Making Movies with More Masala than Money ~ Cow Dung, Charli XCX, Kalki 2898AD - (A·B·C·D) Sn2 Ep 7 - American Born Chatty Desis (A·B·C·D)

Episode Transcript
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Sandeep Parikh (00:00):
Here we go.
This is our 39th episode, Omar.

Omar Najam (00:04):
I can't believe it.
39 episodes young.
Incredible.

But speaking of the person I'm talking to,
Omar, ladies and gentlemen, I'dlike to introduce this person.
He is the guy that filmedthe fake lunar landing.
Omar Najam.

Omar Najam (00:23):
that's right.

My co host.
Yeah.

Omar Najam (00:25):
We had a good time.
I filmed it with ChanningTatum and now, and gosh,
who else is in that movie?
I'm trying

to remember.
Does it matter?
Channing's so beautiful.
Channing Tatum.
Channing Tatum andChanning Tatum.

Omar Najam (00:36):
Yeah, two Channing Tatums.
He's just so pretty.
That's all you can ever see.
the other voice you hear isa young gentleman, who, we're
very lucky to have him becausehe spent all day today going
out looking for f stops.
That's right, it'sSandeep (Parikh)!

Yeah, I was on the bus,

Omar Najam (00:50):
is this the f stop?
is this the f stop?
Did, has anyone pulledthat prank on you
when you were on set?
Did anyone ever go grabus a bag of f stops?
F stops.

No.
I, no.

Omar Najam (00:59):
God, it's funny.
What's that prank?

Sandeep Parik (01:00):
How does that go?

Omar Najam (01:02):
you tell, you shouldn't do it, but
you tell someone, hey,go grab a bag of F stops.
And then they go, okay,I'll go look for that.
And then you go, and they goto camera department, they go,
can I get a bag of F stops?
And camera department goes,that's the aperture rating.
You amateur.
There's no physical F stop.
Yeah.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
So it's a call out,

like it's to make a PA uncomfortable.
Exactly.
It's a mean thing.
Got it.

Omar Najam (01:26):
Bucket of steam was the Navy equivalent one.
I need to go get mea bucket of steam.

Oh, that's really good.
Amazing.
Hey everyone, crack opena can of steam and join
us for our show, ABCD,American Born Chatty Desi's.
This show is a podcast within alive stream within our two lives
as two American born desis.
It's a pod ducken.
This is for anyone out there wholike us, you're just navigating

(01:51):
your cultural identities andjust want to chat it out.

Omar Najam (01:53):
Hey, what's on tap for today?
You ask?
let me tell you, we've got"What's Got Us Confused".
We'll talk about somefun stuff from the news.
Then we're going to do a littlebit of "Chakra Check-In" with
each other about, movies,cinema, our experience in
filmmaking, bags of F stopthat we had to go get.
Then we'll do a quicklittle "Auntie vs Auntie

Watch (02:11):
2024" update.
Just a quick littlebrief one, and then
we'll hop into our game.
which should I revealthe game title right now?
Why not?
Sounds exciting.
The game title is a "Dr.
Strangelove Quiz Odyssey, orHow I Learned to Stop Worrying
and Love Kubrick Trivia".
Nice.
And then we'll hop intoour "Desi of the Week"

(02:32):
and that'll wrap us out.

That's right first off though.
We gotta shout out our sponsors.
Let's do that our firstof course is DesiQuest.
That's right.
It's the dungeons and dragons5e campaign that stars me
And Omar, as well as RekhaShankar, Anjali Bhimani, and a
collection of amazing guests.
It's all set in an originalSouth Asian mythological
inspired world, from thebrilliant mind of Jasmine,

(02:56):
"thatbronzegirl", Bhullar,and, that girl, that birthday
girl, she just had a birthday,belated birthday girl.
If you do run into Jasmineon the streams anywhere, wish
her a happy birthday for us.
All the episodes of this show,DesiQuest, are out right now
If you become a citizen of theDesiQuest world by signing up at
patreon.com/DesiQuest, you canwatch the whole thing ad free!

(03:19):
That's exciting.
As well as the, after showpodcast that you and I
did, and streams with ourcharacter artist, Voodoo
Val, and so much more.
So we're interruptingwhatever you're doing right
now to tell you a very,some very exciting news.
You can, Join us at theDesiQuest Experience Panel
down at San Diego Comic Con.
Have you ever heard of that?

(03:40):
The biggest ComicCon in the world.
and that's gonna beThursday, July 25th at 4 PM.
So please and that's good.
That's the Omni San DiegoHotel and the Omni Grand
Ballroom The fourth floor.

Omar Najam (03:54):
We have a panel with the folks from DesiQuest
moderated by one Incrediblehuman being Aabria Iyengar.
You do not want tomiss this panel.
So come check it out againThat's July 25th at 4 PM
At SDCC Omni Hotel level 4.

Sandeep Pari (04:08):
Just need a badge.
Just need a badge for thatone Just need a badge.
And of course, we're allgonna be there, Anjali, Rekha,
Omar, and Michael Schaubach,our director, is gonna be on
the panel, so we are missingJasmine, sadly, love Jasmine,
but we're gonna be doing ourbest to, showcase, how awesome,
the world that she createdwas, so join us down there.

Omar Najam (04:30):
And then a bunch of Indians are heading
over to Indiana for GenCon, where we are going
to be playing a live game.
Is that correct, Sandeep?
A live game?

That is correct.
So, stoked for this.
We've done it before.
We did it at PAXUnplugged last year.
It was so fun, so we'rebringing it back again.
so you can see DesiQuestLive, and this will
be with the full crew.
Jasmine's gonna be DMing,a captivating storyline
crafted specificallyfor Gen Con 2024, okay?

(04:59):
Encounters, challenging puzzles,teamwork, heroism, chai, Desi's
arguing about nothing, allthe things that we love to do.
It's gonna happen at GenCon, so for that one, you
need a badge, you also need aticket, there is plenty of or
I don't even know if plentyanymore, actually, because
since it's been announced,tickets have been poppin so
please jump over to the there'sgeneral admission seats.

(05:20):
we'd love to see youout there for this for
this, uh, performance.
It's gonna be a good time.
Heck yes.
We'll see you at SCCC,we'll see you at Gen Con.

Omar Najam (05:28):
Can I talk about our second sponsor, Sandeep?
Please.
I would love that.
Second sponsor is noneother than the folks who
support us on Patreon.
Ain't that right?
And did you, isthere an update here?
Is this correct?
Can I read this out loud?
Is that all right?
You've just kickstarted theEffinFunny Movie Club to aid
in your research of moviemaking as you embark on your

(05:50):
mission to, get this folks,make a movie this year.
A movie directed by SandeepParikh and it's written by
our very good friend andbrilliant mind, Rekha Shankar.
It is gonna be so great.
I actually got a littlesneak preview, so I
highly recommend it.
And going through that journeyis going to be so great.
So head over topatreon.com/EffinFunny.
Let me spell that out for you.
That's E F F I N F U N NY to join the movie club

(06:14):
and get an inside lookat Sandeep's directing
process and his journey.
There's also a ton of, tiersfor your contribution with a
handful of subscriber benefits,including your name listed in
the credits of this very show.
Yeah.
Support a couple of desi'sin the creative arts.
Help us keep the ABCD lights on.
Learn some stuff about moviemaking and film theory.
Head over topatreon.com/EffinFunny.

