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E28: YJHD is broken. It's two films. Theme makes it one movie. · Breakdown Besties | Bollywood Screenwriting Podcast

• Akshay: when I watched this movie for the first time, I was so upset. Like I hated this movie to my Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: core Ananya: the opening lines of this film Akshay: Yeah, for this come Ananya: essentially the worst opening dialogues I have heard. Akshay: question was, can you really have it all? No, you Because you want to have Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: it all, somebody you love will die. Ananya: falling in love is taking a risk, Akshay: correct. Ananya: which is what she finally allows herself to do here. Akshay: It is two films. It is proper two films. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: It's two coming of age films put in one film. Ananya: that's a good performance on Deepika Padukone's part because you can see that inner school girl of hers come out Akshay: Yeah, props to this film because I think the time it came, it did something move culture. Ananya: this is the problem with good filmmaking and bad intentions is that you can Akshay: Yeah Ananya: convince people of your bad intentions. Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Breakdown Besties Podcast. I'm Ananya. Akshay: I'm Akshay Ananya: And together, we are your Breakdown Besties. Combined, we have more than 14 years of experience writing for shows like Mismatched, Wedding.con, Ishq in the Air, Rana Naidu, Grahan and a host of others that have gotten stuck in development hell but will hopefully see the light of day one day. With the Breakdown Besties podcast, our goal is to give you a film school experience where essentially what you do is watch a bunch of phenomenal and sometimes not so phenomenal movies understand what's going on in the story, screenplay, dialogue, themes, etc. Break them down and then copy all those tips and tricks with your original art on top into your own screenplays so that you can be writing your own phenomenal iconic Bollywood films too. And today the film that we are going to be breaking down is a 2013 crowd and personal favourite Which is Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani written by Ayaan Mukherjee and Hussain Dalal who was only 21 at the time of writing it and hence his name is in the credit slate so late. Fun fact by Akshay which is Akshay: Yeah Ananya: something to be cognizant of right as a writer that youth is against you. They keep saying we want young people's stories. We want young people's stories but when young people actually write them cool come last. Bye. Akshay: We'll give you 20th credit slate. Especially for a movie Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: like this, which is like so good on dialogue, right? Like the movie works on dialogue. Ananya: Exactly. Story and dialogue. There's no real screenplay. Okay, so let's dive in by getting into the log line as we always do. So what is your log line? Your log line is your film's guiding light. And you sometimes really need one because much like this movie, writing a movie is also like camping where you get lost and you can't see the forest with the trees. And then you need a light to be like-- actually what you need is a helicopter to be able to see it from the top, but Now we're going with guiding light. So let's go with guiding light. The logline line is your helicopter. In Akshay: vlog line is your helicopter i guess Ananya: episode number 27, we're changing it. It feels wrong. listen, guys, we're open to evolution. This is why we're great writers. We do a lot of Akshay: Yeah. Yeah! Ananya: rewriting. We're open to like changing our thought process even 27 episodes in. So your log line is your helicopter. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, it's a cool catchphrase also. Ananya: because it allows you to see clearly to get a bird's eye vision on what your film is especially when you're like on page 76 and you're wondering deep into a scene that why am I even writing the scene what is the point of it your logline will tell you that because it contains four essential elements which drive the foundation of your film it allows you to ensure that everything is rounded and complete and what are these four elements the first is your flaw, limitation, block or wound. This is something within the character. It's a character trait or it's a character trait that doesn't essentially allow you to go and achieve element number two, which is your goal. Goal Akshay: Ugh. Ananya: is the whole point your audience is in their seat. They want to come along on a journey and the goal is what they will achieve at the end of the journey. Number three is conflict. Your conflict is an external manifestation of your internal flaw, wound, block or need. Basically, if your flaw is that you're a coward, your conflict will be the fact that you're constantly facing a lion and that lion is challenging you to overcome your cowardice and actually fight him instead of running away from him. This is your story engine. While people are there to watch you achieve your goal, the journey has to be full of conflicts because otherwise, no one will watch it. And finally, you have stakes. What are stakes? Stakes are what your character will lose should they not achieve their goal. It is not simply not achieving their goal. It is going one level lower than that. Now, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani... while being a great film is actually two films. Akshay: It is two films. It is proper two films. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: It's two coming of age films put in one film. Ananya: They are loosely connected by one thematic thread. