November 10, 2025 • 17 mins
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is perhaps the most overrated Indian movie of the year.
We discuss the film’s inert narrative, jarring action, and inelegant world-building that includes an unnecessary detour into Kantara territory.
We also talk about where the franchise could head next, and why it would immediately be better if merged with the Minnal Murali universe.
—
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:16):
Hi, I'm Akalara. And I'm Rohan Nahar.
Welcome to the long take. This week, we're discussing the
new Malayalam language movie Local Chapter 1 Chandra, which
is now streaming after theatrical run, where it became
the highest crossing Malayalam movie of all time.
Yeah, I don't know why I haven'trun.
I don't see what do people do this movie and why they even
stayed beyond the first half an hour, Honestly, Yeah.
You and I kind of felt a little underwent actually quite under
(00:40):
one because it's the previous highest rose in whatever
Malayalam movie was Manjamel Boys, which was really good.
And I really, really enjoyed that movie.
So I in my head, I thought that oh, so even if you're doing like
a proper mainstream Malayalam movie, you're at least making a
real movie. This one felt like just a jumble
of ideas, very poorly executed. Yeah, Like, it's not like I
(01:01):
would even forgive some of like,the technical stuff if you were
actually telling a story, which is engaging, but it's like I was
asping at straws. Like I was waiting.
I was like, why is the movie? It's going nowhere?
Like it's so inert in the beginning, at least 2025 minutes
where people are just literally hanging about.
And I'm like, OK, what is the plot?
Where are you going to like, go somewhere?
(01:22):
Or is this like a chill hangout movie?
Yeah. Yeah, So it's weird that it has
the same guy from like Allapura Gymkhana, which we watched a
little while ago, because it hasthe same sort of aimless feel,
especially in the first half that movie and like Premalu or
something, you know, it's like it for the longest time, not
even whatever superhero movie, it's just a like a Stoner ROM
(01:44):
com with like a backfired. Leading lady, essentially.
Like you feel like there's a mystery and it's really there.
They're unpacking the mystery way too slowly.
Yeah, because we know that she'slike supernatural or whatever,
right? And and it feels a little
strange that the characters through who's point of view
we're supposed to kind of experience this story are behind
(02:05):
us for some reason. Because like they, they are
playing catch up with not only the movie, but with us.
Yeah, because we're getting scenes with only Chandra, which
they are not getting. Yeah, yeah.
So, so we know what she's capable of, etcetera and
everything. So we're just like, like, hurry
it along now. Like let's just get on the same
page. Yeah.
And then when they do get on thesame page also, it's like some
(02:27):
cop is after them for some reason.
And forget that like what? I also, I get annoyed is that
we're still in the 80s Amblin era for some reason where like
they are trying to grasp like what these things mean versus
like how much other, like they they be in a post, you know,
classical world where just like,oh, yeah, OK.
Like I know what a vampire is that I've seen enough movies
like, you know, like the Shazam world, like where they start
(02:49):
having fun with it. They're like, Oh yeah, you can
do this. They can do that.
Like, why are we still stuck in this era of like, Oh my God,
these things exist. Oh.
I don't know, because it's also like these things exist and they
explain it to you, but they explain it to you in a way where
they're like, you already know that these things exist because
they're not saying vampire. They're saying like Indian
folklore, major vampire. So finally behave the same way
(03:10):
right like it's the same sunset gel Rey heart may wooden stick.
I mean steel grade gusani. Apparently that's OK need blood
to survive. So it's the same thing.
So why are these people who are these?
I mean they've seen vampire movies character sunny and his
friends. Why does it take them so long to
grapple? I understand you would faint to
the sight of a real vampire likethat is understanding the first
(03:30):
time you see it like Oh my God, like in real life, but to then
like keep like going on for another half an hour, like oh,
you need this to display or you need no like he just knows
because he knows what vampires are.
I suppose the middle portion where they kind of enter RRR
world is or Kantara world is is for like older people like who
(03:50):
might not be some easy no I. Think that is why like to the
serve the mythological purpose of it.
You know, like to attach it to alarger 'cause that's all I took
away from him. Yeah, but like it's not like,
you know, like John Wick where everything is just implied and
not shown. Like we like the whatever high
table or whatever has existed for centuries.