(06:35):
Yeah,

thank you so much.
Yes, it's very exciting.
Omar, you did, you were atour table read of the script.
The script's gotten even better.
I'm so excited.
We did a whole nother sort ofDraft of it a little bit of a
facelift some tightening it'sactually my favorite part of
the process and we can getinto that maybe a little bit

(06:56):
later in our film discussion.
But it's very exciting.
I'm really I'mmanifesting this movie.
And I'm so thankful toall the folks that are in
patreon that jump in andjump in on my movie club.
We just watched Palm Springs onFriday which is a lovely movie,
great film and it's has somesimilarities or there's some
things that I wanted to drawoff of that movie, it's the Andy

(07:18):
Samberg flick, fantastic film.
So every other Friday wedo, a watch of a film that's
something that, I will noteand, draw inspiration from.
So you can join us for that,as well exciting stuff.
Yes.
should we get intoour first story?
Let's do it.
Okay friends this story iscoming in hot and steamy.

(07:40):
It's a hot steamy pile itis, all about cow dung's
key role in India's Energyindustry that is right.
Talking biogas.
Okay.
This is wild.
So biogas production offersan alternative to expensive
natural gas reducing costsand reliance on fossil fuels.
It also repurposes cow dung, areadily available resource in

(08:04):
rural India while mitigatingpollution caused by burning
agricultural waste Get thosepooper scoopers out because
you are gonna be able torun your Teslas off of them.
There's around 6, 000 cowsin the surrounding area.
This city is a centerof dairy production.
But the dairy ownershave been dumping waste
straight into public sewerscausing river pollution.

(08:24):
So this is like the partthat maybe has got us
confused here about it.
What are yourthoughts here Omar?

Omar Najam (08:29):
I love this.
I haven't been to India ina while, but like when I
did go, there were a lotof folks repurposing a
ton of animal, materials.
And it was the kind of thingwhere I was like, this is
how you are sustainable.
We want everything to looklike shiny buildings and
everything's chrome and thatfor us is like sustainability.
This is sustainability!And listen, I'm glad we're

(08:49):
talking about it herebecause a week from now,
some like Heather Graham.
Type actor is going togo on Kimmel and be like,
I'm doing this thing whereI recycle like cow dung.
And everyone's going to be like,that's amazing, you invented it.
I'm glad that we'reputting a flag in right
now saying that no.
South Asians aredoing this right now.

That's right.
This is our thing.
We are the ones saying,You could take yoga and
chai lattes from us,from our cold dead hands.
But you're not going to takerepurposing cow dung and turning
it into energy, goddammit.

Omar Najam (09:15):
no.
How you feelin about this?
How you feelin about Poo Punk?

Hey, look, I think it's brilliant,
The Indian government ispromoting biogas production
to reduce natural gas imports.
so it's, led to the developmentof large scale biogas plants.
I think any way that you canfigure out how to use waste
and turn it into somethingpositive, as long as it's not,
causing more harmful waste.
I think that's thechallenge right is
figuring that piece out.
We got to figure somethingout because the population

(09:39):
is not really decreasingover there in India, no.
Yeah, no.

Omar Najam (09:43):
But yeah, I give this thumbs up.
I love this.
I'm in.
Do you mind if I, change gears alittle bit over to music please?
Charli XCX just releasedthe new album Brat.
Do you know who Charli XCX is?

Yeah.
let me ask this question.
Uhhuh, who is Charlixx ? That's how old I am.
I don't know.
the, I don't know their music.
I'm so sorry.
I see.
I'm that

Omar Najam (10:06):
guy.
Charli XCX is a great, popmusician, incredible musician.
And we just learnedrecently, that Charli XCX
is actually half Desi.
Okay.
So now I have to learnwho this, I got to start

listening

Omar Najam (10:20):
to

their music basically.

Omar Najam (10:22):
She's done music with Mike Snow.
She's done music with, TroyeSivan as well as, many others.
I actually saw Charli XCX inconcert, at a Mike Snow Concert.
Oh, you don't trust these?
You don't trust

no, it's not that I don't trust them, I just
don't know any of this music.
I'm so sorry.
I love classic rock, that's me.
Fleetwood Mac?

Omar Najam (10:43):
yeah.
she's like Fleetwood Macin the sense that Fleetwood
Mac also does music?
Does that help?

Oh my god, that helps so much.
Thank you for that comparison.
I really needed that.

Omar Najam (10:54):
Charli grew up with an Indian mother and a
white father, experiencingtwo distinct cultural worlds.
She felt like she didn't fitinto either her Indian or white
cultural identity, and alsofaced a ton of jokes, like a
lot of us have, when she wentto corner shops because of,
limited media representationof, South Asian characters.
She was also bullied ofcourse for a lot of her
South Asian features, butshe now embraces the features

(11:15):
she was once teased for andcelebrates her unique identity.
This is rad.
This is a huge win for usThis is a huge win for us

So this is like a recent discovery or
just like she's just recentlygotten popular and now we're...
No she's been...
Has been South Asianthe whole time.
Is that what?

Omar Najam (11:36):
Big update.
No.
she's been half SouthAsian the entire time,
on her mother's side.
And and her music's beenblasted for a near, near a
little decade here, Sandeep.
A decade?

Oh man.
Yeah.
This is

Omar Najam (11:46):
a good time for you to, this is a good
time for you to hop on.
You can start with maybe thesong in 1999 if you so want.

Sandeep (11:52):
Chat's pretty excited.
I'm sure, I've heard the songs.
Are you?
I just, I haven't,probably, I, I assume.
They're played in like cool,

Omar Najam (11:58):
fun, popular places.
Oh, cool places?
So maybe you haven't.

That's possible I haven't, yeah.
Wait, do they play, do theyblast them at Chuck E Cheese?
I mean listen, I'm in L.
A.
So there are some like hip,places to bring five year olds.
with a lot of hipsterparents and stuff.
Yeah.
yeah, like I told you thestory right of the time that
we went to this Elves Fairin Pasadena And then like I
was like, there's a bunch ofbands playing on stage and at

(12:23):
one point I was like wow It'sa really good Imagine Dragons
cover like that someone's doingand then another parent like
tapped me on the shoulder waslike "That's actually the lead
singer from Imagine Dragons.
His kid goes here"I was like, oh I live in LA.
Yep, that makessense That's so wild.
anyway, so do you have any likepersonal connection to Charli
other than, knowing Her musicand being able to slam me.

(12:47):
Yeah.

Omar Najam (12:47):
I won tickets to go see Mike Snow one
time and then I, okay.
I went and, Charli XCXjust like hopped outta
nowhere and my brain melted.
I was so excited.
oh, nice.
I feel like she's a personalfriend, not to stoke Parasocial.

So you were already into her music?
Yeah.
are you then, now, didyou know that she was part
South Asian before this oris this like new to you?
I didn't.

Omar Najam (13:08):
So I will be going to my cousin's wedding
this summer and it's gonnayeah if I can if I have any
influence in The playlistit's gonna be all Charli XCX

Amazing.

Omar Najam (13:19):
That's my goal.

Okay,

Omar Najam (13:20):
that's my goal Chicago family.
I'm coming for you

Pretty cool.
All right.
Now for our final story, howmuch did you spend to make that?
Okay.
So there is a moviethat's coming out in India
called Kalki 2898 AD.

Omar Najam (13:37):
Okay.
And

so can you, so this is one of the most
expensive Indian films ever.
Can you guess what its budgetis without looking at the notes?

Omar Najam (13:47):
Okay.
One of the most expensive Indianfilms, not looking at the notes.
Could you give me a senseof what the second most
expensive Indian film was,or would that be cheating?
Okay,

so, yeah.
I think I can help you there.
So, Triple

Omar Najam (13:59):
R.

Saw, Triple R?

Omar Najam (14:00):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah,

yeah.
was, up there.
65.8 million.
Which honestly seems low to me.
It's amazing that theymade that movie for 65.

Omar Najam (14:11):
8 million dollars.
They made that for65.8 million dollars?
Yeah, it's incredible.
All those

tigers?
Yeah.
Can you imagine allthose tiger trainers?
I know it was all CG.
Okay.
So what do you think?

