Episodes

  • The Badass, Beat Poet of Bombay - Arun Kolatkar
    Nov 10 2023

    Arun Kolatkar is a contemporary Indian poet who straddled multiple worlds, writing in Marathi and in English - His poetry is marked by irreverence and a clear sense of badassery that is not afraid to question the status quo, and mix the profound with the profane. Kolatkar was a poet intimately familiar with the urban sprawl of Bombay, he worked in Advertising as a visualiser and also translated Bhakti Poetry into English, he used swear words in his Marathi Poetry and wrote in an unaffected, immediately recognizable style in English that marked him out as different from his predecessors and truly experimental in his approach.

    In this episode I read a few short poems from Jejuri, a cluster of 31 short poems that chronicle Kolatkar's acidic observations aboard a ST bus to a piligrim town, Jejuri. I talk about the milieu in which voices like Kolatkar flourished, how his work was counter culture, egalitarian, marked by a bold new experimental form as exemplified by the Beat Poets from an American tradition, and analyse what spaces remain for us as modern Indians seeking to chronicle our times and lives.

    Listen to this episode to learn from the life lessons of a multi-disciplinary artist, who made music, painted, and wrote poetry that was meant to shock and shake up its middle class readers out of complacency and poke at them, using humour and observational style that comes from belonging to here and there, as Kolatkar was, an intenerent flaneur poet, commenting on everything he encountered in the jumble that was India in the 60s and 70s.

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    34 mins
  • The Loss of Ghar, Parivar in 'Gamak Ghar' by Achal Mishra
    Nov 4 2023

    Gamak Ghar marks the debut of a self assured filmmaker in Achal Mishra, a young Indian filmmaker who is making his presence felt with two sensitive films back to back (Gamak Ghar and Dhuin — both rooted in a clear sense of place, in Darbhanga Bihar.) Beautifully shot by Anand Bansal, almost every frame is poetic and painstakingly put together. In this episode, I offer a feminist reading of this film that goes beyond mere nostalgia, to excavate how an Indian family changes, meeting and leaving the Village Home, or the Gamak Ghar, that has held generations of family members, traditions, and unspoken bonds together. What happens to the family home as the decades roll on from the late 90s to now, in 2019? And what does its erosion and decay say about our own changing notions of family and connection, ravaged by urbanisation, migration, and a newfound sense of materialism? Gamak Ghar invites us to explore poetic questions such as these in a gentle manner, never forcing its hand or its point. It does invoke the beauty of a bygone era but is change such a bad thing when seen from a woman's perspective? Tune into this spoiler-free episode that analyses the poetry and work that went behind Gamak Ghar, and check out theculturejasoos on Instagram for a visual essay that looks at Achal Mishra's influences, from Amit Chauduri the novelist, to Ozu and Taiwanese Filmmakers. Please consider rating the podcast so more people can find theculturejasoos.com thanks for listening! peace - Preeti

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    9 mins
  • July Baby, The Culture Jasoos in a New Avatar (With a Bouquet of Recommendations from Then and Now)
    Jul 15 2023

    The Culture Jasoos is now going to extend its tentacles to wrap around more than just one film or book in one episode. Think of the podcast as an audio newsletter that in true octopus style is interested in many things at the same time! My roving eye lands on a sports documentary on Netflix (Lift Like a Girl) is a heartwarming Egyptian feature documentary focused on a teenager weightlifter and her relationship with her coach, Coach Ramadan. I talk about a Nigerian Boxing Reality Show (Also on Netflix: AKO, African Knockout) and then remix the present and the past, to recommend a delicious True Crime Series (A Crime to Remember) on Amazon Prime (Via Investigation Discovery.)

    Breaking with the pressure to only recommend on-trend stuff (please spare me another review of Lust Stories 2 yawn) I talk about timeless, ageless cinema and artists, rewatching Satya (available on YouTube) on its 25th anniversary, and the little known origin story of one of French New Wave's greatest triumphs: Jules and Jim (By Francois Truffaut - Now playing on Mubi India.) I round out the episode with a mention of artists who inspire me and who share my bday, June babies both - Anthony Bourdain and Antoni Gaudi and why they are artistic badassery continues to live on in our midst. In a world full of easily consumable, easy to digest monuments to distraction I am thankful to find wells of replenishment that predate me and will outlive me.

    This episode was edited by www.catikoproductions.com lovingly and patiently! You can find me Preeti on www.theculturejasoos.com to listen to ad-free episodes and follow me on The Culture Jasoos on Instagram for more film analysis, recommendations and more.