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: But otherwise the first half and the second half, like you could enter in the interval and still have a well-rounded complete experience. Akshay: Yeah, or you could leave in the interval and still feel like you had a great movie. Ananya: Great! So now that we're aligned on that and hopefully all of you viewers are too, let's get on with the log lines, plural, of these films. So the log line of part one that I have is, a self-conscious nerd decides to go on a trek with the cool kid she went to school with to finally experience life. Akshay: Yeah, that's great. Ananya: Right. Akshay: Yeah, it is that. It is just that. Yeah. Ananya: Just that, yeah. So the elements are, the first is the limitation or need or block, which is that she's a self-conscious nerd. Like she doesn't trust in herself, she's very kitabi-kida, she's never really done anything interesting, she follows the rules of society, that sort of thing. Akshay: So She's introverted, hard to make friends for her, stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: and yeah, uptight, all of that. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Those things are holding her back from the goal which is experiencing life. So, isko khulke jeena seekhna hai or dekhna hai, at least. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: And then the conflict is that she is going on a trek with the cool kids. So, cool kids automatically mean they are more chill, they are more ready to experience life, she won't be as accepted. anyway yeah Akshay: Listen, but tell me in this log line, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: do we need to somewhere put in that on this trek she falls in love with somebody like or is she experience but that's part of experiencing life. So I get that. Yeah. Ananya: Experiencing life, yeah. That's why, even when I was doing the hero's journey, I was wondering, I'm like, what is it? And I'm like, it's not just about, you know, doing something cool, like summiting Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: a mountain. It is about feeling the full range of your feelings, like taking a risk, right? And falling in love is taking a risk, which is what she Akshay: Yeah, correct. Ananya: finally allows herself to do here. So Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: it falls under the general umbrella of that. Akshay: Yeah, correct. Yeah Ananya: You know what I'm Akshay: fair enough Ananya: And I don't think there are stakes. mean, the stakes are again, you don't get to experience your full potential as a human being and you don't realise who you can be. So which we've talked about in Fashion and internal stakes. Akshay: attention yeah yeah it's an internal stake yeah yeah Ananya: And then the logline of second part of the film. Here's what I have. A globetrotting travel journalist returns to India to attend his friend's wedding only to be confronted with the consequences of leaving everyone he loves. Akshay: Dramatic. Yeah. Ananya: Hahaha! I thought about this. First I thought maybe there isn't a logline to the second half. Akshay: Yeah. No, no, it does. Hmm, yeah. Yeah, story engine. Yeah. Yeah. So, Ananya: And then as a result of being in that world, he Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: interacts with everyone from his past who he has left behind and he sees the consequences of it. Right? Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Correct. Yeah. Ananya: So again, the conflict, I mean, the flaw is that, or the limitation is that he's a globe-trotting travel journalist. He lays no roots, he makes no real attachments, no connections. He's very peripatetic. Peripatetic, who says that? Anyway. Akshay: Okay. Ananya: Goal is that he wants to attend his friend's wedding, right? And the conflict is that the consequences of leaving everyone he loves behind because Akshay: behind it. Yeah. Ananya: he is perpatetic and these people are stationary. So the clash of the two worlds is essentially what's happening. And again, the stakes are internal that he has nothing to lose really. Though Akshay: Yeah, yeah Ananya: later on it builds where he will lose Deepika Padukone should he not Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: you know, go after it, but that ends also ends up becoming the goal. So I don't know. Akshay: Yeah, the the stake becomes that again, like now these people who is he's met, if like he never Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: reconciles with them, like he'll permanently lose these people. Right. Like so Ananya: You lose them. Yeah. Akshay: that becomes the thing. Ananya: And I think it's that awareness, right? Like, when he was globetrotting, it's essentially escapism. So you don't even realise what you've left behind. But Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: now that he's come back to this world, he has an awareness. So he has Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: to travel with the emotional weight of that the rest of his life. And that awareness Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: is taking him one level lower. That... Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Okay, now... This is what I've messed up. Akshay: Yeah, but you know, like it's not done in so many words. I feel like Ananya: Mm-hmm. Akshay: had his father not died, like he wouldn't have these realizations, right? Like he Ananya: For sure, for sure. Akshay: could probably be like, whatever, like he could have gone Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: for Deepika not gone. But before that, I don't think in Bunny's life he would have felt that way. Ananya: Absolutely not. needed, from the plot perspective, story perspective, he had to, his father had to die. Otherwise, a change of this magnitude is not possible by just falling in love. Yeah, we'd be like, itna bhi him. Exactly. We're like, itna Akshay: Right. Possible. Love. Exactly. Yeah. Especially for a character like him. