June 11, 2025 • 22 mins
After producing two movies about a hyper-masculine cop who literally lynches people, Nikkhil Advani has attached himself as an executive producer to Stolen, the new survival thriller on Prime Video.
In addition to Advani, the movie needed the support of heavy hitters such as Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, and Vikramaditya Motwane in order to get a release after a festival run that began in 2023. Fortunately, it did, because it’s one of the better-made Hindi features of the year.
We talk about the film’s many layers, and how director Karan Tejpal weaves them into a tight narrative. We also discuss the film’s larger commentary about contemporary India, and some of the writing missteps that it makes.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:16):
Hi, I'm Opera. And I'm Rohan now.
Welcome to the long take. This week we're discussing the
new Indian movie called Stolen, which premiered back in Venice,
an E and a half tour and finallyon Amazon Prime.
It's a debut feature for Karan Tejpal and stars Abhishek
Banerjee in the lead. The Lord in the movie like
events wise, dramatic wise. But I'm actually going to start
(00:37):
on like the owner of the final shots.
I think where Gautam Richard andthe character is like looking at
Jumpa and her kid, which like not a ending I expected.
I don't think this movie is going to have a happy ending.
Oh, I was sure that it's going to have a happy ending because
OK, why else would you go out ofyour way to make your
protagonist so terrible? Unless you're going to do.
(01:00):
A redemption part. Yeah, like, and then not even
like, oh, you know, like gradualredemption arc.
Mcclubo and contestant may come about as like core personality
of his changes. So it has a lot of those like
writing issues. The movie, I mean, I liked it
quite a bit it's a well made movie, but the writing is you
(01:21):
can tell that it needs like, youknow, at least three more drafts
so you. Didn't buy the redemption at
all. I mean, I bought the redemption
because I knew that I was going to come.
It's not like it was done gracefully.
It's two-dimensional, right? The character, it's not like he
has when he's terrible, he's terrible and when he's like a
(01:41):
Angel, he's an Angel. It's not he doesn't like grapple
with any like obviously you're going to save your brother,
right? If he's big, chased by goons.
So that's not like complex and him being so selfish in the face
of, I mean, even a person who's in a hurry and has to go
somewhere, if they witnessed some child being kidnapped and
(02:02):
they're directly linked to it, they will be like, of course,
you know, I'm in a hurry. But this takes priority right
now I mean. But I bought the the legal and
like I just want to get out of ayellow paise lo tum Sol
karumajara thing. In the beginning that was fine.
For me it is FB rush the ark butfor me at least like it happened
like 2 stages. Like the first stage was like
(02:24):
when we just abandoned the car and they start walking out Jumpa
and like ramen and then they revealed that the the wire has
attached this because of his ownpersonal loss with his own
daughter or whatever. So that was the first step for
like, you know, the gods and waslike sure, like he knew that,
but like he was not behaving like that.
So then that was like the first reveal.
And then second one is like, what do you just mentioned?
(02:44):
Like people after them. Your father's been shot.
He's just trying to save him. So now and finally, you feel
like he's gets the hospital needy, like he's just like comes
across randomly and he's like, OK, maybe I can do something.
But yeah, it is definitely like,crushed.
That's true. Yeah, yeah.
But he also gets like newly beatinto that before the hospital
stuff, right, Which I mean, if anything is going to knock sense
(03:07):
and use that and then that is also but.
I could not believe the other version of it was well, like he
would actually enter more of a self preservation mode key.
I just want to get out of here. That could easily as happen as
well. Like I was having those feelings
and I'm not even involved in thestory.
Like going through it was like this.
You see ramen helping like, yeah, yeah, this is the right
thing to do. Like why would you help?
(03:27):
Like whatever, What is wrong with bottom?
You know, like you could really support it Ramen and then 60
minutes later you're like, maybeyou should save yourself.
India is a hello. Ha name, but look that I get
because and it's also like it makes sense to expect at least
one of them to die, you know, but I don't know, maybe like
(03:48):
dramatically in like a movie that would have been a little
too much. Even if it wouldn't happened in
real life, the story would have been so unbelievable that in a
film, when you watch it or like,oh, this is like now, Now it's
like stretching. Yeah, you're doing this poetry
that, you know, like you must sacrifice yourself to save kids.
Ha ha ha. Yeah.
So that's kind of difficult to do anything that is threaded
(04:11):
that line quite nicely. It's also I like to interplay
because it makes dramatic sense,right, To have one person who's
like more idealistic and for whatever reason, you know, life
experiences is that and the other person isn't He's he's
literally introduced to us like striking a business deal on on
on the phone or something. Yeah.
Or something along those lines. You're talking about work or
(04:32):
something. The movie isn't set in a
identifiable place for some reason.
I know it's not, but it could have been.
