2 White Girls Talk Bollywood

After watching our first 1970s Hindi flick last week, we needed to know more about the writers who defined that era. Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar created the Angry Young Man, and established tropes that still resonate in the industry today. This documentary, Angry Young Men, left us with almost many questions as answers. But we still enjoyed learning more about this formative chapter in Bollywood history, and you can bet this won't ...

If we had a dollar for every time we've heard today's movie referenced in other South Asian films, and for every time it's come up in our research, we could probably quit our day jobs! We're finally delving into Sholay, just in time for its 50 year anniversary. The heart of the film is the friendship between Jai and Veeru, two criminals with hearts of gold. But there's revenge, romance, and LOTS of excellent horse content. Sholay w...

We thought it was time for a break from the bigger film industries in India to focus on one of the smaller ones: Mollywood! Specifically, Malegaon films. Superboys of Malegaon is a true story about a group of friends trying to make their film dreams a reality in their own backyard. You may laugh, you may cry, but you will definitely be inspired, because everyone deserves a chance to fly. Superboys of Malegaon was directed by Reema ...

We're back this week to discuss Part 2 of Baahubali. And yes, we're spelling it differently this time. Correctly? Who can say. Anyway, we certainly enjoyed the "conclusion" (maybe) of this one-of-a-kind cinematic experience, but we're not without questions. Why is Sivagami so mean in this movie? Who are these bandits who keep showing up at inconvenient times? Where do we get our own flying swan boat? We may never know the answers, ...

We're finally watching a contemporary classic-- Bahubali: The Begining! It's a movie that sweeps you away like a rushing waterfall, or like an avalanche you can ride on a makeshift-sled. To celebrate the 10th birthday of this Telugu epic, we dove deep into not just all the things to praise, but some of the more problematic elements of the storytelling. Love it or hate it, you have to respect that this film is visually stunning... a...

It's two for the price of one this week as we dive into two different Bollywood adaptations from Jane Austen's classic novels: Bride & Prejudice, which is Pride & Prejudice; and Aisha, which is Emma! Turns out we had a lot to say about both movies and how successfully they situate familiar Western literary characters in modern Indian culture. Full disclosure: if you're not an Austen fan, this episode may be a bit hard to fo...

Happy Pride, everyone!! For this week's episode we're taking a quick vacation from India to the US. But don't worry, there's still plenty of Bollywood in this flick! Simply put, A Nice Indian Boy is a story about love. Romantic love of course, but also familial love. It's about how love looks different between different people, and how it grows and changes over time. Be ready to be hit with all the feels, in the best possible way! ...

This year we've been swinging back and forth between good and bad, high brow and low brow. This week, friends, our brows are on the floor. Jewel Thief tells the story of a "genius" diamond thief who gets roped into a heist by a conniving criminal. The movie is neither fun nor interesting, but it does have some good action and intrigue. Jewel Thief stars Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Kunal Kapoor, and Nikita Dutta. Like what you'r...

This week is Kim's Birthday pick, so we're watching one of our more recent faves-- Hi Nanna! It's a Telugu flick about a young girl who is determined to make her single dad tell her the story of her mother. It's an immensely charming and somewhat fanciful movie that packs an emotional punch. We hope you love it as much as we do! Hi Nanna stars Mrunal Thakur and Nani, and was written and directed by Shouryuv. Like what you're hearin...

We've been waiting for months to be able to watch and discuss this masterfully crafted movie, and now the time as come!! All We Imagine As Light is a highly acclaimed, award winning film, which might make you expect something larger than life. But in fact, it's a quiet, dreamlike, gentle film that is as subtle and complex as life itself. We follow three women as they navigate the uncertainties of their urban setting, romance, and c...

Listen, friends. Some movies are good. And some movies are bad. And some movies are bad Hindi-language adaptations of good Tamil-language originals. In today's episode, we're dealing with the latter. We've once more split up so we could watch a Southern Indian film (Theri) and it's Bollywood remake (Baby John). And while neither movie is perfect, one is a charming and comedic action flick, while the other is a failed attempt at pai...

Our year so far has mostly been filled with violence, explosions, and a whole lot of crime. So for this week it felt lovely to sink into a compelling and quietly beautiful film like The Mehta Boys. It's the story of a young man whose already strained relationship with his father is pushed to the edge by his mother's sudden death. It's highly relatable and artistically told, and may leave you wanting to call your parents and tell th...

Inspired by our dive into The Roshans earlier this month, this week's film is one of Rakesh Roshan's 90s classics, Karan Arjun! When two brothers are needlessly murdered by their cartoonishly villainous uncle, their mother vows they will return and seek vengeance in their next life. What follows is a horse-filled, sometimes silly, sometimes sexy, and often violent romp staring not just one, but TWO Bollywood boys! The boys in quest...

Our deep love for Hrithik Roshan is far from a secret. So naturally, when we heard about this documentary, we knew we had to watch it! And while it may not have lived up to all of our expectations, we always enjoy learning more about the industry. And we've certainly been inspired to explore some Roshan Family Classics... stay to find out which ones! Like what you're hearing? Remember to follow us on Instagram @2whitegirlstalkbolly...

It's hard to know where to start when talking about our movie this week. Jigra falls into the genre of action/heist/prison break films, but at it's core is the emotionally rich relationship between siblings. Satya will stop at nothing (literally, nothing) to free her wrongfully convicted brother from a foreign prison. And what begins as a complex and well-crafted story of trauma and desperation eventually devolves into utter madnes...

We're taking another trip to Tollywood, this time for the latest film from our fave pan-Indian boy! Dulquer Salmaan stars as Baskhar, a family man living in middle class poverty, who uses his savvy and charm to amass an unhealthy amount of money. You know what they say: more money, more problems, and that's certainly the case when you acquired that money through less than legal means. Lucky Baskhar was written and directed by Venky...

Hi friends, welcome to Season 3! As is tradition, we're kicking off the year with a movie to celebrate the birthday of one of our faves, Hrithik Roshan. This week's film is the sweeping historical romance, Jodhaa Akbar. Is it historically accurate? Nope. Did Jodhaa even really exist? Probs not. But will you be swept away by the beauty, love, and elephant-based awesomeness that is this movie? Absolutely! Along with Hrithik, Jodhaa A...

Happy New Year, everyone! It's time once again for our annual re-watch of the Farah Khan, SRK classic, Happy New Year. Has a more absurd, ridiculous, and full-on-fun film ever been made? We don't think so. And to make it even more enjoyable, we played the drinking game we devised last year! If you care to join us, catch the rules in our Year in Review, or at the start of this episode. And see you all in 2025!!! Like what you're hea...