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Picture Shuru

Varun Oak-Bhakay 7 Episodes Nov 9, 2025

Picture Shuru is a podcast about cinema and the moving image, exploring both the films and shows that dominate popular culture and the more niche corners of the medium. Host Varun Oak-Bhakay, a writer and film critic, talks with the people who make films and looks at the broader world that surrounds them. The show is designed to be accessible to casual viewers and obsessive cinephiles alike, asking why films and series consume us the way they do. Episodes mix discussion of mainstream releases with lesser-known work, always with an emphasis on the human side of filmmaking.

Episodes

Rearview: Farah Khan Nov 9, 2025 04:40:46 On the eighteenth anniversary of the release of Om Shanti Om, I am joined by returning guest (to the point of exhaustion) Dhruv Krishna Goyal and philosopher-turned-Farah Khan scholar Cris to talk about the four films made by Khan: Main Hoon Na [2004], Om Shanti Om [2007], Tees Maar Khan [2010], and Happy New Year [2014]. We mull over the joyful cinephilia of her cinema, the details etched within

The Intellectual Property Conundrum Jan 9, 2025 03:54:56 Almost every film today is part of some universe or the other. You can no longer watch a film and just be done with it: the viewer must now prepare to watch a film like the homework they were assigned in school, gobbling up the back-catalogue to better inform themselves about a film. Even stories that appear to have ended have sequels and prequels and what not.As Paddington in Peru commences its i

The Biopic Bubble Apr 6, 2024 03:34:39 Just why are so many biopics made by the Hindi film industry? Are they bereft of new and original stories to tell? Or do they think riding the wave since Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a wise course of action? Or is there a genuine desire to tell these "true" stories? With the release of Amar Singh Chamkila, Imtiaz Ali's biopic of the iconic Punjabi musician, a week away, it felt like a good

Bollywood at War Jan 15, 2024 04:48:10 I remember telling myself before recording this episode that come what may, there was no chance in hell the conversation could get longer than a JP Dutta war film. I now stand corrected. On the occasion of Army Day, I am in conversation with fellow film buff and fellow former Armed Forces aspirant Sanjeet Singh, and we're talking about ten Hindi films that depict war, our views on each, and so

Rearview: Sriram Raghavan Jan 14, 2024 02:07:44 Since a new Sriram Raghavan feature (Merry Christmas) has hit screens, and another one is already in production, it felt like a good time to look back at the filmmaker’s previous work: Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddaar, Agent Vinod, Badlapur, and Andhadhun. With me are cinema writers/podcasters Amartya Acharya and Aryan Vyas, both of whom enjoy Raghavan's cinema as much I do! Here’s hoping you enj

The Return of the King Jan 6, 2024 02:07:16 Shah Rukh Khan finally returned to theatres after an absence of four years, and perhaps to make up for lost time, audiences got not one or two but three films headlined by him in 2023: Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki.And so, for the inaugural episode of this podcast, I thought it’d be a good idea to talk about Shah Rukh, the year he had, and just how much of it is an actual return to form.Joining me are

Picture Shuru: A Trailer Jan 5, 2024 00:02:10 Introducing Picture Shuru! I'm Varun, and among the many things that have my interest in life, films and other forms of moving pictures form one component. I have written on the subject for a while, and thought the time was ripe to use my literal voice to do more of the same. The first episode –The Return of the King – drops on the 6th of January 2024 at 1000h Indian Standard Time. You are

Picture Shuru

Episodes

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