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    32 mins
  • Joyland, A sensitive & searing critique of patriarchy in Pakistan
    Mar 8 2023

    'Joyland', Pakistan's official entry to the Oscars has been making waves as a 'bold,' 'barrier-breaking,' 'trans-romance.' But upon viewing I found it to be ALL of that + MORE than that. 'Joyland' works because it doesn't try to ride on the coattails of its trans character (Biba,) neither does it sermonise. It merely invites us to observe a web of relationships across an intergenerational Lahore family where everyone seems to be struggling to live up to the expectations that gender, society, age & family roles impose on them. Because it is so evenhanded in its storytelling and truthful in its observations it succeeds in winning audience hearts and our consent. I discuss how Alina Khan and Ali Junejo occupy the screens with their bodies and their silences, the Pakistani flavour of Joyland, and the strengths of the film. I also talk about a tradition of Bollywood film heroes that question ' traditional masculine ideals' on screen and discuss how the film succeeeds in transposing its audiences into the heads of its characters throughout its running time. Spoiler-free monologue.

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    24 mins
  • The Curious Case of Indian B-Grade Cinema, How 'Cinema Marte Dum Tak' Lifts the Veil Off
    Feb 15 2023

    The discreet charms of the lowbrow are endlessly fascinating precisely because this kind of art refuses to conform to society's narrow, boring definitions of 'good' and 'bad.' In this episode, I recommend 'Cinema Marte Dum Tak,' a new documentary webseries on Amazon Prime, which takes an affectionate and intelligent look at the Indian erotic horror and pulpy, low-budget film industry that thrived in the 90s. The series prompts us to take a closer look at the often arbitrary distinctions between high culture and low culture, between the respectable and the obscene, between the erotic and pure sleaze. Tune into this episode to hear my take on what this reveals about the legitimacy of male desires in an Indian cultural context, the role of women in this industry rife with exploitation, the role of censorship and what kinds of desires are OK and who gets to have them, in this episode of The Culture Jasoos.

    Watch 'Cinema Marte Dum Tak' on Amazon Prime Video in India, Superman of Malegaon on YouTube, Miss Lovely and more if you are a fan of this genre.

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    28 mins
  • The Protima Bedi School of OG Badassery & What her Masaledaar Memoir 'Timepass' can teach us today
    Feb 3 2023

    How did she do it? Defy convention and live an authentic artistic life on her own terms? Way back in 1970s India? Protima Bedi's funny and #nofilter memoir 'Timepass' chronicles the life and unconventional life choices of this model turned Odissi Dancer who managed to live a singular life while in the public gaze. Situationships, sugar daddies, non-monogamy, marriage, doing acid, seeking meaning and a house for rent as a single woman, being accepted by the traditional 'art' establishment, raising her kids alone and wrestling with her demons, Protima is the grand dame of tackling every single thing that seems to us — so very now!

    In this episode I discuss some of the themes that came up for me in reading this book, discuss the idea of 'respectability' and how much things have changed for the average Indian woman and offer reasons why you should consider reading this powerful, first person account of a woman who challenged the ideas of her time (and ours) and could very well be a Gen Z icon from way back in time. Tune in for a spoiler free freewheeling discussion on the book and the enduring appeal of Protima Bedi or Protima Gauri.

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    28 mins
  • Powered By Masculine Disinterest, 'The Worst Person In The World' A Feminist Take on the Film
    Nov 25 2022

    Joachim Trier's much-lauded 'The Worst Person In The World' takes only a passing interest in the actions of its female lead, Julie, played well by Renate Reinsve. In this spoiler-free analysis I argue that despite Reinsve's acting, the character is poorly imagined because the film's writing is powered by masculine disinterest and a Scandinavian 'clever' bloodless approach. The film appears to be reflect the concerns of older men (closer to the filmmakers in age/life-context) and doesn't really succeed in illuminating the experiences of a young, Norwegian woman who the film appears to foreground. I talk about why and how this dissonance translated itself to me as an audience. And ask if we can we put all of it down to the film merely critiquing the anxieties of this 'hyper-mediated' age? Tune in to find out. DM me on Instagram on @theculturejasoos follow me on catchingsmoke.substack.com And hit like or follow to make sure you are notified when I publish a new episode - Preeti Prakash, www.theculturejasoos.com

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    19 mins
  • Gimme More Of Monica, O My Darling
    Nov 16 2022

    Spoiler-Free review. Monica O My Darling is a fairly successful Indian Noir'ish Crime Caper, Huma Qureshi lights up the screen in it but The Culture Jasoos wishes there was more of Monica in the film and better motivations for key characters. Hear me diss Radhika Apte and the Netflix cottage industry around this overhyped OTT star, discuss what works for this film and what doesn't. We have come a distance in our portrayal of vamps but Monica O My Darling misses the sauciness and sizzle Helen and her behans championed on screen, in the 70s. Tune in for analysis and opinion, The Culture Jasoos style. Subscribe wherever you consume podcasts or on www.theculturejasoos.com. And check out my writing on Catchingsmoke.substack.com a free, weekly newsletter which is a side quest by me, Preeti Prakash.

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    21 mins