That could just be a way to avoid the sensors.
Also like I don't know, headset make it like universal for me at
least. Like I don't need kind of.
It's one of those basic and disguised situations, yeah.
(04:54):
Yeah. Like as I just said, the legal
because he behaves like that, but like he's not, he doesn't
have to be like there could be anything.
I don't know where they're going.
Yeah, I know. But like I was thinking about
this and the car has ADL number plate.
So I mean, that's one clue and. They bring a manali with like
chompa so that's under clue. Yeah, something like NH 10 only
(05:16):
like Delhi, Haryana or something.
Yeah, I. Think that like zone?
Yeah. Yeah, but I honestly felt that
Banerjee was kind of miscast in it.
He just doesn't read like the kind of person he's playing on
screen. I mean, you know, it's he's
supposedly like, I don't know, it felt like a very like
(05:36):
Nawazuddin Siddiqui of our situation, which he was not
really the perfect suit, like perfectly suited person to play.
Yeah like what is he was completely miscast there.
I semi bought him as the legal order at least.
He just wants to get his way like but.
(05:58):
I. Guess as the movie goes on
longer it's tougher and tougher to then buy him into what he's
turning into. Yeah, because he's, I don't know
what the movies initially presenting him as.
Is he supposed to be like this sheltered rich person who has
never, you know, gotten his hands dirty or like.
(06:19):
More like a rich person, like who doesn't like even think of
other people, right? Like anything so like that.
We really do think of them as a transaction, which is why Roman
brings up that thing outside your money.
Egypt Kibar social dialogue. Exactly.
So that's my thing, right? Because if if they're showing
him as like person who is mostlytransactional and doesn't really
(06:42):
have his, you know, nose on the ground, then the street smarts
that he has to show in the second-half of the movie
increasingly, Yeah, that feels alittle.
I mean, you never, you know, you've paid bribes and all, but
you've never really, that's an easy way outright.
You never really tried to solve problems.
So when he's tries to solve problems and very, very like
(07:04):
life and death problems at the end, I'm like Achatike yet the
nahi hoga real life man, you know, And there is, you know,
police presence also. And the police does form a kind
of this thing, but they conveniently kind of disappear
when they need to and then they come back when they have to.
Yeah, yeah. There were some moments that I
felt like Pandaji was starting into, like the Sex Machina
(07:26):
character. Or the opposite of that, you
know, because he was there originally and then he just
leaves. But yeah, I mean, I said that
because, like, he literally intervenes and saves in a way
Gotham, right? He's about to be lynched.
So that's that moment. Felt like I was like, this is
full, full, like God saving a machine.
I'm like a week or so. Yeah, but.
(07:50):
This is all first film things, right because and not an issue
like there but just last year. I think there is so much we want
to say and the easiest way to get the movie made is like make
a genre movie is cheaper, etcetera, etcetera, and we'll do
it. But then we don't know that if
you're ever going to get a chance again.
So let's just I think this movienavigated all those issues
(08:14):
better than most. Like I felt like it could have
very easily become like that Sirfake Banda Kafi hair type
nonsense. You know which it is, is not the
ideal place for a movie to be like it.
That'll immediately earn your slap from me, yeah.
Yeah. So this is like it's thread, the
line I think quite carefully mostly of showing that this is a
(08:35):
systematic issue and this job, just like I'm superhero, Yeah.
It weaves the thing into the plot, right?
And it kind of does. The thing where a lot of Indian
movies don't do is that you start to question yourself and
it kind of wants you to do that.It doesn't.
It doesn't want to like Pander. You would be like nanny after
Tiko. But look at what's happening
around you. You know, no, no, no, you're
(08:57):
part of the problem. And you're, you're, you're like,
you are being put in the shoes of these two characters.
What would you do? Would you do the right thing and
there is very clearly a right thing to do?
Or would you just be like, no, no, it's not worth it,
especially with like, so all of that.
Questions like like what? How much is worth like how much?
Where would you stop doing the thing right?
Like it's almost like it's, it'stesting your commitment level.
(09:20):
Like would you stop here? Wait, would you stop here?
Wait, would you stop here? Yeah.
And at the end also, the last shot is quite nice where he's
like in the hospital and this guy is like on the bed and he's
sitting with this look. Yeah.
On his face. Right.
Like, what did we just do? And the the good thing that the
movie does in that moment is doesn't make any reference to
(09:41):
the wedding that they've likely miss.
Yeah. Yeah.
Because if you do that, then you're saying that this in a way
it's like it was a diversion. Yeah, this.
Is a detour. That's their actual life they
need to get back. But they've been sought, altered
by this experience that they're no longer thinking about a very
important family thing at all. Right, which makes sense.
