The Inconceivable! Desis Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Inconceivable! Desis
A podcast dipping into pop culture, books, movies.. and discovering their Indian connections. By Raghavendra Iyer and Satish Viswanath.
Show published: Aug 3, 2017
Download the show hereOur take on Christopher Nolan’s latest war epic, ‘Dunkirk’. Everything we loved (a lot), things we hated (very little), and things we were trying to work out (in progress).
- The unsung Indian troops at Dunkirk and the missing faces
- Fact & fiction at Dunkirk
- The Dunkirk tracking shot from ‘Atonement’
- The Little Ships of Dunkirk (actually used in the movie)
- Nolan’s cinematic obsession with time
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Show published: May 31, 2017
Download the show hereWe restart podcasting with the big spectacular that started the summer: ‘Baahubali 2’.
And a small movie called ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2′.
That could be the other way around.
- Adam Warlock
- The insanity of Baahubali 2 box office collections.
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Show published: Jan 18, 2017
Download the show hereWe have a slightly belated discussion about ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, aka the One True Prequel movie in the Star Wars Universe.
- CGI actors in Rogue One: how they did it + video
- Previous Star Wars episodes by the Inconceivable! Desis
- Carrie Fisher passed away
- Carrie Fisher’s memoir ‘Wishful Drinking’
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Show published: Dec 22, 2016
Download the show hereIn honor of ‘Dangal’ releasing, we talk about sports movies in Bollywood with a very special guest - author Diptakirti Chaudari.
There’s actually been a crazy variety of sports featured in Indian cinema, including everything from wrestling and boxing, to track and cricket (duh), and even rooster fighting and kabaddi.
- Wrestling: Dangal, Sultan
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Dara Singh
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Cricket: Iqbal, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Lagaan, Patiala House, Victory, Azhar, Awwal Number
- Special appearances by cricketers: Salim Durrani in Charitra (opp Parveen Babi), Sandip Patil in Kabhi Ajnabi They (villain Syed Kirmani), Sunil Gavaskar in Malaamaal, Ajay Jadeja in Khel
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Love Marriage starring Dev Anand as a cricketer
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Hockey: Chak De India
- Boxing: Mary Kom, Boxer, Apne, Ghulam, Brothers
- Track: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Paan Singh Tomar
- Cycling: Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
- Football: De Dhana Dhan Goal, Saheb
- Honorable Mentions: Aadukalam, Virumaandi, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (Badlapur Boys)
- What are NOT sports movies: Any Khiladi movie, Chamatkar, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Karan Johar movies (esp Student of the Year)
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Show published: Dec 02, 2016
Download the show hereWe take the excuse of reviewing Diptakirti Chaudhari’s excellent book ‘Written By Salim-Javed’ to reminisce about one of great writing couples of Indian cinema.
Also worth reading: Anupama Chopra’s book on ‘Sholay’.
Bonus: The Youtube channel on Lessons from the Screenplay.
And yes: Inconceivable Desis khush huey. Woh ek book likhega, hum chaubees phillum ki baat karenge.
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Show published: Oct 07, 2016
Download the show hereWe review Nick Bilton’s tale of Twitter: Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal, and try to understand why it is the way it is, and where it might go next.
- Bilton’s follow up piece in Vanity Fair
- Bilton on Twitter’s potential sale
- Twitter investor Chris Sacca on What Twitter Can Be
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Show published: Aug 26, 2016
Download the show hereWe talk about what we loved or hated about the Superstar’s latest release ‘Kabali’.. plus of course why we love Rajni at all - his classic performances and so much more.
Featuring a special guest!
- Kabali’s Quiet Feminism
- Baba Kichchu Tha vs Swades Dekho Na
- Our first Rajni movies: Murattu Kalai, Mullum Malarum, Annamalai
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Show published: Aug 01, 2016
Download the show hereTaking a cue from this year’s superhero spectaculars, we try to not to fight about whether Batman V Superman sucked or whether Civil War was over-hyped. Plus of course, all the movies we have to look forward to based on Comic Con trailers.
- The fundamental flaw in Batman v Superman
- All the Comic Con 2016 trailers
- What Civil War gets right compared to Batman v Superman
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Show published: May 04, 2016
Download the show hereIn honor of Star Wars Day, we revisit the “classic” debate about the prequels (Episodes 1-3). Why they should be reviled. And why they may be better than people say they are.
Could it be?
- Classic take downs of the Star Wars prequels: Episode I, II, III.
- Deadpool VFX breakdown.
- Brilliant integration of mechanical and CGI models in Jurassic Park.
- A great deconstruction of Episodes 1-3 vis a vis Episodes 4-6.
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Show published: Apr 07, 2016
Download the show hereFor our (roughly) one-year anniversary, we finally got back to podcasting to review ‘Masters of Doom’
- Doom still gets modded, even in 2016
- Watch Romero talk about level design in Doom
- The infamous (and sad) Columbine massacre
- The infamous (and insane) Hot Coffee mod for GTA
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Show published: Jan 22, 2016
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Ever wonder how Bollywood would remake ‘The Martian’?
Now you know.