These rules exist already, and we aren't really shown much of
(04:12):
it, especially in. The first movie, too much of
her, like they're alluding to it, but it's so like minimal,
like there's no investment in itreally.
And the problem is that actuallythe movie is retaining the worst
aspect of John Wick, which is that the main character has no
emotions or expressions on theirface.
I mean, at least John Wick revenge we understood this one.
I fail to understand what. Yeah, like, how do you relate
(04:33):
with someone who's been around for, like, centuries?
That's a challenge. So you have to humanize her at
some level. And then I feel like I'm seeing
the saddest adventure in her life, like every other adventure
I'm sure would have been more entertaining than the one she's
spending in this state. Including the one where she's
like you look exactly like the guy I used to love in 1905.
Yeah, show me that movie. I think that'll be more
(04:55):
interesting in British times of Indian vampire who's going about
being a vigilante. I would much rather watch.
That as opposed to some vampire who's like, some Kannada
officer. She's after her.
Yeah, like. You see, like the the stop gap,
like she says, taking a pit stop, you know, in a in a very
exciting race. And she's come into the pits to
change tires. This is that chapter.
Yeah. It doesn't make sense.
Also though, there is no antagonist in this movie, which
(05:17):
is very strange. There's.
No plot in this movie. It's why there's no antagonist,
right? Like a movie just bouncing
around between nothingness, so the.
Plot, though, I'll forgive because there is like some ABCD
happening. Not very engaging, but like
there is like, yeah. Organ traffickers like
Kidnapper, That's where the plotactually kicks in.
Yeah, but like the villain, likethe villain villain actually
like I for the longest time thought that the cop is like
(05:40):
some third level. Well, he turns out to be the
main guy. That too like 2 hours into the
movie, right? Yeah, there's like 45 minutes
left or 40 minutes left when he,like, transforms, which is way
too late because I remember thinking like, for at least like
till the interval, The interval point is where Sunny sees her in
action, right, And topples over.And by that time you're like, we
(06:03):
have watched this for over an hour.
We've always known who she is. Yeah.
You are probably should have been our 25 minutes segment and
somehow it is a one hour 10 minute segment.
Not 25 is also being generous and like this is like pre
credits, pre credits yeah and then.
So many vampire movies. Why do they every Indian Fabrica
(06:23):
treats the audience as if like they're watching something for
the first time. We're not.
You know, this happens across genres.
I remember there was a show on Netflix and the guy was treating
as if like you're watching a horror thing for the first time.
But no, people have seen 500 versions of this.
This is like yesterday they released like some first look
poster of Prithviraj Sukumaran in Rajamouli's new movie.
(06:44):
And it's like a combination of Professor X and like Doctor
Octopus, the character and everybody's just pretending like
it's not a RIP off. Like it would be a RIP off even
if like some very obscure directors doing it.
But first, arguably the most famous Indian director do it is
in scene. So basically they're all of
these people are just assuming that people will not know,
(07:05):
right? We can just do.
No, like Marvel movies used to make so much money in this
country. So pretend that you're not kick
starting basically your home movie universe with monsters and
you're doing a post credits and a mid credits scene.
Literally just playbook has beenestablished for 2008 now can we
move on already? Like it's not new.
The most stunning thing I've kind of retained this year or is
(07:28):
that Final Destination Bloodlinemade like ₹80,00,00,000 in
India. Can you believe that That's like
double that any like Janhvi Kapoor movie that we watch but.
That's the thing, right? Like there is actual appetite
for genre that Bollywood does not touch upon or when they do
touch upon, they make 32. So that's the issue.
Like there is there are real gaps.
So a movie like this can actually work if you address
(07:49):
because people are not doing, you know, the only new thing
that they're doing is that they're not treating the vampire
as a villain, right. Chandra is the protagonist of
the story, but. Even that's like not like
vampire are cool now like. Exactly.
So that's what like you have to like give something out of it
and not string me along for like130 on 40 minutes and be like,
Oh yeah, there's like two more coming.
I'm like, no, I don't care. When Tovino shows up, it's a
(08:09):
little fun, yeah. That is, that was my only
highlight, is that all the action is terrible.
It's like the worst aspect of DCwhere you just like people are
thrown across walls and walls break and they get up and then
throw the other person into another wall.
But Tovino's action scene was the only genuine like creative
action scene. Yeah, yeah, that was fun.