(10:04):
Which which which kind of hits home how drastically he has
changed as a person. Obviously cynical thing to do
would be like, you know, back out or whatever, go home, back
to normal, whatever. But the movie is not doing that.
It's it's in that way, it's verysincere.
I mean, yeah, it is like there is no shortage of like horrific
thing, right? Like and which is like the I
(10:25):
think what I like the most aboutthat is that they reveal how
complex and complicated like jump past past is and like
there's layers to it, right? Like you, you personally think
you understand like this much ofit.
And you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ron is helping like what a nice guy like he's doing like the
decent thing. And then like one more layer
comes up and then Robin's like, what the hell?
(10:45):
Like you will be lying to me. And you also like for a minute
are like what is happening? This is like this stop
happening. And maybe like she's like hiding
part of the story. And then the revealed second,
third layer on top of like, oh, OK, I feel for like, oh shit,
damn, damn, damn sorry. And then the real layer on top
of that, like it's those all of those layers show like I think
India's like class divide and the fact that like how class
(11:09):
divide turns into this police thing.
I like when people who are from a so-called upper caste
complaint, it's like automatically the police are on
their side in the case. So like it shows that as well,
like how the justice happens. And then why are you seeing like
the mob beat up like Gautam? Like, obviously you're feeling
terrible about it. What's happening in front of
(11:29):
you? But like one part of me, I'm
like, This is why I never like mob just just happens in me
right, Because there is like when people who are from a
different socio economic background need justice that
actually want to like go to the police and courts, they get
nothing. Like this is get like either
they get inaction, they get ignored or they get outright
like injustice like this is likethis community against when
(11:52):
obviously that doesn't like meanwhat they're doing is correct.
What? Do you understand why we keep
ending up in mob justice in India?
Yeah, yeah, because in the mobs mind, what it is doing is the
right thing. They are bringing kidnapper to
justice, right? Yeah, yeah.
And they believe this is the only way they will get justice.
(12:13):
Like they don't think bragging the kidnapper to the police and
letting the court do its thing is a good good idea.
They think that hamper them, they will get Discommaricans and
they will fail. The ramen character knows in the
railway station itself that Agarwal intervene nahi karega.
So the police is not even going to listen to that woman.
I mean they were on the verge oflike getting the blame on the
(12:35):
woman. Like what?
Is 16 like half an hour 40 minutes later he says that not
get 1/6. Grader and oh, by the way, let's
not forget that Abhishek Banerjee's character.
Like, murder someone midway through the movie.
Yeah, by mistake, but still. Yeah, but by mistake, because
like he can't knows the trapdoor.
(12:57):
There's a trapdoor. Trapdoor is half the fault and
he is half the fault, I would say.
I mean, spoken like Tom Cruise and Collateral, but I like the
scenes in which all three of them were in the car together
and there was like this discomfort and everything.
Because then the movie also is, I mean, VR Gautam is the main
(13:19):
character, so to speak. But then it is also asking us to
connect equally with his brotherand Jumma, you know, which is a
nice like it's an it's it's nicely done.
You know, it could have been very clumsy.
So most of the time actually watching this movie, I'm like,
oh, so you avoided that trap. Oh, you avoided that trap.
(13:40):
Well done. Yeah, it's very easy to also
fall into like the outsider guess thing here.
I've been doing it but. There's a point to it here,
right? Which is what you have to do
instead of being like Sunny. They will, you know so.
But space like I like how like active Jumba's character is,
right? She's in the first or 10 minutes
(14:01):
she's told on phone by someone that she's like, stop crying.
That's not going to help. You have to say no one's going
to help you. And that's that's further on.
I was like, she's very active. She doesn't wait for these guys
like Dave spark an e-mail. They're going to ask for
directions to that asylum place.She's like, OK, you guys take
care of that. I'm I'm doing my own quest.
(14:22):
Yeah. So she is not a, you know,
passive character at all. And plus, the reason why this
person is the audience advocate is because the movie wants you
to be like, oh, damn, am I also like him?
Which is the only way, I suppose, to get around saviour
(14:44):
troops, you know? Yeah, if you're questioning the
Saviour himself, I mean, so there is a point in the movie
where Abhishek Banerjee's character is like, obviously
he's being beaten up by the mob,right.
So there is a mob that is actively involved in beating him
up. There is also spectators on the.
(15:05):
Bystanders. Who are not intervening there
and the camera is very pointed to like dekwa Bab intervene
maker. What would have been the right
thing to do here? You know, so Wild West out
there, right? Because.
In it's very muddled, right? No, I think trying to do the
right thing, but then this like in a way, commenting on like how
(15:26):
rumours spread through, like what's happening there and then
bringing that into the story, like sure, like you're doing the
right thing. The problem is that because you
have no control over informationand you have no like police
actually broadcasting anything, right?
They're not saying what they're doing.