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Show published: Jan 04, 2016
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We take on the latest Star Wars movie, “The Force Awakens”.. what we loved, what we hated, how it should have been a sequel to Divyashakti (1993).
- A guide to Star Wars canon, and where Episode VII fits in with the universe.
- Divyashakti
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- The unwritten rules to making Great Star Wars movies.
- The Nostalgia Debate Around The Force Awakens
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Show published: Dec 14, 2015
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In the finale of our trilogy on Indian festival season, we talk about Navratri, Durga Pujo, Vijayadashami.. and everything related.
- Everything Navratri: the 9 days, the 5 types, the 3 different gods
- Golu: Sample elaborate setup
- Durga Pujo
- Dandiya: “bastardized” Garba dance
- Saraswathi Puja and Ayudha Puja
- Vijayadashami and Ravana Dahan
- Falguni Pathak aka the “queen” of Navratri/Garba celebrations
- And in the movies:
- Delhi-6 aka how not to use Ramlila
- Swades aka inspirational Ramlila
- Navrathri aka the awesomeness of Sivaji Ganesan
- Multitude of Garba/Dandiya-related songs: Dhol Baaje, Nagada Sang Dhol, Disco Dandiya
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Show published: Nov 21, 2015
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We spoke about Ganesh Chathurthi (when it happened back in September), and made it the 2nd in our trilogy of episodes on Hindu festivals.
- Fun (but maybe graphic) myths associated with Ganesha
- Amar Chitra Katha aka the best way to introduce graphic novels to kids
- How Ganesh Chathurthi is celebrated the world over (+ history!)
- Selfie stick Ganesha (#facepalm)
- Bollywood uses Ganesh Visarjan
- Visarjan dance aka do not judge them
- Bal Ganesh
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Show published: Nov 11, 2015
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Today is Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The Inconceivables get together to discuss the origin of Diwali, how it shaped their life growing up, it’s influence on Bollywood, and fireworks. Lots of talk about fireworks.
- Diwali ELI5ed - PG for a real 5 year old (don’t lol at work)
- 7 Bollywood Diwali celebrations
- 10,000 firecrackers in one go - over 50 ft of explosion
Show published: Oct 22, 2015
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In honor of the well-loved trilogy finally getting its day in the future.. we talk about why its so lovable and why we love it so much. Plus of course, how Indian cinema does not get time travel or how it works.
- The origin of time travel is in India!
- Love Story 2050: Hey You, Lover Boy
- Action Replayy: Chhan Ke Mohalle
- Fun 2shh: Dudes in the 10th Century: You Will be M-I-N-E
- Indru Netru Naalai
- Hoverboards live!
- Donald Trump vs Biff Tannen: true enough to be scary
- The infamous Javed Miandad six
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Show published: Sep 23, 2015
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Foundation - Isaac Asimov* Foundation * Foundation and Empire * Second Foundation
Other Sci-fi masterpieces* Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke * Dune - Frank Herbert
Not-so-great Hollywood adaptations* I, Robot * Bicentennial Man
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Show published: Sep 12, 2015
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Romeo and Juliet* Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak * Ek Duuje Ke Liye * Ram-Leela * Josh
The Comedy of Errors* Angoor * Do Dooni Chaar
The Taming of the Shrew* Jamai Raja * Aan
Honorable Mentions* Twelfth Night: Dil Bole Hadippa! (in which Rani Mukherjee thinks she can play cricket) * A Midsummer Night’s Dream: 10 ml Love * Padayappa (containing a vague twist on The Taming) * Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (aka the best of Kishore Kumar) * Judwaa (kinda sorta adapted from The Comedy of Errors)
Good recent Hollywood adaptations * Much Ado About Nothing by Joss Whedon * Coriolanus by Ralph Fiennes
What we shall table for later: Vishal Bharadwaj and Shakespeare
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Show published: Aug 27, 2015
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Satish and Raghu talk about comic book movies, their recent TV interpretations.. and what has been accomplished with them in the desi sphere.
Oh and that first bit is from the good ol’ Captain America cartoons (circa 1966)
Marvel’s TV shows and movies* Sample the continuity: The First Avenger, The Winter Soldier, Civil War * Marvel’s TV shows + Agents of Shield + Daredevil, and its epic one shot fight scene
Side note* What are Crossovers? * Why do Comic Books come out on Wednesday?
DC TV shows and movies* Smallville (probably way ahead of its time) * Arrow * Superman v Batman : Dawn of Justice: “do your (eyes) bleed (with how grim this movie is?”
The Indian “attempts”* Krrish * Amitabh Bachchan in and as Supremo * Captain Vyom * Mahakumbh : Ek Rahasya, Ek Kahani * Bal Ganesh * Drona or how Priyanka Chopra plays Elektra hiding behind Abhishek Bachchan’s paunch.
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Show published: Jul 29, 2015
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Examining the history of Indian Cricket (literally!) - all the way back from the 1900s and how today’s IPL parallels it all while taking it forward.
- An excellent read on this topic: “A Corner of a Foreign Field”
- The pre-WW 2 “Bodyline” series
- How to explain cricket to Americans
- The Ranji trophy
- The underlying topic that started it all: IPL
- The latest IPL scandal: suspending teams due to match-fixing
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