Omar Najam (14:23):
They still have to train them.
I'm gonna go with 68.
68 million dollars.
68 million dollars.

Okay, close.
It's estimated at 72 milliondollars, making it one of the
most expensive Indian films.
yeah.
So they're targetinginternational audiences,
they're featuring thesetop actors, and they're
just like going for broke.
It's a big sci fi film.
which is pretty exciting.
it's it, a dystopian postcatastrophic world with scarce
resources type movie Which Ithink is like not something

(14:51):
that and listen I'm not aBollywood buff at all by any
stretch of the imaginationBut feels like it's this
is like newish territoryfor them to be tackling.
It's like a

Omar Najam (15:00):
Walking

Dead sort of situation?
I guess?
essentially, Kalki is thetenth incarnation of Vishnu.
Okay.
who appears at the end ofthese, cycles, the Kali Yuga.
Which is supposed to be thedarkest period in history.
And, I think, sothat, that happens.
Basically, there's, onecity that remains in this
post catastrophic world.

(15:21):
and there's, a wealthy class,the "Complex" they're called,
who lives in a massive megacity structure above, above
that city and those outside thecity face these harsh realities
and they're trying to getinto the city kind of a thing.
That's like the vibe of it.
Okay So it's an Elysium yeahtype thing situation Amitabh

(15:43):
Bachchan is in it and it'splaying Oh, this is crazy
a character by the name ofAshwathama, which is Ash
my character in DesiQuestwas Ashwathama ash just
me and Amitabh Bachchan.
No big deal

Omar Najam (15:57):
Do you think we could maybe get like a
sponsorship as like we were likeviral marketing for this film

I'm sure me and Amitabh can
do like a collab Yeah.
on Instagram.
Yeah.
to like, just to co-promote,like we can help them a
little bit with our DesiQuestaudience and you could

Omar Najam (16:11):
call

ashes.
I'm saying to

Omar Najam (16:12):
ashes, dust to dust.

Oh my gosh.
Absolutely.
Perfect.
I think, yeah.
I'll DM them.
I'll slide into his DMs.
.

Omar Najam (16:23):
But So this is the highest
budget Indian cinema movie.
That's right.
That's right.
I'll go see it.

Yeah.
I hope it rocks.
We're looking forwardto that and maybe
that leads us right intoour Chakra check in.

Omar Najam (16:40):
Today We are going to be talking
about, blockbusters.
It's, you're looking for aplace with air conditioning.
maybe it's, it's late and youwant to watch some midnight
movies or something like that.
you're checking out thefilms, you're checking out
the cinema and we are bothinvolved, in the filmmaking
industry And so we thoughtwe would just chat with each
other a little bit about it.

(17:00):
Sandeep, let me do alittle chakra check-in.
And how are you feelingabout movies these days?

good question.
I feel a little generallysad, I guess, about, the
state of the film industry.
I watched this like TikTokthe other day where it was
like one of those sketcheswhere the same guy does
both sides of the sketch.
and he was like, Hey,I'm so excited about the
movies this year, 2024.
and he's Oh yeah,cause everything's a
sequel and a prequel.
Oh, what are you talking about?
And he just starts to listevery single movie that came

(17:27):
out and is going to come outthis year, decided to come
out, and literally he's likesequel, prequel, sequel,
remake, prequel, sequel, remake.
And it is getting a littlebit, tough to see something
truly original out there.
and hard to get excitedabout making it out to
theaters for me personally.
And, you're seeing it, I think,in the box office in general.

(17:50):
Furiosa didn't do very well,but I think there was Had
a little bit of a comeback,like Inside Out 2 I think did
pretty well, or is doing well.
Inside Out

Omar Najam (17:56):
2 is doing, yeah, is doing some numbers right now.

But I was just, I don't know, I was reflecting
on it because I was hanging outwith my nephew who's, he's 29.
Cool.
which I consider very young.
And, so he's seen some films,he's a lawyer now, and we
were just like talking aboutlawyer movies, and I was like,
oh, yeah, like Few Good Men'samazing, and he's oh, I haven't
seen that, and I was like, oh mygosh, I have to show you A Few
Good Men, this is my favoritething about having a nephew

(18:19):
that's we have a 15 year agegap, so like I watched Wayne's
World with him again when hewas like 12 or something, and
he like freaking died laughingat every joke, which was just,
it was fun to relive with, himand so same thing with A Few
Good Men and I was reflecting onI believe it was number one in
the box office the week that itcame out And I'm like, there's

(18:39):
no way they're making this movieright now there's no way that
movie is getting a big release.
Maybe getting made and puton a streamer, but I feel
like I don't know Just itjust made me wistful and
nostalgic for a simpler time.
Yeah! what do you think?

Omar Najam (18:56):
I feel very.
Similarly, in the grandscheme of things, where I am
like, and I, work on comicbook stuff and everything.
so I'm not here to be like downwith all like popular media or
anything like that in any way.
But I really do miss thatsense of you don't know
what you're gonna get.

(19:17):
I think this has been thebiggest thing for me and,
especially coming from likebeing a huge old nerd is
I feel like there's been ashift where we come in with
a preconceived notion ofwhat something should be.
And it's like armscrossed, impress us.
And I think that Max, or, FuryRoad, Mad Max Fury Road, even
though it is a sequel, That, Ithink, was maybe Yes, a prequel?

When's it Yeah, it's supposed to be When's
it take place on a timeline?
It's about Oh, no, sorry.
You said Fury Road.
Never mind.
Oh,

Omar Najam (19:49):
yeah.
I was

Sandeep Pa (19:50):
thinking of Furiosa.
Sorry.

Omar Najam (19:51):
that was one where, I It might
be And I might be off.
There might be another onethat's come out recently, and
I'm forgetting, and I apologize,but It was the last I think
like everyone I talked tojust went in when I have no
idea what this is going to be.
Yeah.
And then had a great time.

I went stoned and sat alone and
sat in the front row and hadthe best time of my life.

Omar Najam (20:11):
What an absolute dream.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Versus like, how's thisgoing to connect to this?
How's this going to do this?
You're already thinking so much.
And I feel like my favoritething about going to the theater
is, is you go in and it'slike a pupa phase, like you
you're this little caterpillarand you just become goo and
you come out as a butterfly.
And it's really nice to go inand just feel like immediately

(20:33):
feel things in theater.
And when it is a lot ofconnective prequels and
sequels and all thesefranchise things, and how
is this going to set up DomToretto to do something else?
You're very consciousof everything happening.
And I feel like it'snot as enjoyable.
And as from a filmmakingstandpoint, I just want to do
some weird stuff and I wantto do like a clerks and I
don't want people to be like,How many, 39 Easter eggs in

(20:54):
this movie kind of thing.
You're like, no, just have agood time with these scumbags
a little bit, go back tothat gritty 90s sort of vibe.

So where are you at in your filmmaking journey?
Cause I know.
That was always the goal, right?
Coming out here and directing.

Omar Najam (21:10):
okay.
gloves off.
Let's talk a little bit.
I've gotten to direct acouple of music videos.
I directed some shortfilms along with friend of
the show Kausar Mohammed.
in, in one of them, they'vegone down to festivals
and stuff like that.
I run a festival every yearfor 13 days, 13 shorts where
people can submit their films.
so I love filmmakingand I love doing shorts.

(21:31):
For features.
It's felt a little weirddirecting wise because.
I feel like every timesomeone makes a movie
that's really cool, exceptfor Damien Chazelle,
they're like, okay, great.
Now you're going to gomake Street Fighter.
And you're like, Oh, but thatperson's so they just did such
a creative, cool horror film.
like what's the next, likewhat's the Jordan Peele kind

(21:53):
of thing of what's their nextweird little horror film.

