x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Podcaster: The Way We Were

The Podcaster - The Way We Were

"The Way We Were" connects the dots between the past and the present to reveal that cinema, popular culture, all forms of artistic expression, politics, and music are purveyors of ideas and impulses that reveal to us what we most need to learn about ourselves. The podcast revisits films, songs, watershed moments in art, culture, society and politics to show how a thread of continuity runs through them all and connects them inextricably to each other. Rich with nostalgia, trivia, lived anecdotes,

tv & film

All Episodes

13:08

Ep 014 - 2024: The Year of Gentlewomen

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/12/23

On this episode of 'The Way We Were', Reema looks back on 2024 - the year of gentlewomen. The triumphs of Payal Kapadia and Kiran Rao created space for cinema without male aggression. 'Laapataa Ladies' garnered a record 13.8 million views on Netflix and toppled 'Animal' in viewership ratings on Netflix, and blockbusters like 'Stree 2' and 'Kalki ' had women at the heart of their narratives. What set 'All We Imagine as Light' and 'Laapata Ladies' apart was an emphasis on kindness and humanism at a

en

10:56

Ep 013 - Does America hate women?

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/11/19

The misogyny that you once saw in crime shows, oozing from the rancid mouths of criminals, is now loud and proud. Post the US elections, two men walked onto a Texas university campus with signs that read: "Women are property". They did so because they felt empowered by the triumph of a candidate who has been accused of sexual assault; a candidate who went on to be elected twice over to the highest seat of power in the US. So, the question is how did we get here?

en

7:50

Ep 012 - Blurred Lines: Indian Cinema and the Underworld

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/10/25

The recent incidents involving a self styled mobster and Salman Khan are indicative of just how easy it is to target the industry - sometimes for money and sometimes for notoriety that is mistaken as fame.One thing, however, is very clear.The line between good and evil has been blurred decisively, on the screen and off it.

en

15:36

Ep 011 - The Writers Who Gave Hindi Cinema its Soul

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/09/27

The three-part documentary, 'Angry Young Men- The Salim Javed Story' (Amazon Prime Video) affords us an intimate glimpse into the homes and family dynamics, of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, positioning them as the only definitive voices of Hindi cinema. But let's not forget the other writers who came before them. Writers like Rajinder Singh Bedi, Abrar Alvi, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas and Rahi Masoom Raza who not only enriched Hindi cinema but also gave us a nuanced vocabulary to discuss love, loss,

en

13:28

Ep 010 - Women deserve better. In life and in fiction.

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/08/23

The message is clear - women are disposable; even in fiction. Most crime shows open with the dead body of a woman. Extending that list are hugely popular shows on serial killers who target women. There are multiple documentaries and shows, for example, on Ted Bundy. Everyone remembers him. Nobody remembers his victims.Rarely though, some films and shows get it right. Dijo Jose Antony's 2022 film "Jana Gana Mana" delves into not just a gender crime but the reasons behind it. And, the 2019 Netflix

en

8:42

Ep 009 - Where We Are Today : Lessons from 'Judgement...

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/07/26

Relentless wars, famine, extreme weather events, falling bridges and surprising election results in major democracies. Are we seeing the emergence of a new world order? Is there any difference in the way we were and the way we are? Do we truly learn from the past?The 1961 Academy Award-winning film, 'Judgment at Nuremberg' is not just about the aftermath of the Holocaust but the reasons for a total loss of empathy; a cautionary tale for all democracies. And the harm propaganda can unleash upon

en

10:05

Ep 008 - From Benegal to Payal Kapadia: India's Big...

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/06/21

This year history was made when filmmaker Payal Kapadia became the first person from India to clinch the prestigious Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. In 1946, Neecha Nagar by Chetan Anand, had also shared top honours at the first Cannes Film Festival and pioneered social realism in Indian cinema. From what we know, Payal's film also furthers this engagement with lived realities of the unseen and the unheard. Cannes this year also screened a gloriously restored 1976 Shyam Benegal classic

en

11:17

Ep 007 - How Kiran Rao rewrote women in Hindi cinema

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/05/24

Laapataa Ladies' title is perhaps indicative of the absence of women in male-centric mainstream entertainment. Of women who are not just decorative, pliant, seductive or suffering endlessly to justify their prominence in a narrative. If you want to see how differently men and women portray female characters , watch Imtiaz Ali's 'She' and Maria Schrader's 'She Said.' The woman in 'She' is a manipulated, sexualised, brutalised being who finds her power in seduction and 'She Said' is the real story of

en

11:04

Ep 006 - The Child Stars Who Forgot to Twinkle

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2024/01/05

Deepa Bhatia's insightful Amazon Prime series 'First Act' is not an easy watch, especially if you are a parent. But it lays bare before you just how twisted the pursuit of fame can be and how cruel it is to children who are denied the simple luxury of childhood and the joy of playing with blocks without being interrupted.

en

19:48

Ep 005 - How SRK Conquered More Than the Box Office...

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2023/12/14

2023 was the year of SRK. He started it with 'Pathaan', and followed it up in September with 'Jawaan', both members of the 1000 crore club. With his third film 'Dunki', set for release on December 21st, he may just put a massive bow on what promises to be his most successful year in show business. At the age of 58, he has reinvented himself as an action hero who, unlike 'Animal's' heedless killing machine, has a larger purpose. To save the idea of India perhaps? Or remind us that we are more than

en

19:27

Ep 004 - Is Bollywood dead?

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2022/12/12

Is Bollywood dead? Those asking this question should also ask if India as we knew it, is alive? As a film-loving audience, are we willing to sit in the same space, together, and laugh at and cry for the same things? Are our villains and heroes the same?Is our idea of good and evil composite or fragmented? Cinema is primarily about reflecting who we are and the times we live in and if it no longer brings us joy, let's also ask ourselves why India ranks 136th in the World Happiness Report 2022.

en

15:42

Ep 003 - The Futility of #MeToo

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2022/11/01

As Sajid Khan's participation in Bigg Boss kicks up some dust , writer Reema Moudgil argues that the rehabilitation of men who were called out during the short-lived #MeToo movement began a long time ago. Because really, when has male privilege not been protected in the industry?We can't really pretend to be shocked that what Sajid Khan allegedly did to nine women is slowly but surely being erased from our memories on Big Boss. What Sajid Khan and even we have displayed is learnt behaviour.We

en

20:27

Ep 002 - Amitabh Bachchan turns 80

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2022/10/21

As Amitabh Bachchan turns 80, writer Reema Moudgil looks back at the reasons that made him more than just an actor. He was our rage and conflict and angst and sublimation, our pride and joy. On the shoulders of characters primarily created by Salim-Javed and Kadar Khan, Amitabh Bachchan stood tall to become the “lambu,” the country came to look up to and love unreasonably, selflessly. But did he ever realize what he meant to us? Was he ever anything more than just a really good actor who always

en

17:23

Ep 001 - “Blonde, and what it tells us about women”

The Podcaster: The Way We Were ·

2022/10/11

Writer and journalist Reema Moudgil watched Blonde recently. As she saw Norma Jean Baker turn into Marilyn Monroe, she couldn’t help but notice that Hollywood has always preyed on (and profited from) women’s vulnerabilities. But then again, art imitates life. Listen as Reema takes you through her thoughts on show business, power, violence and the place of women in it all.

en

14 results

Similar Podcasts

Scoop Viewfinder

Gene Viewfinder

IGN Movie Reviews

IGN

The Adam Friedland Show Podcast

The Adam Friedland Show

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Love Island: The Morning After

Lifted Entertainment part of ITV Studios