Like they didn't broadcast. They're just like left to defend
for themselves. Thank you so much.
(15:49):
Yeah, yeah. And they're fully aware, like
that forest department person also stops them in the middle.
Yeah. But The thing is, you know, in
the in certain like situations and scenarios, people like
Gautam have the clear upper hand.
Yeah. But in an entirely different
situation is scenario which is like 5 kilometers away.
(16:11):
Yeah, somebody else has the upper hand.
Yeah. And basically it's like, like
you said, right? It's like India right now or
maybe India like it's always been, which is people like
deeply suspicious, paranoid or insecure and just inherently
lacking decency. You know, it that condition had
(16:36):
to, you know, survive or whatever or, or to just not even
one up just to survive, right? It hasn't.
It's not injustice I keep because like then it pushes you
to survival. You like, I'm not going to get
anything if I live this. Condition makes you selfish,
right? You're not thinking about
anybody else because you're constantly thinking about how to
(16:57):
carto this day. Yeah.
And that sucks the decency out of a society.
And that happens because the system that are that are in
place are not doing what they should be doing to protect its
citizens, to give them. The most vulnerable.
Not even the worst one. It's anybody you know, Yeah,
(17:17):
like there are privileges, etcetera.
But because people with privilege are also so inherently
somebody else is going to under.Gautam first action on the
railway station is like Hampas Jayenge, like forget like
thinking of a person who has potentially lost the daughter,
her daughter, like she's like. Yeah, the police will, like, do
(17:42):
something and pin you or like, keep you.
What happens, right? They're like you never going
anywhere. And it's mostly vindictive.
Katuna, why did you speak to us that way?
Now you're going to now your. Now your night is ruined.
Yeah, yeah, which is literally happens like when they're
beating up that E tall guy, he tries to save him.
Also, like he said like investigate, like he gave you a
clue, let's go and investigate. So like how dare you?
(18:04):
And you just ask him a novelty. He asked him which are you from?
And he reacts as if he's asked him.
Like, yeah. Yeah, you, it's constantly
right, because when you're like,especially, I don't know what
it's like in like Mumbai and stuff, but here, like you step
out of your house and you're constantly on edge because
(18:26):
somebody somewhere is going to just get murdered.
Yeah. But no, it's an accurate
representation of not just like this North India belt, but like
what's happening in our country,right?
And and to do that via like a genre movie is what we kind of
want this industry to do. And it says a lot, right, that
(18:49):
this movie's been like, around for a while before it called
distribution. But finally, I don't know how
badly it's butchered. It doesn't feel that jarring.
Yeah. So I guess might have got to
come into who. Went to the Venice premiere to
figure out. Yeah, like Santosh, I can tell
when it eventually or if it does.
(19:11):
I don't think it's going to come.
I've seen it. And I was like, I mean, thing
is, we also like so accustomed to like not for the be able to
figure out like we saw Tanda, wewere like, it's my question and
all that every no one thought I was going to have.
So when I when I watch things, I'm like, yeah, this is fine.
And then when they actually was like, oh, OK, yeah, offense is
back. I didn't realize it.
No, but like watching Santosh, you know that.
(19:33):
Oh, this is outgoing some. Things are there, I can tell,
but I'm saying the fact that they don't release the movie
itself, I'm like, it's not me. I'm sure you can cut out some
stuff but they are like more every.
Scene, especially because they've already self censored,
right? It's like some fantasyland, but
it's like a little too much. Like it rhymes with like, Uttar
Pradesh or something. But that movie, like, revolves
(19:58):
around this one entire scene, which is impossible to kind of
remove if you want that movie tofunction.
Yeah, yeah. But this one is, it builds
towards a climax, right? Which is fun.
Fun. I don't know.
Nice. Yeah, yeah.
If only this was the our normal weekend, not an outlier.
(20:21):
Yeah, and it required like 5 heavy hitters to kind of attach
their names to. It right, I guess I am that's
how they were distribution like who are already in bed with
Amazon then you'll Amazon be like OK, they are OK putting
their name so we feel safe now. Like case.
(20:43):
Yeah. Like we just be like, So then
case will be people of India versus Amazon and.
For some reason to kill like what what what?
I love how like he's developed this like dual arc in US like
5-6 years. He will make like some John
(21:05):
Abraham Kachara where he'll basically be like doing full
Indian jingoism. The opposite of this, basically.
Yeah, and then he'll. Where the office like doing the
actual lynching? Yeah.
So he make that also, and he'll make this stuff also.
He'll make others like the Rocket Boys and freedom of it.
And I'm like, why? You're an equal opportunity
offender now. OK.
Like audience go Georgia. Yeah, I don't care.
(21:28):
Like full producer wipes? It's it's a Bollywood in a
nutshell. Nikhil Rahani.