The age of the auteur is gone
by somewhat the wayside.
Jordan Peele may be oneof the exceptions, in
a way, nowadays, but

Omar Najam (22:04):
No, and I don't, I don't necessarily mean
this in The auteur beinglike i'm the best i'm a god
on set everyone respect me.
But in terms of getting tohave a body of like creative
work that you're like,oh I just get to do this.
Do you feel like encouraged thatit's a lot of IPs in the mix?
I personally feel discouragedbecause I feel like there's
a black hole swirling that'sgoing to pull anything you
do into like "Okay, just gonow do this studio project."

Yeah.
I dunno, that's to me, it seemslike a, like a good problem
to have in a weird way interms of like my career, like
I would be like, I'd love tobe insulted by being offered
Mortal Kombat or something,

Everyone (22:42):
or

Thundercats.
so I don't know.
I think it's that doesn'tnecessarily discourage
me specifically to seethat, that's what they go
on to do as opposed to.
just like this, the state ofinvestment in films is it's, it
seems really challenging to tryto get to raise anything to make
your movie, is like more thescary part or the discouraging

(23:04):
part is that you really do.
It seems like maybe you haveto go back to the days that,
the Coen brothers, how theymade their first film or
Sam Raimi and how he madehis first film just going to
like dentists and like peoplelike that are like, Hey, we
still love movies, right?
And you get like mission alignedon a thing that you really care
about, Hey, this is a moviethat means a lot to me and
no one's making this thing.
And I think it will mean alot to you too, even though

(23:26):
it might be more of a nicheaudience, whether it's like a
South Asian film or somethingthat like really speaks to you.
And that's what, Rekha and I aretrying to put together is this
movie that speaks to us from afirst generation point of view
or First or second generation ifwe can ever agree on to what to
call it, but sons and daughtersof immigrants generation Yeah,
and so it's like this, youknow making something that

(23:49):
feels like it's necessaryfor me to tell this story.
I feel like the right personto help Rekha tell this story.
If that makes sense.
I'm like, just extremelyexcited about trying
to make that happen.
And I feel a convictionabout that film in a way
that I haven't felt aboutsomething in a long time.

(24:09):
I'm not looking down theroad beyond just trying
to get this film made.
to go back to your originalquestion, I'm not thinking
about oh, no, if this issuccessful, am I gonna be
forced to make a bunch ofschlock after this or something?
I'm just like, let's just tellthis story and make it great
and then hopefully find theother folks out there that feel

(24:30):
You know, the core emotion thatwe're trying to describe in this
film, which is like somewhatalienated about our culture
or like what, how to defineour specific culture as first,
second generation, humans.
so I think that is what I'mtrying to focus on and quieting
the noise, of the impossibilityof the task, to go out and raise

(24:54):
that money to make the movie.
is it discouraging to seethat the only things that
really then, it seems likethe only path forward from
there is to make, you know,you go from Jojo Rabbit to
making like a Thor film thateveryone shits on you for?
Like, I almost in some waywas like, yeah, I would

(25:15):
be so lucky, I think.

Omar Najam (25:17):
I think that really resonates with me
of we'll quiet that noise.
Like all of that other discourseand discussion of who's selling
what and what's Hasbro doingand, will this just be like,
will your creative endeavorseventually just put you at,
to make like a Transformersfilm, which financially
great, but do you havestories to tell that whatever,

You're always gonna have to satisfy the,
capitalistic gods, out here,in some way, shape, or form.
Yeah, whether it's, doingbranded content, or, we got
sponsors on this show, or, doingsome, asking our fans to, unless
our fans are gonna grow by themillions, which we hope, and
then we don't have to answerto anybody else, but them,

(25:54):
that's amazing that's the dream.
That's the absolute dreamand why we're pursuing it.
But, I don't know that,that you can avoid it,

Omar Najam (26:02):
entirely.
I think pushing thatnoise out is really great
And it's also I do think thatit is like, it is champagne
problems to a certain extentbecause it's like, we're still,
it's still revolutionary.
That like you and Rehkaare making a movie that's
representing this viewpointthat's not like the
cartoonish, like two thousandslike South Asian movie.

(26:24):
that's stereotypes and stuffand this is what it's like
to be with this family.
it's a very beautifulrooted emotional, personal
story that like, yeah,it's got like a little

sci-fi kind of twist to it, which I love.
And you can do it your way,with film, or at least I
still want to pursue doingit our way in that medium.
Like that still is the likebrass ring for me or, so
I'm still gunning for it.
Maybe that's crazy in a worldwhere the film industry seems

(26:53):
to be somewhat collapsing,but there is, someone in chat
did mention that indie filmsare having a real renaissance
right now that it's been gasthis year as they, they put it.
there's still great stuffthat gets made, it's just
I think you have to bereally clever about how to
pursue, so where are you at?
you got something cooking, or

Omar Najam (27:07):
I have, some TV stuff going, so I feel like a
lot of my feature stuff has beenpushed to the side a little bit
to focus on that, especiallybecause it is we, like you said,
we do need to like, make money.
I love television.
I love like in a room wheneveryone is like respecting
each other and throwing outideas and when everything

(27:29):
falls apart at four o'clockand you're just like, we've
got nothing on the board.
And then an hour later, whenyou're wrapping at five, if
you're in a room that, wrapsat five, which is great.
But if around five o'clock,it's just wait a second.
I might have an idea thatcan wrap this all together
and it's you've done theimpossible and every day you do
the Impossible and everyone'sgot each other's back.
It's like my favorite partsof improv and so i've really

(27:51):
been enjoying that and i'mexcited to take that into film.
But, having heard what you'resaying, you know what, after
this, let me pull up the oldfinal draft and start typing
out something that, I can,I've got a, I've got a Canon,
I've got a Canon 60D, justjump into a car, make a little
mockumentary that's got someheart to it, cut it together.
And then, and then, see ifwe can rent out a theater or
something for a couple bucksin LA somewhere and just show

(28:12):
it, even just to have thattheatrical fun experience,
and where something is okay,everyone, we're going to put
our phones away for an hourand, 20 minutes and watch
this silly nonsense that wemade and have some fun with
it and maybe shed some tearsalong the way, if it's good.

Yeah, man, I think, you spoke to a little bit
about the collaborative nature.
It may also just be timingfor me, pandemic, the strikes,
having a really, young kid, thefirst five years of his life.
And I just terriblymiss the, onset vibes.
it got a little bit of it withDesi Quest, but it's been a
while since I've run a show or.
Or shot something reallywith the, a larger

(28:49):
crew and, that energy.
There's nothing like that, wherethere's 50 people, 50 artists,
and buzzing entrepreneurs,coming together to try to
make this singular art piece.
Yeah.
And then like your job as.
As a director, is I think I seewhat the art piece wants to be,

(29:11):
and so I'm just, my sole jobis to try to communicate that
to the actual artists, whetherthey're actors, set dressers,
hair and makeup, the lightingprofessionals all along the
way, This is what I think theart wants to be yeah, can you
help me with your insane talentsto actually produce that?

(29:33):
Or even help me put it intowords and so I can communicate
it to everybody else too andthat like constant dialogue
about Every scene, every shot,but also the overarching story
and keeping it all togetheris such a thrill for me.
yeah, it's such a joy.
And, so it's almost likeI'm just chasing that even

(29:56):
more than the like accoladesor what comes after it.
It's I just, So it's both.
It's two things.
It's one, it's the It isthe story that I feel like
is, hasn't been told asmuch as it needs to be.
And then it's the, just for,selfishly, that experience of of
being in, the man in the arenakind of vibe, like in the game.

(30:18):
and, that's yeah.
Chasing that hit.