And he's having fun with the character also, who is, I don't
(08:30):
know, like some like what magician figure?
I don't know. What he is looks like with the
costume and everything, and I don't know, it's Gob.
I don't want to say Goblin, but it feels like, yeah, some
magician thing. I don't know what it is.
He so. Basically whatever I why do I
keep calling her local? Her name with Chandra, right?
Chandra has updated her costume,whereas the Tobino character
(08:52):
seems to just be wearing what hewas converted in.
I suppose I don't know and like Bichu shows up as some samurai
person at the. End yeah, I don't think they've
like they give him a name in thescene like I I saw the creditors
they called him Charlie or something he's.
Supposed to be a villain or something.
I don't know what he is supposedto be, I thought they were
assembling A-Team, but you're right, it's possible he's like
(09:13):
the ultimate finals type villainfor these.
People. In which case like, what is his
Talwar going to do with like a vampire?
Like, I don't know, he's gonna stop all the bullets that are
aimed at. Him like Deadpool, by the way,
that was. I don't know, I don't care the
reason because I was like, no, I'm done.
You bored me too much. You have to Kicking off a
(09:35):
universe is the highest responsibility and blessed John
Favreau. He gave them like Iron Man like
that was the best possible start.
But this is like the start of the like the Tom Cruise Mummy
level. Oh yeah.
But with that it was the. Guide, they made one.
They were like, Oh my God, this is too bad.
No, no more money for you. Yeah.
Yeah, but like, unlike the Mummy, this one has made money
(09:58):
and like, that's. They are happy.
People are actually happy about it, you know, because these,
this is not the first time that,you know, we watch like,
whatever, Kalki and Salah and all that nonsense.
All of them are like chapter ones.
Supposedly. There's no way that they're
going to Brahmas or not one of those movies are going to get
chapter twos. This one actually might, which
(10:19):
is odd because it's Yeah. I think it only has a reader or
something. The next one I'm not wrong.
It's not much better than, you know, Kalki or whatever.
Yeah, not not too far off, yeah.I mean the technical aspects are
in terms of like art direction or like production design is
basically the same. Everything feels fake.
That's. It it is like it costs probably
a fraction of. Yeah, sure.
(10:40):
That is the only thing. But then and it's like, is
anything real? Like did you actually go
anywhere? Actually there are parts of like
Bangalore which are very obvious.
Those that stuff is real. The moment that everything they
do in action is so haphazard andlike jumpy and you know, use
like one shot and then the camera goes like wild for two
seconds and one shot. I'm like, what is happening?
(11:01):
I can't follow. So you know the height.
That's interesting because one of the, like, overwhelming
feelings I had throughout the movie was not only like
literally but also like in a more abstract way is that this
entire movie feels like it's been filmed in like a mid shot,
you know? Yeah, it.
Does I generally felt like this movie was made for mobile.
Phones. That's interesting.
(11:22):
That could be it. Like why would you do that?
Like if you're making a movie not for streaming service, the
1st Ave. is theaters. Why would you film it in a way
that you're like, oh wait, if people watch it on phones, they
should be able to see us get Facebook.
Yeah, everything is like center.Me, yeah.
Everything is center, everythingis zoomed in.
There's no wide shorts per SE like.
There's no shorts even like there is no action in the movie
(11:47):
until like an hour and a half and all of it is just on some in
some like fake house or like everybody's framed in like the
same shot in the middle of the frame like if.
There's no TV show that's the issue.
Like if you like. TV.
It is like a TV. You made it for people watching
on a device where they won't be able to see what's happening in
that corner. Yeah.
(12:07):
And another thing, I mean, obviously what this does is it
makes the movie feel very dramatically, you know, right,
Because you're not doing anything like Tomorrow Story to
which Karinira, but tomorrow visual language is also very
boring and monotonous. Also, the set dressing is
literally set dressing. They've just attached, like,
neon boards to, like, streets and stuff.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
(12:27):
So obviously because they will go on a Bangalore St. which look
completely real like as is, and then take a laugh and I'm like
that's not Bangalore anymore. Which, you know, reminds me of
something that this guy, Anula Kashyap keeps saying over and
over again. Like what we did was we made
Bombay R set so we used to like fix, we used to go up to like
(12:48):
apartment buildings and then just pay them 500 bucks to
residents and like put a camera on their balcony and frame the
entire city or like shoot gorilla style on the streets and
like he's like. Which is still possible.