Yeah. But he get better than the
people who are only doing one side.
I mean, yes. That comparatively he's better
you part of clear in the industry.
(21:50):
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I'll review with this episode and we will see you next week.
Thanks for listening. Bye.
Hi, I'm Opera. And I'm Rohan now.
Welcome to the long take. This week we're discussing the
new Indian movie called Stolen, which premiered back in Venice,
an E and a half tour and finallyon Amazon Prime.
It's a debut feature for Karan Tejpal and stars Abhishek
Banerjee in the lead. The Lord in the movie like
events wise, dramatic wise. But I'm actually going to start
(00:37):
on like the owner of the final shots.
I think where Gautam Richard andthe character is like looking at
Jumpa and her kid, which like not a ending I expected.
I don't think this movie is going to have a happy ending.
Oh, I was sure that it's going to have a happy ending because
OK, why else would you go out ofyour way to make your
protagonist so terrible? Unless you're going to do.
(01:00):
A redemption part. Yeah, like, and then not even
like, oh, you know, like gradualredemption arc.
Mcclubo and contestant may come about as like core personality
of his changes. So it has a lot of those like
writing issues. The movie, I mean, I liked it
quite a bit it's a well made movie, but the writing is you
(01:21):
can tell that it needs like, youknow, at least three more drafts
so you. Didn't buy the redemption at
all. I mean, I bought the redemption
because I knew that I was going to come.
It's not like it was done gracefully.
It's two-dimensional, right? The character, it's not like he
has when he's terrible, he's terrible and when he's like a
(01:41):
Angel, he's an Angel. It's not he doesn't like grapple
with any like obviously you're going to save your brother,
right? If he's big, chased by goons.
So that's not like complex and him being so selfish in the face
of, I mean, even a person who's in a hurry and has to go
somewhere, if they witnessed some child being kidnapped and
(02:02):
they're directly linked to it, they will be like, of course,
you know, I'm in a hurry. But this takes priority right
now I mean. But I bought the the legal and
like I just want to get out of ayellow paise lo tum Sol
karumajara thing. In the beginning that was fine.
For me it is FB rush the ark butfor me at least like it happened
like 2 stages. Like the first stage was like
(02:24):
when we just abandoned the car and they start walking out Jumpa
and like ramen and then they revealed that the the wire has
attached this because of his ownpersonal loss with his own
daughter or whatever. So that was the first step for
like, you know, the gods and waslike sure, like he knew that,
but like he was not behaving like that.
So then that was like the first reveal.
And then second one is like, what do you just mentioned?
(02:44):
Like people after them. Your father's been shot.
He's just trying to save him. So now and finally, you feel
like he's gets the hospital needy, like he's just like comes
across randomly and he's like, OK, maybe I can do something.
But yeah, it is definitely like,crushed.
That's true. Yeah, yeah.
But he also gets like newly beatinto that before the hospital
stuff, right, Which I mean, if anything is going to knock sense
(03:07):
and use that and then that is also but.
I could not believe the other version of it was well, like he
would actually enter more of a self preservation mode key.
I just want to get out of here. That could easily as happen as
well. Like I was having those feelings
and I'm not even involved in thestory.
Like going through it was like this.
You see ramen helping like, yeah, yeah, this is the right
thing to do. Like why would you help?
(03:27):
Like whatever, What is wrong with bottom?
You know, like you could really support it Ramen and then 60
minutes later you're like, maybeyou should save yourself.
India is a hello. Ha name, but look that I get
because and it's also like it makes sense to expect at least
one of them to die, you know, but I don't know, maybe like
(03:48):
dramatically in like a movie that would have been a little
too much. Even if it wouldn't happened in
real life, the story would have been so unbelievable that in a
film, when you watch it or like,oh, this is like now, Now it's
like stretching. Yeah, you're doing this poetry
that, you know, like you must sacrifice yourself to save kids.
Ha ha ha. Yeah.
So that's kind of difficult to do anything that is threaded
(04:11):
that line quite nicely. It's also I like to interplay
because it makes dramatic sense,right, To have one person who's
like more idealistic and for whatever reason, you know, life
experiences is that and the other person isn't He's he's
literally introduced to us like striking a business deal on on
on the phone or something. Yeah.
Or something along those lines. You're talking about work or
(04:32):
something. The movie isn't set in a
identifiable place for some reason.
I know it's not, but it could have been.
That could just be a way to avoid the sensors.
Also like I don't know, headset make it like universal for me at
least. Like I don't need kind of.
It's one of those basic and disguised situations, yeah.
(04:54):
Yeah. Like as I just said, the legal
because he behaves like that, but like he's not, he doesn't
have to be like there could be anything.
I don't know where they're going.
Yeah, I know. But like I was thinking about
this and the car has ADL number plate.