Omar Najam (30:24):
There is a feeling if you've ever, had
the pleasure of getting towork on a fun and respectful,
production, there's a feeling.
When you film something and thenyou're like, all right, let's
watch it back really quicklyand you all gather around, video
village or the tiny viewfinder,you know, on the camcorder
you're using, whatever levelof production it is, and when

(30:46):
you see that you all did, youGather ye

Sandeep Par (30:48):
round my iPhone 14.

Omar Najam (30:52):
When you.
Watch it back and it's exactlywhat you all wanted and whether
that's like what you saw inyour mind with quotation marks
Or it's the feeling you'regoing for or there is a perfect
like flutter from the youknow The costume department's
like god that cape caughtthe air exactly as I was
hoping it would Or lightingor hair is just like this.
This is exactly the thingthat's communicating this

(31:15):
emotion It's going to evokethis emotion in the audience.
There is no Feeling likethat How righteous it is.
And for me as a director, Ilove when a spontaneous emotion
is caught on camera and youjust see like it's a little
like twitch in the eye orjust someone just not taking a
breath because they're holdingit in and they don't want

(31:35):
to say what's on their mind.
Something like that.
There is no better feelingthan that when you see it,
when you're watching itback and everyone's around.
And it's just this moment we getto turn to everybody and say,
Hey everyone, you're very good.
Everyone's very good.
This is very good and you're

all very good at

Omar Najam (31:49):
this.

I'm gonna bring up a little few good
men trivia right here.

Omar Najam (31:53):
here we go.

Cause of course I just watched it
and looked it up recently.
There's a moment in the moviewhere, Tom Cruise's character,
is, it's like right beforethe big final, speech from
Jack, him and Jack Nicholsongoing toe to toe in the final
scene, and he like, he's liketalking about Jack Nicholson's
character to his legal team,And he's we got to get this
guy like he's up there withhe's I sit 300 feet from, these

(32:15):
Cubans who want to kill me.
And like he does a JackNicholson impression
in that moment.
And it's just like funny moment.
Apparently thatwas not intended.
Like it was a moment where yeah.
He had just improvised likethe line was there but he
had decided to do it in JackNicholson's voice and didn't
tell anybody he's gonna do thatand The actual reactions from

(32:38):
like Demi Moore and Kevin PollakHis opposites like you could
see them like almost break butalso be surprised by it and
it's this like cute thing andit's this real thing that that
happened in that moment thatwe get to live and relive, as
I've seen that movie 15 times,honestly, I love that film.
and I love that shit.
I love that shit.

(32:58):
And I live for it.
And it's I would ratherget that than, the craziest
CG battle, between, in, inGoBots 4, The bots finally go.
Yeah.
The bots went, I believe isthe name of that, sequel.
I don't know.
I think, I, to all thefilmmakers out there still
pushing, still making ithappen, I Thank God for you.

Omar Najam (33:23):
yeah, it is that dream and protecting that
spark, which I feel likeis not just locked to set.
I feel like it's that sparkthat everyone talks about, when,
when people are just like, thisis my, you were saying this
is a moment that affected you.
It was an improvisedmoment and it was.
Actors, and camera people,and, hair, and lighting, and

(33:45):
sound, everyone kind of workingtogether to, that had this
spontaneous, fun little moment,and it's stuck with you so much.
I feel like that's reallyimportant, so I would love to
not just parrot what Sandeepjust said, but also really
underline it as deeply as I can.
My dad did say one thing, whichI think really stuck with me.
And this is, I'm very muchlike money stuff, I don't,

(34:05):
that's not a language I speak.
I don't think that,value is tied to wealth.
but my dad did say something,which if you were to say,
take the money out of it andjust say people buy tickets
and tickets are attention andtickets are people leaving
their house to go do something.

Right.

Omar Najam (34:20):
Okay.
He, one time said, thereis no other industry where
people make a billiondollars on a Friday night,
regularly throughout the year.
And that's, that doesput it in perspective.
I know we're talking aboutsmaller projects and stuff,
but if we're to say attention,there is no other industry.
maybe games, I wouldsay in terms of

(34:41):
purchasing and downloads.
like Games now, for sure.
Yeah, games now, for sure.
But games,

the, I know I do love that concept.
that certainly was definitelytrue when we were, maybe 15
ish, 20 years ago for sure.
the one big blocks blockbustermovie I set, I got to visit
was, star, the second StarTrek of the new, yeah.
Yeah.
The Chris Pine.
Universe.
The Wrath of Khan?

Omar Najam (35:05):
Yeah.

And it was in, it was downtown
LA, around Grand Street.
that whole thing.
area, and they just tookthis, 5x10 block grid and
turned it into a tiny town.
Yeah.
And it was a, it was anabsolute, working village
with its own transpo stationsthroughout, where first team

(35:26):
was shooting here, secondteam's shooting here, you can
go get crafty over here, youcan, this is where, whatever,
the green room is, blah,blah, they're just Yeah.
But it was, like, thr Itjust was a buzzing city
within the city, and toshoot about 30 seconds of
footage for a day, right?
it was like, it was justincredible to witness.

(35:47):
how many people have to cometogether to, to create these
great cinematic moments.
Yeah.

Omar Najam (35:55):
let's, if I may wrap it up, if I may conclude
for myself personally, Istarted at a place at the
top and also I would like toclarify, I do know that it's
Star Trek Into the darkness,but it is Wrath of Khan.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
if I may, I started off beinglike, I'm a little discouraged.
I'm a little this...
In this conversation.
And I've said a couple oftimes, I am encouraged.

(36:16):
And I would like to sharethat encouraged feeling, that
optimism with everyone, go outthere and make collaborative
stories with people, we playa lot of D and D together.
we do a lot of thiskind of stuff, there's
also like multiplayergames and everything.
and I know, and tellstories together in whatever
format and form you can.

(36:37):
And I think that spontaneouscollaborative art construction
and sharing that immediate senseof sharing is so important.
And.
I am coming away from thisconversation saying, I don't
want to let people win by sayingthat's not what's important that

(36:57):
it's the IP or this thing that'sthis unrelated to all the humans
working on it together thatlike to me, this conversation
has reminded me how importantit is to just grab a camera.
Go out into the woods with acouple friends and be like,
Let's just make up a monster.
And let's just do thisbecause it's fun and it
feels good and we like it.

(37:18):
And this is a good time.
I'm digging this conversation.

Alright, you heard it here.
Omar is, dedicatinghimself to making a movie.
Yeah, GoBots in the Forest.
Let's go.
GoBots in the Forest.
Awesome.
Alright, I think thatwas a great place to
land the Chakra check in.
So let's, do a quick Auntievs Auntie Watch: 2024.
So here we are, this is oursegment where we track the

(37:42):
2024 US presidential election,but in our own way, because
we, here's what we care about.
We want to see how close weare to achieving a presidential
race between Democratic auntie.
Kamala Harris and Republicanauntie Nikki Haley, because
reminder just like Charli XCXCXCXXX XCXC Okay, sorry now I

(38:06):
totally now I'm a true uncleAnyway
Okay, they're both part Indianso hence they are technically
really aunties so We got thefirst presidential debate
Of 2024 coming up this week.
that's, I think, we'llsee what happens there.

(38:28):
how are you feeling?
Are you excited?
Are you gonna watch?
Are you gonna beglued to your TV?
Are you gonna watch liveor are you gonna just try
to catch clips afterwards?
What's your,

Omar Najam (38:37):
No,

I'll

Omar Najam (38:38):
I'll

watch live.
I'll watch live.
How about you?
You excited?
Do you have any drinking games?
what are you

Omar Najam (38:44):
I mean, it, yeah, I don't want to make any jokes on
the internet about the drinkinggame that I play for the
debate, but it, it would help.
With the stress levelsof watching the debate,
I'll say that much.