Like last last year we had a movie called All We Imagine Is
Light which shot on Bombay. Street which makes Bombay look
huge, right? Yeah, I don't want to be sound
(13:10):
like those kids from like Super 8 you know like production
value. Production value, like real
train. What Estimate the opportunity
Like look at that Motwani movie,which I did like the superhero
one. Yeah.
Bhabi Shoshi. Bhabi Shoshi.
Yeah. Huge.
The whole city looks huge. It looks like an epic movie.
And this one, they had the opportunity to do that right
back with Bangalore. I'm not sure how cinematic it
(13:31):
is, but like at least make it not seem like a staged kind of.
Male and then they had like theywere trying to distance
themselves because of some annoying control.
No, it's a fictional city, not supposed to be Bangalore.
People are actually Speaking of malaria and Canada.
So what do you think I would expect?
Don't they like state of states Bangalore at some point?
(13:53):
No they don't. It's just you see Bangalore so
people know. But if something happened around
one of the dialogues, someone took offence and then they
actually removed the dialogue from the movie and then they
were like, no, no, movies on Bangalore like don't take
offence. It's not a fictional city.
I don't know, that felt like pretty.
I don't know, I've never been toBangalore.
(14:14):
It felt like accurate kind of this thing of general vibe is
like how like towards outsiders.I don't know how accurate it is,
I mean. Yeah, because like it's annoying
people. Like why would you take offence?
It's a villains dialogue. He's supposed to be menacing and
offensive. That's his job.
No, but like to be fair he does come across as like a
representative of Karnataka people.
(14:37):
Because they keep. Saying that you know like are
you Malayali, are you Malayali? And the Malayalis are all like
outsider migrants in this city. So it does make them feel like
the oppressed class in whatever fake Bangalore this is.
And the cops are obviously a sign of authority, elected, not
elected, but like representativeof the government, people
(14:58):
etcetera, etcetera. So for him him to be the villain
and for him to impose language, etcetera, and to be mean towards
outsiders feels like a pointed kind of thing.
So if Kennedy guys are upset, itmakes sense, but it's hardly
something to get upset about. Fix yourself.
I guess it's good that they're moving on from this character
(15:19):
because she's quite boring. Yeah, but I feel like that's
also the kind of funeral I guess.
Yeah, she will be entertaining. If she makes a 5 minute
appearance in someone else's movie then it'll.
Be fight someone like what she do she just bites people.
Lie around. Who's the guy who gives her
blood? Like where does the blood come
from? Whose blood is it?
I don't think you want to ask that question.
Are they like, is there like an organization killing people?
(15:42):
For her. Oh, I didn't go to that level.
I was thinking this is an organization, which definitely
an organization, but I assume they were stealing it from some
blood banks. I mean, that's it's in those
packets. Yeah, that's definitely a model.
I don't know. There's no way you could produce
human blood, so either it has tobe what you said or what I said.
There's no other option. Everything they explain except
(16:02):
like where does the blood come from?
I suppose that they will do thatalso in the next movie, in case
you were one thing had the bloodcome.
Here is a 45 minutes shot sometimes where they would hang
on that shot for like 5 seconds under why they're doing that.
Oh wait, they want me to understand this is that guy's
ancestor. Why?
Why does it matter? Just move on.
(16:23):
Yeah, anyway, as long as we do away with this set of characters
and hopefully. Yeah, I think the next one is
based on the guy we like the most, Michael.
So we know. Yeah, so it is.
The bar is quite low. Thanks for this movie.
And the fact that he was the only good part of this movie
makes it promising. But again, I don't have high
(16:44):
hopes. Yeah, just to minimally that
movie I really liked. Maybe they will.
They have the actor, they can just make it like a.
They can merge the universes. Yeah, who knows?
Because he has got 389 siblings,so one of the siblings is called
Milan Murali. Convenient setup.
There you go, free idea, no charge.
(17:04):
Surprisingly overrated movie. Yeah, very.
I was like I'd seen some chatterand some reviews and briefly
considered going in cinemas. I'm so glad I did not pull that
fever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, no, no. That I never fall for.
I mean I do sometimes, but not. All right, that's all for this
episode of The Long Tech. You can follow us on Facebook,
(17:25):
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You can write to us at the Long techpod@gmail.com.
