Episodes
Vidya Balan talks about her film Teen and her break from bollywood. Also, Raj gives his review of Teen. Plus Salil Acharya gives the boys the lowdown on Bollywood.
Published 01/16/23
Raj and Pablo speak to stand-up comedian Sindhu Vee on comedy in Bollywood, plus Raj gives his review of Housefull 3. Salil Acharya gives them the lowdown from Bollywood.
Published 01/16/23
Salil Acharya checks in on the latest shenanigans in Mumbai whilst Raj and Pablo review how Bollywood has fared so far this year and what's still to come!
Published 01/16/23
Every year, thousands upon thousands of struggling actors from all over the world move to the movie capital of India with dreams of becoming the next Salman Khan or Priyanka Chopra. But in an industry obsessed with star-kids, the chances of making it are slim at best. Haroon speaks to two ‘outsiders’ who have managed to crack that glass ceiling – actress Katrina Kaif and actor Sidharth Malhotra. They tell Haroon how they deal with the pressure of always having to look like a Bollywood star;...
Published 07/06/20
It takes a village to create a Hindi-film star. Behind-the-scenes, there are teams of managers and publicists working hard to create and maintain the image of the star who employs them. Working long before the star wakes and long after the star goes to bed, these people are invisible to most of us but are well-known power-players inside the industry. Haroon sits-down with Shah Rukh Khan’s former publicist Mandvi Sharma and pap-king Viral Bhayani to find out how the two sides actually work...
Published 06/29/20
Haroon sits down with one of Bollywood’s best-kept secrets – nutritionist, Dr Siddhant Bhargava. Co-founder of company Food Darzee, Dr Siddhant supplies ready-made healthy meals and eating plans to A-List stars including Alia Bhatt and Sara Ali-Khan. Haroon finds out about the extraordinary levels of discipline required to follow Dr Siddhant’s bespoke programme; how he helps actors slim-down after an indulgent holiday and also reveals some of the secretive (and unhealthy) ways stars get their...
Published 06/22/20
With streaming sites taking business from cinemas, the Hindi film industry is desperately trying to reach Gen Z who prefer to stay home and watch YouTube instead. Haroon talks to Pinkvilla’s Nayandeep Rakshit, YouTuber Prajakta Koli and PTI journalist Justin Rao about the power-shift from the star talent to content-creators. Nayandeep names the actor who gave him his worst ever interview-experience; Justin talks about what happened when footage of actress Kangna Ranaut ‘confronting’ him at a...
Published 06/08/20
While many Hindi film fans will watch any movie starring their favourite actors, others will check what the critics say before they part with their cash. Haroon meets some of India’s most celebrated reviewers – renowned critic Rajeev Masand, Film Companion’s Sucharita Tyagi and Huffington Post’s Ankur Pathak - and finds out if stars and critics can ever be friends; how they judge good from bad and hears just how disheartening they find under-whelming films regularly breaking box-office records.
Published 06/01/20
Hailing from Bollywood’s leading star family, Kareena Kapoor-Khan or Bebo as she’s affectionately known, is both a superstar and inspiration for many of her fans. She’s successfully navigated the ever-changing industry for more than two decades and managed to do what many considered impossible for a Bollywood actress – stay consistently in demand with box-office hit after hit. In the first episode of this no-holds barred podcast, Bebo looks back on her Bollywood hits like K3G and Jab We Met;...
Published 05/25/20
Asian Network’s Entertainment Reporter Haroon Rashid visits Mumbai to find out what it takes to make it as a Bollywood film star in 2020; how the industry is responding to the challenges posed by online-platforms; meets those behind-the-scenes power-players who can make and break stars and finds out what it takes to sustain a long and successful career in a place obsessed with ‘the next-big-thing.’
Published 05/20/20
Leaving Amn and Shehzaad behind, Haroon flies to Mumbai hoping to come face to face with the legend that is the Big B.
Published 04/28/20
Haroon, Shehzaad and Amn discuss Amitabh Bachchan’s genre defining films, share their personal favourites and contemplate what Hindi cinema might look like had he chosen a different path.