Gosh, I'm very anxious about it.
I do feel like we'll havea better update number for
maybe post that debate.
If they both do as poorly as theother side guarantees that they
will do, if that makes sense?

Omar Najam (39:13):
There's a chance that the debate will
go so badly That Americawill say, you know what?
ABCD is correct.
We should just switchover to Auntie vs.
Auntie Watch 2024.

there's a world.
Yeah.
There's a world in which.
so in Biden's camp they'resaying the president will
have less time for debateprep than four years
ago, given his day job.
Yeah.
Being president.
So prep will largely beconfined to immediately prior.
And then in Trump'scamp, this is fun.
He is not planning to holda formal debate practice.
Yes, and said he hasreportedly held a series of
quote policy discussions torefresh himself on the issues.

(39:48):
So they're gonna just wing itWhich I don't know
I just I don't know.

Omar Najam (39:57):
Let me ask you a quick question.
Donald Trump is knownfor his clever nicknames
of people that Biden.

I don't know.
What's the new one?
Oh, sorry.
Jake Tapper

Omar Najam (40:08):
will be one of the moderators on the debate.
What do you think Trump'snickname for Jake Tapper is?
Oh, joke.

Joke, tapper, or, that's pretty good.
I some, sometimes he doeslike, he does like weird,
like A to C ones, where he is?
like tapper.
Gore is tipper.
Gore is you're justlike, wait, what?
Is that a, yeah.
I don't know.
What is

Omar Najam (40:33):
it?
Tapper.
Tapper, canoe two.
Yeah.
taper.
Hardly

even know her.

Omar Najam (40:38):
Yeah, that's really good.
That stuff, that feels

like it would be his, yeah.

Omar Najam (40:44):
How about, from Jake Tapper to Fake Tapper,
how you feeling about that?
Oh,

I feel stupid that I didn't think of that.
That's obvious.
Oh god.
So dumb.
So dumb.
Cause fake news.
Yeah,

Omar Najam (41:00):
And Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted CBS,
CBS News invitation to debateTrump's vice presidential pick.

Is there a world in which it's still,
Is Nikki Haley in her,her, recent, campaign to
grovel to Trump working outin her favor towards, we,

Omar Najam (41:22):
I don't, I personally haven't
seen, any updates.
If anyone has anything tothe contrary, let me know.
I don't think, I've heardsome other names floated
that weren't Nikki Haley's,do you think Nikki Haley
going up against KamalaHarris puts our Auntie vs.
Auntie watch, and this isall hypothetical, we haven't
given a number yet, butwould that raise our numbers
or would that lower them?

Yeah, I think if you somehow, if, Nikki gets
chosen as the vice president.
Yeah for sure that raisesnumbers are our numbers are
up on Auntie vs Auntie somaybe no change right now.

Omar Najam (41:50):
No, I think unchanged
currently We're at 34%.
Because it was to equal

the number of the indictments.
Remember?
Yes.
It was the numberof indictments.

Omar Najam (41:58):
We matched that.
It was a happy episode.
The only update we havefor all of you is that the
two presidential candidatesare not putting that much
time into their debate.
That's right.
Should we

go up 1%?
35?

Omar Najam (42:12):
Yeah, 35.
35%.

Alright, Auntie vs.
Auntie Watch is now complete.
35%.
Alright, shall we jumpinto our ABCD game?

Omar Najam (42:27):
I think we should.

Delvan Neville (42:28):
Alright, the game this week is A Doctor
Strangelove Quiz Odyssey, orHow I Learned to Stop Worrying
and Love Kubrick Trivia.

are you do you know a lot of kubrick stuff?
Are you am

Omar Najam (42:39):
I a fan of stan's work?
Oh, sorry.
We're on a first name basis.
Wow me and stan kubrickmy ass kicked Okay.
yeah.
Yeah, we'll see what Iwent to the LACMA exhibit.
17 years ago.

I went to that too Okay

Omar Najam (42:52):
So we might be on equal footing.

Okay.
All right.
That was I mean it was coolto see the notes You Yeah,
like his notes written on likefull metal jacket scripts and
stuff And you're like and he'schange it like, like crossing
out dialogue and shit andyou're just like that's cool

Omar Najam (43:07):
They got upset when I wrote my
notes down on that script.
I got kicked out

Yeah, like I disagree stan.
This would have been abetter line Love omar

All right, you're familiar with how
this sort of thing worksWe're gonna have a number
of trivia questions for youto answer and if you get
it correct you get a point.
Whoever has the most pointswhen we're done, Wins, and
becomes the host next episode.
Great.
The loserhas to give a one minute
Academy Award concession speech

Omar Najam (43:35):
a concession

in Academy

Omar Najam (43:37):
concession speech,

yeah,

Omar Najam (43:39):
Great

Delvan Nevi (43:41):
all right first up.
Prior to directing his iconicfilms Kubrick began work as
a photographer in 1945 at age17 yeah taking photos of New
Yorkers and their everyday lifeWhat magazine did he work for?

Your

options are.
Yeah.
1) Look.
Okay.
2) Body + Soul.
3) Future Life.
4) Hound & Horn.

Omar Najam (44:06):
I'm gonna go with one, look.
I think it's look two.
We got two?
Okay, I'll change.
Correct answers.

Oh! I think I fucking remember
that from the exhibit.

Omar Najam (44:17):
I think I remember from the exhibit too.

Alright, let's go, bring it on.
Maybe I know more.
This is what two

Omar Najam (44:24):
people trained exactly the same have to
fight and they're just doingthe same chop to each other.
Do you know what I mean?

Yep.
Alright, next up, number two.
Number two.
Kubrick's directorialdebut was an anti war film,
with a production crewof only 15 individuals.
Although the film is not abouta particular conflict, it was
made during the Korean War.
Name the movie.
Your options are 1.
All Quiet on theWestern Front 2.

(44:52):
The Killing 3.
Fear and Desire or 4.
Johnny Got His Gun

Omar Najam (45:02):
I should know this.
I feel like The Killing is inthere, but I think that was All

Quiet was him?
Was that him?
Wasn't that a new movie?
Or is that a remake?

Omar Najam (45:16):
Oh god.
there was a new, there was a newone with that title, I will say.
Oh shit.
I'm gonna say three.
I'm gonna say number three.
What was

number three?
Oh, I was going with three.
Fear and Desire.

Omar Najam (45:29):
I think Fear and desire.
So four is

two.

Omar Najam (45:31):
Two is the

killing.

Omar Najam (45:33):
God dammit.
It might be the killing

guy.
You guys are just named themovie and I'll fill in number.
The number four, youthe important, he's
getting movie, right?

all right, what was your four?
What was the fourth one?

Four is Johnny Gut His Gun.

I'll go with the killing.
I'll go with Omar'sfirst instinct.
So if I'm right, it'llhurt his feelings.

God dammit.
Omar, you are correct.
It is Fear and Desire.

Way to throw me off.
You know where I rememberthat from Sandeep,

Omar Najam (46:01):
the LACMA museum.
I

skipped that part.
I had to go to the bathroom.

Omar Najam (46:07):
Oh, yeah, that's how that works.

Yeah.
Yep.
I was like, not thispart of the exhibit.
I got to go pee.
All right.
What's next.

All right.
Number three is Kubrick washired by paramount pictures
to help direct One-Eyed Jacks.
However, he was fired by whatmain director of the film, who
also happened to be one of theworld's most famous actors?
Is it 1.
Al Pacino 2.
James Dean 3.
Robert Duvall or 4.
Marlon Brando?

I don't know, man.
I'll I'm gonna go I'mgonna go Marlon Brando.