Please leave us a rating and a review where every episode and
we will see you next week. Thanks for listening.
Bye.
Hi, I'm Akalara. And I'm Rohan Nahar.
Welcome to the long take. This week, we're discussing the
new Malayalam language movie Local Chapter 1 Chandra, which
is now streaming after theatrical run, where it became
the highest crossing Malayalam movie of all time.
Yeah, I don't know why I haven'trun.
I don't see what do people do this movie and why they even
stayed beyond the first half an hour, Honestly, Yeah.
You and I kind of felt a little underwent actually quite under
(00:40):
one because it's the previous highest rose in whatever
Malayalam movie was Manjamel Boys, which was really good.
And I really, really enjoyed that movie.
So I in my head, I thought that oh, so even if you're doing like
a proper mainstream Malayalam movie, you're at least making a
real movie. This one felt like just a jumble
of ideas, very poorly executed. Yeah, Like, it's not like I
(01:01):
would even forgive some of like,the technical stuff if you were
actually telling a story, which is engaging, but it's like I was
asping at straws. Like I was waiting.
I was like, why is the movie? It's going nowhere?
Like it's so inert in the beginning, at least 2025 minutes
where people are just literally hanging about.
And I'm like, OK, what is the plot?
Where are you going to like, go somewhere?
(01:22):
Or is this like a chill hangout movie?
Yeah. Yeah, So it's weird that it has
the same guy from like Allapura Gymkhana, which we watched a
little while ago, because it hasthe same sort of aimless feel,
especially in the first half that movie and like Premalu or
something, you know, it's like it for the longest time, not
even whatever superhero movie, it's just a like a Stoner ROM
(01:44):
com with like a backfired. Leading lady, essentially.
Like you feel like there's a mystery and it's really there.
They're unpacking the mystery way too slowly.
Yeah, because we know that she'slike supernatural or whatever,
right? And and it feels a little
strange that the characters through who's point of view
we're supposed to kind of experience this story are behind
(02:05):
us for some reason. Because like they, they are
playing catch up with not only the movie, but with us.
Yeah, because we're getting scenes with only Chandra, which
they are not getting. Yeah, yeah.
So, so we know what she's capable of, etcetera and
everything. So we're just like, like, hurry
it along now. Like let's just get on the same
page. Yeah.
And then when they do get on thesame page also, it's like some
(02:27):
cop is after them for some reason.
And forget that like what? I also, I get annoyed is that
we're still in the 80s Amblin era for some reason where like
they are trying to grasp like what these things mean versus
like how much other, like they they be in a post, you know,
classical world where just like,oh, yeah, OK.
Like I know what a vampire is that I've seen enough movies
like, you know, like the Shazam world, like where they start
(02:49):
having fun with it. They're like, Oh yeah, you can
do this. They can do that.
Like, why are we still stuck in this era of like, Oh my God,
these things exist. Oh.
I don't know, because it's also like these things exist and they
explain it to you, but they explain it to you in a way where
they're like, you already know that these things exist because
they're not saying vampire. They're saying like Indian
folklore, major vampire. So finally behave the same way
(03:10):
right like it's the same sunset gel Rey heart may wooden stick.
I mean steel grade gusani. Apparently that's OK need blood
to survive. So it's the same thing.
So why are these people who are these?
I mean they've seen vampire movies character sunny and his
friends. Why does it take them so long to
grapple? I understand you would faint to
the sight of a real vampire likethat is understanding the first
(03:30):
time you see it like Oh my God, like in real life, but to then
like keep like going on for another half an hour, like oh,
you need this to display or you need no like he just knows
because he knows what vampires are.
I suppose the middle portion where they kind of enter RRR
world is or Kantara world is is for like older people like who
(03:50):
might not be some easy no I. Think that is why like to the
serve the mythological purpose of it.
You know, like to attach it to alarger 'cause that's all I took
away from him. Yeah, but like it's not like,
you know, like John Wick where everything is just implied and
not shown. Like we like the whatever high
table or whatever has existed for centuries.
These rules exist already, and we aren't really shown much of
(04:12):
it, especially in. The first movie, too much of
her, like they're alluding to it, but it's so like minimal,
like there's no investment in itreally.
And the problem is that actuallythe movie is retaining the worst
aspect of John Wick, which is that the main character has no
emotions or expressions on theirface.