Published 04/20/20
It’s the millennium and Amitabh Bachchan is broke – but his good mate and director Yash Chopra gives him a role in upcoming movie Mohabbattein and in a one fell swoop, AB is back at the top - this time not as the leading man but the leading man’s father. More iconic dad-roles follow that introduce the magnificence of the Big B to a whole new generation. This on-screen rebirth also sees Mr Bachchan spreading his wings and doing roles which have changed the course of mainstream cinema.
Published 04/09/20
The 90’s weren’t kind to the Big B. After a short but unsuccessful stint in politics, he found himself competing with a new generation of actors playing college kids and mimicking versions of his earlier ‘angry young man’ years. Haroon, Amn and Shehzaad relive some films his fans believe are best forgotten and ponder what other actor could return so spectacularly with a career that appeared to be firmly in the ashes.
Published 04/06/20
In the 80’s, Amitabh left his Angry Young Man phase behind to take on some romantic roles in movies like Silsila and Kabhie Kabhie. The team discuss his romantic roles as well as talking about some of their favourite pairings with actresses like Rekha, Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman.
Published 03/30/20
The son of a poet, Allahabad-born Amitabh Bachchan landed in Mumbai with just two things – a driving license and a dream. His first part in film Saat Hindustani went unnoticed. Thirteen flops later, it took Zanjeer for Bollywood wake up to his appeal, winning him the Angry Young Man tag. With passion a plenty, Bollywood buffs Haroon, Amn and Shehzaad go right back to the beginning and talk Rajesh Khanna, that ‘scene’ in Dewaar and if Sholay would have become the world wide classic without...
Published 03/23/20
Known as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, actor Amitabh Bachchan is without a doubt, Indian cinema’s biggest ever star. 200 films later over 50 incredible years including genre defining Deewar, Sholay and Coolie, Amitabh Bachchan is without doubt The Biggest B. In this podcast, two Bachchan fans (Haroon & Amn) and one fanatic (Shehzaad!) trace his prolific career by starting at the very beginning and explain why the living legend is such a hero to twentysomething year olds.
Published 03/23/20
Kiara Advani stars in two of 2019’s biggest films but tells Haroon Rashid it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. She admits having easy access to the great and the good at the beginning but it ultimately comes down to talent. They also discuss controversial film Kabir Singh, how she’s living her dream and her exciting slate for 2020.
Published 03/13/20
Kriti Sanon tells Haroon Rashid she’s playing a surrogate mum in her next film but challenging scripts haven’t always come easily - despite starring in big films such as Heropanti and Diwale. She also reveals what she does when she knows a film is rubbish but still has to promote it!
Published 03/12/20
Kartik Aaryan is a heart throb today but it wasn’t always the case. He tells Haroon Rashid his story to stardom, how used social media to get the gigs and what it feels like to be part of Bollywood’s ‘cool gang’ today. Kartik is a self-confessed workaholic and a control freak but says it’s all part of the plan.
Published 03/11/20
Bhumi Pednekar talks to Haroon Rashid about how she’s redefining the Bollywood heroine. Since making her debut as a rejected overweight wife in 2015’s Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bhumi has developed a reputation for choosing unconventional and boundary pushing films.
Published 03/10/20
Janhvi Kapoor knows what expectation is. The daughter of legend Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor tells Haroon Rashid that she wants to earn the love for who she is. They chat about the pressures that come with life under the spotlight and how Janhvi navigates her rising star on her own terms.
Published 03/09/20
Join BBC Asian Network’s Haroon Rashid for your fix of Bollywood movie chat, big star interviews and all things Desi entertainment. From new movies to love of the classics – this is the only place to be!
Published 03/09/20
'Aashiqui' star Rahul Roy reflects on the success of the movie nearly 30 years on.
Published 11/23/19
Raj reviews 'Bala' and 'Marjaavaan' and Salil talks on Bollywood's freshest producers.
Published 11/16/19