Omar Najam (46:47):
I'm going Robert

Duvall.
Sandeep you are correct,it is Marlon Brando.
Oh my god.
Marlon Brando directedjust one film.
It was originally intended tobe a Stanley Kubrick production.
With Sam Peckinpahwriting the screenplay.

Sam Peckinpah

wrote it.

I just went for an older actor.
I was like an older actorfrom that time period.
Couldn't be James Dean causeI feel like he died too young.
He did.
He did.
That's it.
That's, that was my whole logic.
Marlon Brando dismissed

both Kubrick and Peckinpah in pre production.
So neither of themactually were on there.
It was just Marlon.
Wow.

Omar Najam (47:25):
that explains it.
Not, did you know that MarlonBrando had the lines from
Superman, like on the babywhen he's like lifting Kal El
in the sky, like baby Kal El.
And he's he just wrote the lines

on the

Omar Najam (47:36):
baby.
I think it's like, it was likeon a cradle or something, but
like the lines were near thebaby, so he could look at the
baby and just say the lines.

Amazing.

Omar Najam (47:44):
Why not?

All right, except for the Shining, all

of Kubrick's films were
nominated for an Oscar.
However, only 2001, A SpaceOdyssey, won an Academy Award.
What award did he win?
Your options are 1.
Best Picture.
Got 2.
Best visual effects 3.
Best Director and 4.
Best Adapted Screenplay

Oh, I want to say okay.
Oh, wow This is tough Delvan.
I'm gonna go with best.
I'm gonna go withbest visual effects

best visual effects for
Sandeep I feel like I have

that back then.
No, I'm gonna take that back.
I'm gonna go right

Omar Najam (48:28):
back in a way Best animated feature.

Sandeep Pa (48:34):
Best animated short?
fuck.
I'm gonna go with, whatare you gonna go with?

Omar Najam (48:40):
I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go adapted, I'm
gonna go adapted screenplay.
Interesting.

I'll go director.
Though I feel like hedidn't win best director.
I'm gonna go director.

No.
I'm sorry.
It was in fact, It

was visual effects?
Best

visual effects.
Fuck.
Yep.

I'm so sorry.
I overthought it.
I overthought it.

Alright, this is the last one we
got for you, unless somehowyou manage to tie it up and
we have to go to overtime.
Lord of the Rings?
Wait, what is it right now?
Is it

Omar Najam (49:08):
2 2?
2 2.
Okay.
As he would want it.

if you can break it right now, it's game
over, and if you can't breakit, we have to go to overtime.
Okay.
And you don't want to do that.
These only get worseif you go to overtime.
Kubrick declined an invitationfrom what famed band?
To direct a cinematic versionof Tolkien's The Lord of
the Rings novels, in whichthe band would also appear.
I absolutely know this.

(49:33):
Shit.
This seems like you have this.
Is it 1.
The Doors, 2.
The Beatles, 3.
The Who, or 4.
The Rolling Stones?

Omar Najam (49:45):
Wait, I might not know this.
I thought it was someone else.
I thought it was Led Zeppelin.
Is that your final answer Omar?
Did I?
No, hold on, no, because thatwasn't one of the options.
Because that wasn'tone of the options.
The who?
The Beatles.
This sounds like something

the

Beatles would do.
The Doors?
And what was the last one?

Delvan Nevi (50:05):
The Rolling Stones.

The Stones?
Who the fuck?
Which one of thesebands would have had
the rights to

Omar Najam (50:17):
I thought you'd have this in the bag.
It's not a Charli XCXquestion, Sandeep.

I know, it's about old things.
I'm going Beatles.
Not that old,that's the problem.
I'm going Beatles.
I don't know whyfor some reason I want
to go the who, so I'm not

Omar Najam (50:37):
if you get this right, I'll
be I think I'm wrong.

Upset.
Okay, so it's the whofor Sandeep versus
the Beatles for Omar.
Final answers.
Yeah.
This is for everythingin, I'm locked in.

Sandeep Pa (50:46):
Yeah, let's just go.

The correct answer is the Beatles.
They told before thefilm rights in the 1960s.
'cause they all loved thebooks as a kid and they
wanted to stand to direct.
They planned allstar on the film.
Let's see, we're all gonna starFrodo or something like that?

Oh my gosh.
We'll go to Goodfellow3 and back to Mordor.
Alright, so let's justreally quickly cast it.
Yeah.
Alright, so Paul.
So Paul's not Frodo.
I feel like John's Frodo, right?
Is John Frodo?
Oh,

Omar Najam (51:20):
that's I would put John as Legolas, personally.
John's

Legolas?
Okay.
Yeah.
I see that actually.
Yeah.
Or as Gandalf.
I like,

Omar Najam (51:28):
Gandalf would also be good.
Okay, I change it.

Ringo's Sam, right?
Ringo's a good Sam

Omar Najam (51:37):
wise.

Yeah, I think Ringo's Sam.
I was gonna put Ringo as Sauron.
He shows up nice and early,just puts in his time, no drama.
I see you.

Omar Najam (51:47):
okay.

Who?
Yeah.
Okay.
So George, who's George?
George is Arwen.

Omar Najam (51:56):
Yeah.
Yes.
A hundred percent.
Absolutely.

George is Arwen makes a lot of sense

Omar Najam (52:01):
to me.
And who are we missing?
Who have we not cast yet?

we, I didn't, we didn't say who Paul would be.
I just said, not Frodo,but maybe he is Frodo.
Yeah, he's Treebeard.
No, that's not, that doesn'tfeel like Treebeard to me.
No.
He's more like Chipperand He's Tom Bombadil.
He gets, he's onthe cutting room

Omar Najam (52:19):
floor.
Absolutely.
He

never makes the movie.

Omar Najam (52:23):
Absolutely.

Alright, I just want to shout out to the winner,
of this, Academy Award for, BestTrivia, guy, it's, I've been
working at this my whole life,I went to the LACMA, some 19
years ago, and I thought I knewit all, I thought I studied as
much as I could, and even mybest wasn't good enough, yeah,
I'd like to, Thank fuckingnobody for my failure, i'd

(52:47):
like to not thank my parents.
I like to thank my parentsfor you know Half assing
it, and blowing it for me.
I'd like to, Who elsedo people often think?
My agents, fuck you.
I didn't win.
you're fired, actually.
This is the moment you'refinding out you're fired.
My manager, fired.
to my lovely wife, What are youeven doing with a loser like me?

(53:09):
Um, I think, I think weshould get a divorce.
And I frankly think it'sin your best interest.
Like, why would you wantto be with someone who
lost an Academy Award?
yeah.
Omar, I hope you burn in hell.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
after this commercial break.

(53:33):
That would be great thoughif they did do, like just
pick one of the losers toalso have to give a speech.
Whoever looks the

most put back when like they're showing
the shots of everybody in theaudience when it gets picked.
Whoever doesn't appearto be actually really
celebrating the winner.
yeah, nope.
Sorry,

Omar Najam (53:52):
there was an award show, where it was Best Alien,
and then it was a surprisewin by French Stewart for
Third Rock from the Sun, thatupsetted the category because
French Stewart was not nominatedand just was a surprise win.
And his acceptancespeech was, Yeah.
Get your butt shaped headsout of here as he yelled at
the, aliens from Mars attacksas they left the auditorium.

(54:14):
And I remember that as a kidand I went, this is television.
This is

art.
That's insane.
That's the game.
Let's move on to"Desi of the Week".
All right, our "Desiof the Week" is Saurabh
Netravalkar and the US men'scricket team for upsetting
Pakistan and pushing Indiain their group stage match.
This is crazy, dude.
This is crazy.
Yes.
They were, however,unfortunately, eliminated from

(54:41):
the 2024 T20 World Cup aftera 10 wicket loss to England
in their final Super 8 match.
But dude, I don't know ifyou caught any of the games.
I was actually back homeand I watched a couple of
the games with my parents.
It was so fun.
Yes, so and the fact that theUS team beat Pakistan is crazy.