I mean, at least John Wick revenge we understood this one.
I fail to understand what. Yeah, like, how do you relate
(04:33):
with someone who's been around for, like, centuries?
That's a challenge. So you have to humanize her at
some level. And then I feel like I'm seeing
the saddest adventure in her life, like every other adventure
I'm sure would have been more entertaining than the one she's
spending in this state. Including the one where she's
like you look exactly like the guy I used to love in 1905.
Yeah, show me that movie. I think that'll be more
(04:55):
interesting in British times of Indian vampire who's going about
being a vigilante. I would much rather watch.
That as opposed to some vampire who's like, some Kannada
officer. She's after her.
Yeah, like. You see, like the the stop gap,
like she says, taking a pit stop, you know, in a in a very
exciting race. And she's come into the pits to
change tires. This is that chapter.
Yeah. It doesn't make sense.
Also though, there is no antagonist in this movie, which
(05:17):
is very strange. There's.
No plot in this movie. It's why there's no antagonist,
right? Like a movie just bouncing
around between nothingness, so the.
Plot, though, I'll forgive because there is like some ABCD
happening. Not very engaging, but like
there is like, yeah. Organ traffickers like
Kidnapper, That's where the plotactually kicks in.
Yeah, but like the villain, likethe villain villain actually
like I for the longest time thought that the cop is like
(05:40):
some third level. Well, he turns out to be the
main guy. That too like 2 hours into the
movie, right? Yeah, there's like 45 minutes
left or 40 minutes left when he,like, transforms, which is way
too late because I remember thinking like, for at least like
till the interval, The interval point is where Sunny sees her in
action, right, And topples over.And by that time you're like, we
(06:03):
have watched this for over an hour.
We've always known who she is. Yeah.
You are probably should have been our 25 minutes segment and
somehow it is a one hour 10 minute segment.
Not 25 is also being generous and like this is like pre
credits, pre credits yeah and then.
So many vampire movies. Why do they every Indian Fabrica
(06:23):
treats the audience as if like they're watching something for
the first time. We're not.
You know, this happens across genres.
I remember there was a show on Netflix and the guy was treating
as if like you're watching a horror thing for the first time.
But no, people have seen 500 versions of this.
This is like yesterday they released like some first look
poster of Prithviraj Sukumaran in Rajamouli's new movie.
(06:44):
And it's like a combination of Professor X and like Doctor
Octopus, the character and everybody's just pretending like
it's not a RIP off. Like it would be a RIP off even
if like some very obscure directors doing it.
But first, arguably the most famous Indian director do it is
in scene. So basically they're all of
these people are just assuming that people will not know,
(07:05):
right? We can just do.
No, like Marvel movies used to make so much money in this
country. So pretend that you're not kick
starting basically your home movie universe with monsters and
you're doing a post credits and a mid credits scene.
Literally just playbook has beenestablished for 2008 now can we
move on already? Like it's not new.
The most stunning thing I've kind of retained this year or is
(07:28):
that Final Destination Bloodlinemade like ₹80,00,00,000 in
India. Can you believe that That's like
double that any like Janhvi Kapoor movie that we watch but.
That's the thing, right? Like there is actual appetite
for genre that Bollywood does not touch upon or when they do
touch upon, they make 32. So that's the issue.
Like there is there are real gaps.
So a movie like this can actually work if you address
(07:49):
because people are not doing, you know, the only new thing
that they're doing is that they're not treating the vampire
as a villain, right. Chandra is the protagonist of
the story, but. Even that's like not like
vampire are cool now like. Exactly.
So that's what like you have to like give something out of it
and not string me along for like130 on 40 minutes and be like,
Oh yeah, there's like two more coming.
I'm like, no, I don't care. When Tovino shows up, it's a
(08:09):
little fun, yeah. That is, that was my only
highlight, is that all the action is terrible.
It's like the worst aspect of DCwhere you just like people are
thrown across walls and walls break and they get up and then
throw the other person into another wall.
But Tovino's action scene was the only genuine like creative
action scene. Yeah, yeah, that was fun.
And he's having fun with the character also, who is, I don't
(08:30):
know, like some like what magician figure?
I don't know. What he is looks like with the
costume and everything, and I don't know, it's Gob.