So I mean, that's one clue and. They bring a manali with like
chompa so that's under clue. Yeah, something like NH 10 only
(05:16):
like Delhi, Haryana or something.
Yeah, I. Think that like zone?
Yeah. Yeah, but I honestly felt that
Banerjee was kind of miscast in it.
He just doesn't read like the kind of person he's playing on
screen. I mean, you know, it's he's
supposedly like, I don't know, it felt like a very like
(05:36):
Nawazuddin Siddiqui of our situation, which he was not
really the perfect suit, like perfectly suited person to play.
Yeah like what is he was completely miscast there.
I semi bought him as the legal order at least.
He just wants to get his way like but.
(05:58):
I. Guess as the movie goes on
longer it's tougher and tougher to then buy him into what he's
turning into. Yeah, because he's, I don't know
what the movies initially presenting him as.
Is he supposed to be like this sheltered rich person who has
never, you know, gotten his hands dirty or like.
(06:19):
More like a rich person, like who doesn't like even think of
other people, right? Like anything so like that.
We really do think of them as a transaction, which is why Roman
brings up that thing outside your money.
Egypt Kibar social dialogue. Exactly.
So that's my thing, right? Because if if they're showing
him as like person who is mostlytransactional and doesn't really
(06:42):
have his, you know, nose on the ground, then the street smarts
that he has to show in the second-half of the movie
increasingly, Yeah, that feels alittle.
I mean, you never, you know, you've paid bribes and all, but
you've never really, that's an easy way outright.
You never really tried to solve problems.
So when he's tries to solve problems and very, very like
(07:04):
life and death problems at the end, I'm like Achatike yet the
nahi hoga real life man, you know, And there is, you know,
police presence also. And the police does form a kind
of this thing, but they conveniently kind of disappear
when they need to and then they come back when they have to.
Yeah, yeah. There were some moments that I
felt like Pandaji was starting into, like the Sex Machina
(07:26):
character. Or the opposite of that, you
know, because he was there originally and then he just
leaves. But yeah, I mean, I said that
because, like, he literally intervenes and saves in a way
Gotham, right? He's about to be lynched.
So that's that moment. Felt like I was like, this is
full, full, like God saving a machine.
I'm like a week or so. Yeah, but.
(07:50):
This is all first film things, right because and not an issue
like there but just last year. I think there is so much we want
to say and the easiest way to get the movie made is like make
a genre movie is cheaper, etcetera, etcetera, and we'll do
it. But then we don't know that if
you're ever going to get a chance again.
So let's just I think this movienavigated all those issues
(08:14):
better than most. Like I felt like it could have
very easily become like that Sirfake Banda Kafi hair type
nonsense. You know which it is, is not the
ideal place for a movie to be like it.
That'll immediately earn your slap from me, yeah.
Yeah. So this is like it's thread, the
line I think quite carefully mostly of showing that this is a
(08:35):
systematic issue and this job, just like I'm superhero, Yeah.
It weaves the thing into the plot, right?
And it kind of does. The thing where a lot of Indian
movies don't do is that you start to question yourself and
it kind of wants you to do that.It doesn't.
It doesn't want to like Pander. You would be like nanny after
Tiko. But look at what's happening
around you. You know, no, no, no, you're
(08:57):
part of the problem. And you're, you're, you're like,
you are being put in the shoes of these two characters.
What would you do? Would you do the right thing and
there is very clearly a right thing to do?
Or would you just be like, no, no, it's not worth it,
especially with like, so all of that.
Questions like like what? How much is worth like how much?
Where would you stop doing the thing right?
Like it's almost like it's, it'stesting your commitment level.
(09:20):
Like would you stop here? Wait, would you stop here?
Wait, would you stop here? Yeah.
And at the end also, the last shot is quite nice where he's
like in the hospital and this guy is like on the bed and he's
sitting with this look. Yeah.
On his face. Right.
Like, what did we just do? And the the good thing that the
movie does in that moment is doesn't make any reference to
(09:41):
the wedding that they've likely miss.
Yeah. Yeah.
Because if you do that, then you're saying that this in a way
it's like it was a diversion. Yeah, this.
Is a detour. That's their actual life they
need to get back. But they've been sought, altered
by this experience that they're no longer thinking about a very
important family thing at all. Right, which makes sense.
(10:04):
Which which which kind of hits home how drastically he has
changed as a person. Obviously cynical thing to do
would be like, you know, back out or whatever, go home, back
to normal, whatever. But the movie is not doing that.
It's it's in that way, it's verysincere.
I mean, yeah, it is like there is no shortage of like horrific
thing, right? Like and which is like the I
(10:25):
think what I like the most aboutthat is that they reveal how
complex and complicated like jump past past is and like
there's layers to it, right? Like you, you personally think
you understand like this much ofit.