(55:01):
It's crazy

Omar Najam (55:03):
Bonkers, they stunned global powerhouse
Pakistan in the t20 cricketWorld Cup beating them.
Thanks to the Winning thesuper over tiebreaker Despite
the disappointing end, ofcourse, for the team in this,
in, in the, tournament, itwas historic because the USA
qualified for the Super 8 stagein their first ever T20 World
Cup appearance, and the teamhas already qualified for the

(55:26):
T20 World Cup 2026 in India,and Sri Lanka due to their
performance in this tournament.
So USA.
USA.
Haha.

That's right.
this is cool.
about Saurabh specifically,he's born in Mumbai.
he represented India in the2010 Under 19 World Cup,
showcasing his talent onthe international stage.
And then he came overto, Cornell University.
To, focus on academia,as our people do.
and, but he rekindledhis passion for cricket

(55:55):
while in the US.
Started playing again out here.
And he was able torepresent the US team.
So he was trainedtechnically in India.
Okay, can't take full credit.
Pretty cool.

Omar Najam (56:05):
this is an emotional match because, he's returning
to India, his birth country,on the international stage.
this is some of thebest stuff that you can
cook up, only in sports.
It's very exciting.
and despite, the loss, hisbowling significantly impacted
the game and dismissed twoof India's top batsmen,
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
it's Which is crazy.
Bonkers.
This is absolutely Justto let you know Such an

upset.
That's A part timer who comesback to strike out Stanton
and Judge or something.
Like it's like, a crazy thing.
These are huge names.
Or

Omar Najam (56:40):
like a level 2 wizard going up against Strahd.

Yeah, for our nerds out there.
Sorry, thank you formaking it more relatable.
I'm I apologize.
Netravalkar's journey resonatedwith many folks on social media.
One cricket fan tweetedafter the USA India match,
the Indian uncles wereright this whole time.
First get master's in USand become engineer beta
and then you play cricket.

(57:04):
And that's exactly what Sarurabhdid.
So it's an inspiration foraspiring athletes and a
testament to, the globalnature of this, of this
sport now coming to the US.
And that's pretty cool.

Omar Najam (57:15):
and we have a runner up Desi of the Week
to celebrate as well, whichis Sheena Melwani, who
recently became the first DesiAmerican to sing the national
anthem at the NBA finals.

Everyone (57:26):
Yes.
Sheena

Omar Najam (57:26):
Melwani sang the national anthem at game two
of the NBA finals between theDallas Mavericks and Boston
Celtics, is, Melwani is a,which the Celtics won, sorry.
I took, I did take that bulletfrom you and I knew that you
would hop in, in between.
I have, yeah, I'm veryhappy about this and

it's all because of her.
It's all because ofSheena setting the stage,
emotionally, for my Celtics.
Singing to Jaylen Brown's, Yeah,

Omar Najam (57:53):
I believe this was the second time that she
sung for the Boston Celtics?
yeah.
and if you wanna check outher stuff, she's also got
a huge following on TikTok,YouTube, and Instagram.
where she also said a hugethank you to everyone for,
the community support.
Yeah.
so this is very good.
Suck it Charli.

XCX

Omar Najam (58:09):
We're not doing that.
We're not doing that.
Charli XCX defends Taylor Swiftin the concert and now we gonna
have their own Sheena Melwanidefending Charli XCX from you

Alright, that is the show, my friends.
As always, our one big askis just find one person in
your life that you thinkthat would love this show
and share it with them.
That's it.
Don't do anything, I don'teven care if you comment or
any of the other stuff, justone big share would be, to
one person, would be awesome.

Omar Najam (58:36):
You know who I would love to have on a future
episode of the podcast, Sandeep?
Oh,

Sheena Mawani?

Omar Najam (58:42):
Yes, actually that's that is for sure correct
and in addition folks whowatch the show and you can
do that by sending a questionOver to us that you want us
to answer and we'll do that.
We'll answer it poorly, butwe will answer it on the show.
You can write in or even sendan audio file of the question
to us To our email, whichis abcdpodcastshow@gmail.

(59:05):
com.
And we will go aheadand hop, hop in that
and see what we can do.
It could be a cultural question.
It could just be alifestyle question.
It could becompletely unrelated.
We will answer it to the bestof our ability, which won't be.
Much.

But look at that fancy graphic
that Delvan put on there.
Oh my gosh.
Look at this.
We're moving up in the world.
We're moving up in theworld because of our
Patreons and listeners.
And as always, we got toshout out our Patreons
who are at that level.
Yes.
So what do we got, Delvan?
What did we get from chatas our genre to shout out
our Patreon listeners?

Your genre is in the style of Aragorn giving his
speech, The Black Gate, the old.
Courage of men fails speech,except you're reading the names.
Okay.

This is in the third one, right?
This is the Gatesof Mordor speech?

Yeah, this is at the Black Gate.
Yeah.

In the third one.
Okay.
Okay.
Alright.
Alright.
The day may come when thecourage of Patreon will
fail, but it's not today.
Not today, thanks toJoshua O'Ryan, Talby M.
Carlo, Benjamin Lowe.

Omar Najam (01:00:15):
Miranda Hollinger stood by me, shoulder to
shoulder, as I fought alongsideMichael Long, and we yelled
into the breeze with RaelynnFox about how Selina B.
would destroy the Orc army.

Sandeep (01:00:30):
Nervous Wrecks Sarah H.
and Varun in Moldy Vort.
Mostly, what we considerto be useless hobbits.
They came through in the end.

Yes, the Necromancer came for all
of us, including PhilipDizon and Kathleen Schlegel.
But I remember when Ducati roseup with that sword forged in the
darkness and said to ReverendCattino, We will honor you.

Sandeep Parikh (01:00:57):
That's right, Monroe Maxwell, when
he rode that Oliphant, withthe half corpses of Jeremy
Schwartz, 8 Bit Deeds,Chris Simms, and Dan Walley.
There was never a morerousing moment when he
brought them to safety.

Yes, and Jeremy O'Brien.
And Brendan Bradley, wesing songs about those
who are no longer with us.
They went to another field.
They just went to the otherone on the other side.
We sing songs about them.
Yes.

They got really good jobs.
And to our gods.
Those wizards whowear different colors.
robes, right?
that's their thing.
Mark Tuckle, the fuchsia.
Hannah Lehman.
The sort of light peach.
James Gaffney.
The orangutan brown.

(01:01:45):
Scribbles and flapjacks.
Yes.
a nose hair black.
And Vayden.
it's like a moldytoad light green.
All you wizardscouldn't do without you.

Everyone (01:02:01):
You've roused the forces.
Wow.

Now I want to do a sketch about the 48th wizards.
48th through like 60thwizards who have the weird.
Like, Home Depot colors.

Yeah.
They weren't the first onesto show up on the day where
they're handing out cloaks.

Yeah.
So all we got leftis mountain mist.
I don't even know whatthis is a greenish gray.
All right.
Anyway, that's our show.
We did it.

Yes! The show's produced and edited
by Anand Shah, The show'stechnical director and sound
designer is Delvan Neville.
The show's executiveproducers are Sandeep
Parikh and Anand Shah.
This has beenan effin funny production.

On behalf of our co host Omar Najam, I've
been your host, Sandeep Parikh.
May your chakras be alignedand smothered in chutney.
We'll see you nexttime, friends.

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Making Movies with More Masala than Money ~ Cow Dung, Charli XCX, Kalki 2898AD - (A·B·C·D) Sn2 Ep 7

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Making Movies with More Masala than Money ~ Cow Dung, Charli XCX, Kalki 2898AD - (A·B·C·D) Sn2 Ep 7