I don't want to say Goblin, but it feels like, yeah, some
magician thing. I don't know what it is.
He so. Basically whatever I why do I
keep calling her local? Her name with Chandra, right?
Chandra has updated her costume,whereas the Tobino character
(08:52):
seems to just be wearing what hewas converted in.
I suppose I don't know and like Bichu shows up as some samurai
person at the. End yeah, I don't think they've
like they give him a name in thescene like I I saw the creditors
they called him Charlie or something he's.
Supposed to be a villain or something.
I don't know what he is supposedto be, I thought they were
assembling A-Team, but you're right, it's possible he's like
(09:13):
the ultimate finals type villainfor these.
People. In which case like, what is his
Talwar going to do with like a vampire?
Like, I don't know, he's gonna stop all the bullets that are
aimed at. Him like Deadpool, by the way,
that was. I don't know, I don't care the
reason because I was like, no, I'm done.
You bored me too much. You have to Kicking off a
(09:35):
universe is the highest responsibility and blessed John
Favreau. He gave them like Iron Man like
that was the best possible start.
But this is like the start of the like the Tom Cruise Mummy
level. Oh yeah.
But with that it was the. Guide, they made one.
They were like, Oh my God, this is too bad.
No, no more money for you. Yeah.
Yeah, but like, unlike the Mummy, this one has made money
(09:58):
and like, that's. They are happy.
People are actually happy about it, you know, because these,
this is not the first time that,you know, we watch like,
whatever, Kalki and Salah and all that nonsense.
All of them are like chapter ones.
Supposedly. There's no way that they're
going to Brahmas or not one of those movies are going to get
chapter twos. This one actually might, which
(10:19):
is odd because it's Yeah. I think it only has a reader or
something. The next one I'm not wrong.
It's not much better than, you know, Kalki or whatever.
Yeah, not not too far off, yeah.I mean the technical aspects are
in terms of like art direction or like production design is
basically the same. Everything feels fake.
That's. It it is like it costs probably
a fraction of. Yeah, sure.
(10:40):
That is the only thing. But then and it's like, is
anything real? Like did you actually go
anywhere? Actually there are parts of like
Bangalore which are very obvious.
Those that stuff is real. The moment that everything they
do in action is so haphazard andlike jumpy and you know, use
like one shot and then the camera goes like wild for two
seconds and one shot. I'm like, what is happening?
(11:01):
I can't follow. So you know the height.
That's interesting because one of the, like, overwhelming
feelings I had throughout the movie was not only like
literally but also like in a more abstract way is that this
entire movie feels like it's been filmed in like a mid shot,
you know? Yeah, it.
Does I generally felt like this movie was made for mobile.
Phones. That's interesting.
(11:22):
That could be it. Like why would you do that?
Like if you're making a movie not for streaming service, the
1st Ave. is theaters. Why would you film it in a way
that you're like, oh wait, if people watch it on phones, they
should be able to see us get Facebook.
Yeah, everything is like center.Me, yeah.
Everything is center, everythingis zoomed in.
There's no wide shorts per SE like.
There's no shorts even like there is no action in the movie
(11:47):
until like an hour and a half and all of it is just on some in
some like fake house or like everybody's framed in like the
same shot in the middle of the frame like if.
There's no TV show that's the issue.
Like if you like. TV.
It is like a TV. You made it for people watching
on a device where they won't be able to see what's happening in
that corner. Yeah.
(12:07):
And another thing, I mean, obviously what this does is it
makes the movie feel very dramatically, you know, right,
Because you're not doing anything like Tomorrow Story to
which Karinira, but tomorrow visual language is also very
boring and monotonous. Also, the set dressing is
literally set dressing. They've just attached, like,
neon boards to, like, streets and stuff.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
(12:27):
So obviously because they will go on a Bangalore St. which look
completely real like as is, and then take a laugh and I'm like
that's not Bangalore anymore. Which, you know, reminds me of
something that this guy, Anula Kashyap keeps saying over and
over again. Like what we did was we made
Bombay R set so we used to like fix, we used to go up to like
(12:48):
apartment buildings and then just pay them 500 bucks to
residents and like put a camera on their balcony and frame the
entire city or like shoot gorilla style on the streets and
like he's like. Which is still possible.