And you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ron is helping like what a nice guy like he's doing like the
decent thing. And then like one more layer
comes up and then Robin's like, what the hell?
(10:45):
Like you will be lying to me. And you also like for a minute
are like what is happening? This is like this stop
happening. And maybe like she's like hiding
part of the story. And then the revealed second,
third layer on top of like, oh, OK, I feel for like, oh shit,
damn, damn, damn sorry. And then the real layer on top
of that, like it's those all of those layers show like I think
India's like class divide and the fact that like how class
(11:09):
divide turns into this police thing.
I like when people who are from a so-called upper caste
complaint, it's like automatically the police are on
their side in the case. So like it shows that as well,
like how the justice happens. And then why are you seeing like
the mob beat up like Gautam? Like, obviously you're feeling
terrible about it. What's happening in front of
(11:29):
you? But like one part of me, I'm
like, This is why I never like mob just just happens in me
right, Because there is like when people who are from a
different socio economic background need justice that
actually want to like go to the police and courts, they get
nothing. Like this is get like either
they get inaction, they get ignored or they get outright
like injustice like this is likethis community against when
(11:52):
obviously that doesn't like meanwhat they're doing is correct.
What? Do you understand why we keep
ending up in mob justice in India?
Yeah, yeah, because in the mobs mind, what it is doing is the
right thing. They are bringing kidnapper to
justice, right? Yeah, yeah.
And they believe this is the only way they will get justice.
(12:13):
Like they don't think bragging the kidnapper to the police and
letting the court do its thing is a good good idea.
They think that hamper them, they will get Discommaricans and
they will fail. The ramen character knows in the
railway station itself that Agarwal intervene nahi karega.
So the police is not even going to listen to that woman.
I mean they were on the verge oflike getting the blame on the
(12:35):
woman. Like what?
Is 16 like half an hour 40 minutes later he says that not
get 1/6. Grader and oh, by the way, let's
not forget that Abhishek Banerjee's character.
Like, murder someone midway through the movie.
Yeah, by mistake, but still. Yeah, but by mistake, because
like he can't knows the trapdoor.
(12:57):
There's a trapdoor. Trapdoor is half the fault and
he is half the fault, I would say.
I mean, spoken like Tom Cruise and Collateral, but I like the
scenes in which all three of them were in the car together
and there was like this discomfort and everything.
Because then the movie also is, I mean, VR Gautam is the main
(13:19):
character, so to speak. But then it is also asking us to
connect equally with his brotherand Jumma, you know, which is a
nice like it's an it's it's nicely done.
You know, it could have been very clumsy.
So most of the time actually watching this movie, I'm like,
oh, so you avoided that trap. Oh, you avoided that trap.
(13:40):
Well done. Yeah, it's very easy to also
fall into like the outsider guess thing here.
I've been doing it but. There's a point to it here,
right? Which is what you have to do
instead of being like Sunny. They will, you know so.
But space like I like how like active Jumba's character is,
right? She's in the first or 10 minutes
(14:01):
she's told on phone by someone that she's like, stop crying.
That's not going to help. You have to say no one's going
to help you. And that's that's further on.
I was like, she's very active. She doesn't wait for these guys
like Dave spark an e-mail. They're going to ask for
directions to that asylum place.She's like, OK, you guys take
care of that. I'm I'm doing my own quest.
(14:22):
Yeah. So she is not a, you know,
passive character at all. And plus, the reason why this
person is the audience advocate is because the movie wants you
to be like, oh, damn, am I also like him?
Which is the only way, I suppose, to get around saviour
(14:44):
troops, you know? Yeah, if you're questioning the
Saviour himself, I mean, so there is a point in the movie
where Abhishek Banerjee's character is like, obviously
he's being beaten up by the mob,right.
So there is a mob that is actively involved in beating him
up. There is also spectators on the.
(15:05):
Bystanders. Who are not intervening there
and the camera is very pointed to like dekwa Bab intervene
maker. What would have been the right
thing to do here? You know, so Wild West out
there, right? Because.
In it's very muddled, right? No, I think trying to do the
right thing, but then this like in a way, commenting on like how
(15:26):
rumours spread through, like what's happening there and then
bringing that into the story, like sure, like you're doing the
right thing. The problem is that because you
have no control over informationand you have no like police
actually broadcasting anything, right?
They're not saying what they're doing.
Like they didn't broadcast. They're just like left to defend
for themselves. Thank you so much.
(15:49):
Yeah, yeah. And they're fully aware, like
that forest department person also stops them in the middle.
Yeah. But The thing is, you know, in
the in certain like situations and scenarios, people like
Gautam have the clear upper hand.
Yeah. But in an entirely different
situation is scenario which is like 5 kilometers away.
