light. Abhinandan felt that “it is really well-made” but was disappointed with the music choices. Finally, they move to the legendary video put out by the Ambani family on the occasion of daughter-in-law Shloka’s birthday. Rajyasree strongly felt that “the only natural person there was Mukesh bhai”. Abhinandan asks a poignant question: “What do you give to someone who already has everything?”. (Hint: the answer is the video)

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri cover Kangana Ranaut’s controversial statements, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s interview with Anupama Chopra, Punjabi pop music, Sacred Games 2's trailer and more. The duo kicks off with a discussion on Kangana Ranaut’s ugly spat with a journalist. Rajyasree says, “It was quite ridiculous the way she carried on and on." They also talk about Kangana’s sister's involvement and the online hungama that followed. Moving on to Kabir Singh’s director, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s interview with Anupama Chopra, the panel discussed his comments and Anupama’s response. Abhinandan felt that it was handled really badly, and that "it was a terrible interview". "She should have challenged Mr Vanga,” he says. Finally, they move to the latest trailer of the second season of Sacred Games. Abhinandan shared his expectations from the show and what he thinks might feature this season. Rajyasree commented, “It has Saif in it, how can it not be good?". Expressing his excitement about the show, Abhinandan adds, “I have not looked forward to any show as much as I have to this."

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, host Rajyasree Sen speaks to guest Meghnad S. They speak about Article 15, The Office’s Indian remake, Fleabag, an advertisement from Subway, Meghnad’s new book Parliamental and much more. The discussion kicks off with a weird Subway advertisement—that made no sense to Meghnad. The duo also talks about Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag, the Indian remake of The Office and more. Meghnad, who loves the US version, talks about the differences and similarities between the two versions. He says that they’ve literally translated the US version line to line but there are some uniquely Indian nuances. Later, commenting on the UK version, Meghnad notes: “The original UK version is like a meme, you can just take it and put it anywhere. It's like Shakespeare." To which Rajyasree responds: “Shakespeare just died, again." Rajyasree and Meghnad then discuss Ayushmann Khurrana’s Article 15. Rajyasree is surprised that the film was even allowed to release considering it's not flattering to the government and wonders “if the person who gave it the certificate understood the film”. They talk about how the movie deals with caste and its impact on the Indian audience. Further, the duo talks about the closing down of Mad magazine. They share their childhood memories of reading the magazine. For this and much more, tune in!

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen talk about online series When They See Us, Charité at War and Season 5 of Black Mirror, Telugu movie Arjun Reddy and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh, a Vice movie on musicians from marginalised communities, and much more. The duo starts off by talking about the latest Pond’s commercial. Rajyasree says, “Nowadays commercials aren’t just ads, you have to have a hashtag”. Abhinandan says he found the campaign to be a "sweet thought", adding that it's a great concept though he thinks the boxing shown in the video could have been much better. Discussing the docu-series When They See Us, Abhinandan explains it's a documentation of a famous 1989 case on "the Central Park Five", considered the most high-profile example of miscarriage of justice. He says he found the show "mind-blowing" and that he hasn't watched a show this good in a very long time. Rajyasree says, "How well these boys have come out ... [they] have changed their lives and been able to make something of their lives, it's very uplifting to see." Moving on to Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh, Rajyasree says: "Arjun Reddy is three hours too long and Kabir Singh is three-and-a-half hours too long." She's sceptical of the reaction of feminists to Kabir Singh, comparing Alia Bhatt's character in Gully Boy to Shahid Kapoor's character in Kabir Singh and saying both were wrong. In the context of the glorification of problematic behaviour, Abhinandan argues that you can have shows where a woman is perfectly happy to go back to her husband who's a problematic person, but the show has to be set in a warped society. He says it only becomes problematic when it's portrayed as normal. This and a lot more, so tune in!

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri cover Durex India’s orgasm inequality campaign with Pooja Bedi, HBO’s Chernobyl, Free Solo, Leila, Creed II, the ICC World Cup advertisements and much more. The duo kicks off with a discussion on Star Sports' ads on the India-Pakistan World Cup match. In the ad, the Mauka Mauka theme returns to slam Pakistan, glorify India and implies that India is Pakistan's father. They talk about the criticism and backlash the ad received online. “I'm not impressed with the ads at all, I think the IPL ads are better than this," says Abhinandan. Rajyasree reviews HBO’s mini-series Chernobyl, calling it “the finest docu-drama that she has seen”. She talks about the acting and set design of the show and some of the moments that she loved. The duo expresses their disdain of the Instagram frenzy around the site of the actual disaster with people going there for photo-shoots. Finally, the duo reviews Netflix’s Leila. They talk about the lack of good acting in the show. Rajyasree felt that “the characters did not make me feel for them”. They further discuss how the show lacked a thrill element and suffered from bad special effects owing to lack of budget. For this and much more, tune in!

In this episode of The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap, hosts Rajyasree Sen and Abhinandan Sekhri cover Aziz Ansari’s set (part of the Road to Nowhere show), Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota, the trailer of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Lisa Ray’s book Close to the Bone, and much more. Kicking off with Aziz Ansari’s stand up show, Rajyasree explains that this is Ansari’s comeback tour since claims of sexual harassment popped up against him. She remarks that the show is “not haha-laugh-out-loud, which would be odd”, and finds his decision to reference celebrities like R Kelly “interesting as a content choice”. Abhinandan thinks Ansari is “lazy” and the show was “pretty ordinary”. He ends his review with a PSA to the millennial audience: viewers come out to watch the performer and not “their fashion show”. The duo reviews the trailer of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, set in 1969 and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. Abhinandan appreciates the “spectacularly cut trailer” and pegs Tarantino as the “finest filmmaker of his generation”. Rajyasree expresses her fear that the film will be heavily censored before its release in India. Even so, they both intend to catch the film when it hits theatres. Moving to the movie Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota, Abhinandan says he loved it, and his biggest regret is that he could not catch the movie in the theatre. He calls Abhimanyu Dasani a “great performer” and appreciates the plot for its nuances and pop culture references. Rajyasree appreciates the action sequences for being on par with international movies and thinks the film was excellent. They attribute the average performance of the movie to terrible distribution. Rajyasree reviews the book Close to the Bone written by actress Lisa Ray. While the book comes across as “well-written”, Rajyasree quips that Ray’s life is “not very interesting” to read about because it smacks of privilege. Abhinandan interjects that a non-dramatic story can be made interesting if one “can tell the story well”, citing the example of actor Pankaj Tripathi. For this and much more, tune in!