Like last last year we had a movie called All We Imagine Is
Light which shot on Bombay. Street which makes Bombay look
huge, right? Yeah, I don't want to be sound
(13:10):
like those kids from like Super 8 you know like production
value. Production value, like real
train. What Estimate the opportunity
Like look at that Motwani movie,which I did like the superhero
one. Yeah.
Bhabi Shoshi. Bhabi Shoshi.
Yeah. Huge.
The whole city looks huge. It looks like an epic movie.
And this one, they had the opportunity to do that right
back with Bangalore. I'm not sure how cinematic it
(13:31):
is, but like at least make it not seem like a staged kind of.
Male and then they had like theywere trying to distance
themselves because of some annoying control.
No, it's a fictional city, not supposed to be Bangalore.
People are actually Speaking of malaria and Canada.
So what do you think I would expect?
Don't they like state of states Bangalore at some point?
(13:53):
No they don't. It's just you see Bangalore so
people know. But if something happened around
one of the dialogues, someone took offence and then they
actually removed the dialogue from the movie and then they
were like, no, no, movies on Bangalore like don't take
offence. It's not a fictional city.
I don't know, that felt like pretty.
I don't know, I've never been toBangalore.
(14:14):
It felt like accurate kind of this thing of general vibe is
like how like towards outsiders.I don't know how accurate it is,
I mean. Yeah, because like it's annoying
people. Like why would you take offence?
It's a villains dialogue. He's supposed to be menacing and
offensive. That's his job.
No, but like to be fair he does come across as like a
representative of Karnataka people.
(14:37):
Because they keep. Saying that you know like are
you Malayali, are you Malayali? And the Malayalis are all like
outsider migrants in this city. So it does make them feel like
the oppressed class in whatever fake Bangalore this is.
And the cops are obviously a sign of authority, elected, not
elected, but like representativeof the government, people
(14:58):
etcetera, etcetera. So for him him to be the villain
and for him to impose language, etcetera, and to be mean towards
outsiders feels like a pointed kind of thing.
So if Kennedy guys are upset, itmakes sense, but it's hardly
something to get upset about. Fix yourself.
I guess it's good that they're moving on from this character
(15:19):
because she's quite boring. Yeah, but I feel like that's
also the kind of funeral I guess.
Yeah, she will be entertaining. If she makes a 5 minute
appearance in someone else's movie then it'll.
Be fight someone like what she do she just bites people.
Lie around. Who's the guy who gives her
blood? Like where does the blood come
from? Whose blood is it?
I don't think you want to ask that question.
Are they like, is there like an organization killing people?
(15:42):
For her. Oh, I didn't go to that level.
I was thinking this is an organization, which definitely
an organization, but I assume they were stealing it from some
blood banks. I mean, that's it's in those
packets. Yeah, that's definitely a model.
I don't know. There's no way you could produce
human blood, so either it has tobe what you said or what I said.
There's no other option. Everything they explain except
(16:02):
like where does the blood come from?
I suppose that they will do thatalso in the next movie, in case
you were one thing had the bloodcome.
Here is a 45 minutes shot sometimes where they would hang
on that shot for like 5 seconds under why they're doing that.
Oh wait, they want me to understand this is that guy's
ancestor. Why?
Why does it matter? Just move on.
(16:23):
Yeah, anyway, as long as we do away with this set of characters
and hopefully. Yeah, I think the next one is
based on the guy we like the most, Michael.
So we know. Yeah, so it is.
The bar is quite low. Thanks for this movie.
And the fact that he was the only good part of this movie
makes it promising. But again, I don't have high
(16:44):
hopes. Yeah, just to minimally that
movie I really liked. Maybe they will.
They have the actor, they can just make it like a.
They can merge the universes. Yeah, who knows?
Because he has got 389 siblings,so one of the siblings is called
Milan Murali. Convenient setup.
There you go, free idea, no charge.
(17:04):
Surprisingly overrated movie. Yeah, very.
I was like I'd seen some chatterand some reviews and briefly
considered going in cinemas. I'm so glad I did not pull that
fever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, no, no. That I never fall for.
I mean I do sometimes, but not. All right, that's all for this
episode of The Long Tech. You can follow us on Facebook,
(17:25):
YouTube, Instagram and Threads. The Long Tech pod.
You can write to us at the Long techpod@gmail.com.
Please leave us a rating and a review where every episode and
we will see you next week. Thanks for listening.
Bye.
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