(16:11):
Yeah, somebody else has the upper hand.
Yeah. And basically it's like, like
you said, right? It's like India right now or
maybe India like it's always been, which is people like
deeply suspicious, paranoid or insecure and just inherently
lacking decency. You know, it that condition had
(16:36):
to, you know, survive or whatever or, or to just not even
one up just to survive, right? It hasn't.
It's not injustice I keep because like then it pushes you
to survival. You like, I'm not going to get
anything if I live this. Condition makes you selfish,
right? You're not thinking about
anybody else because you're constantly thinking about how to
(16:57):
carto this day. Yeah.
And that sucks the decency out of a society.
And that happens because the system that are that are in
place are not doing what they should be doing to protect its
citizens, to give them. The most vulnerable.
Not even the worst one. It's anybody you know, Yeah,
(17:17):
like there are privileges, etcetera.
But because people with privilege are also so inherently
somebody else is going to under.Gautam first action on the
railway station is like Hampas Jayenge, like forget like
thinking of a person who has potentially lost the daughter,
her daughter, like she's like. Yeah, the police will, like, do
(17:42):
something and pin you or like, keep you.
What happens, right? They're like you never going
anywhere. And it's mostly vindictive.
Katuna, why did you speak to us that way?
Now you're going to now your. Now your night is ruined.
Yeah, yeah, which is literally happens like when they're
beating up that E tall guy, he tries to save him.
Also, like he said like investigate, like he gave you a
clue, let's go and investigate. So like how dare you?
(18:04):
And you just ask him a novelty. He asked him which are you from?
And he reacts as if he's asked him.
Like, yeah. Yeah, you, it's constantly
right, because when you're like,especially, I don't know what
it's like in like Mumbai and stuff, but here, like you step
out of your house and you're constantly on edge because
(18:26):
somebody somewhere is going to just get murdered.
Yeah. But no, it's an accurate
representation of not just like this North India belt, but like
what's happening in our country,right?
And and to do that via like a genre movie is what we kind of
want this industry to do. And it says a lot, right, that
(18:49):
this movie's been like, around for a while before it called
distribution. But finally, I don't know how
badly it's butchered. It doesn't feel that jarring.
Yeah. So I guess might have got to
come into who. Went to the Venice premiere to
figure out. Yeah, like Santosh, I can tell
when it eventually or if it does.
(19:11):
I don't think it's going to come.
I've seen it. And I was like, I mean, thing
is, we also like so accustomed to like not for the be able to
figure out like we saw Tanda, wewere like, it's my question and
all that every no one thought I was going to have.
So when I when I watch things, I'm like, yeah, this is fine.
And then when they actually was like, oh, OK, yeah, offense is
back. I didn't realize it.
No, but like watching Santosh, you know that.
(19:33):
Oh, this is outgoing some. Things are there, I can tell,
but I'm saying the fact that they don't release the movie
itself, I'm like, it's not me. I'm sure you can cut out some
stuff but they are like more every.
Scene, especially because they've already self censored,
right? It's like some fantasyland, but
it's like a little too much. Like it rhymes with like, Uttar
Pradesh or something. But that movie, like, revolves
(19:58):
around this one entire scene, which is impossible to kind of
remove if you want that movie tofunction.
Yeah, yeah. But this one is, it builds
towards a climax, right? Which is fun.
Fun. I don't know.
Nice. Yeah, yeah.
If only this was the our normal weekend, not an outlier.
(20:21):
Yeah, and it required like 5 heavy hitters to kind of attach
their names to. It right, I guess I am that's
how they were distribution like who are already in bed with
Amazon then you'll Amazon be like OK, they are OK putting
their name so we feel safe now. Like case.
(20:43):
Yeah. Like we just be like, So then
case will be people of India versus Amazon and.
For some reason to kill like what what what?
I love how like he's developed this like dual arc in US like
5-6 years. He will make like some John
(21:05):
Abraham Kachara where he'll basically be like doing full
Indian jingoism. The opposite of this, basically.
Yeah, and then he'll. Where the office like doing the
actual lynching? Yeah.
So he make that also, and he'll make this stuff also.
He'll make others like the Rocket Boys and freedom of it.
And I'm like, why? You're an equal opportunity
offender now. OK.
Like audience go Georgia. Yeah, I don't care.
(21:28):
Like full producer wipes? It's it's a Bollywood in a
nutshell. Nikhil Rahani.
Yeah. But he get better than the
people who are only doing one side.
I mean, yes. That comparatively he's better
you part of clear in the industry.
(21:50):
That's all for this episode of the long take.
Even follow us on Facebook threads, Instagram and YouTube.
The long take part. You can write to us at the
longtaypod@gmail.com. Please leave us a rating and
I'll review with this episode and we will see you next week.
Thanks for listening. Bye.
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