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: kya matlab, do baar mile ho life mein, ek trek pe aur ek yaha, you've clearly not been in touch. And uske baad wo shaadi propose kar deta hai. Matlab in the last Akshay: Yeah Ananya: scene, it's not even just like, okay, let's give this relationship a shot. Akshay: Yeah, yeah. Ananya: It's like, will marry you. So that was just very, I'm like for that to land, they had to be like, okay, your father has died and they have a, actually that's Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: the best relationship of the movie, right? Ranbir and his father, Bunny and his father. That Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: is the most real relationship. It is complex. Cool! Let's go on with the hero's journey. Akshay: Let's do it. Ananya: What is your hero's journey? Akshay Jhunjhunwala: Are you mad? Are you mad about a video being interrupted? Then do as I say, okay? There's a link in the description. Click on it. Now what is it? It's a survey we're taking where we're asking all of your screenwriting challenges, what are your problems? Where would you like more help? And we will ensure that we focus on them on priority. So yeah, stop being selfish, man. Just help us. And in turn, help everyone who watches our content. Okay, now back to the video. Ananya: Your hero's journey is the structural spine of your film. Why do I say that? Because it's a journey everyone goes on when they go set out to do something new in their lives to achieve a goal that they haven't yet achieved. Whether it's the character of your film or you as a person who is living. When you decide that, You are not just going on a journey of achieving that goal. You are going on a journey of becoming the person who can achieve that goal. And it is this identity transition, this character arc that you're going to embark on, which has certain steps which we've all gone through, usually kind of out of order. But because a film is a two hour long cohesive experience, that in a very specific order to give your audience an emotional journey, which they can get on board with and when you go on this journey, you're going to meet certain people who will mentor you, will meet people who will challenge you, people who will be your enemies, you're going to have to slay the dragons which are within and without. You're going to be like, no, I can't do this. All of these things are only natural to any journey to achieving something new. And your hero's journey simply codifies it into a format that you can cross-reference your script against to make sure that your audience is meeting all these emotional experiences that they have signed up for. So because we have two films, we also have two hero's journeys over here. Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: So I'll begin with the hero's journey of the first part of the film. We start with the ordinary world. The ordinary world is the world in which you establish what your character's current circumstances are, who they are, where they exist, why they are the way they are, what they're going after. And when this is all taking place, the five W's essentially. You see why they haven't gone after their goal yet and what is stopping them, what their flaw is. This is the main expectation of the audience to be met within the ordinary world. Over here you meet Deepika Padukone's character and what I really liked about this movie is that, you know, sure you have your cold open of, you know, like the wedding favors being distributed, Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: but it opens in a grocery store. Akshay: Yeah, yeah Ananya: Like that's how mundane the world is of Deepika Padukone. Akshay: You know, that's why they must have opened the movie with that wedding sequence because somebody would have been like, this is a commercial film, you can't do this, you know. Ananya: Hmm. Hmm. Akshay: We can't give Deepika this boring entry. Ananya: Yeah. But bro, like side note, digression is that the opening lines of this film are essentially the worst opening dialogues I have heard. Akshay: Yeah, for this come yeah, I know Ananya: yeah. Yeah, Forrest Gump, but also terrible. At least life is like a box of chocolates because of the way Forrest Gump's character is. He is a fuddu na thoda, like for all intents and purposes. So that analogy Akshay: Yeah. Yeah, correct. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ananya: works. It's a second-grade analogy. It's fine. What is this? Yadon ke kamre mein khidki khol lete hai. Like what? Then it, and the first half ends with, bas ye yadon ka suitcase rahe jata hai. Like Hussain, Akshay: yeah, yeah. Doh, man. Ananya: I'm sure Hussain Dalal did not write this. Okay, this was like someone in the edit usko matlab na, haan, they musn't have offered him any money to write on the dub. So he's like, I'm not writing this dialogue. Akshay: Yeah, force feeding. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: So some intern who has never like stepped out of South Bombay was sitting there writing like what could this be? He was on his summer break from USC and writing these dialogues. Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. yeah like they're like Ananya: Nonsense. Akshay: What what can be travel motifs, okay suitcase okay like Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: yes Ananya: And what does feeling trapped feel like? In the first half of the movie she's trapped so kamra, kamra and then you open the window. God! Akshay: Camera, Window, Yeah! It's like you know can do this exercise with chat GPT like you can be like like a trip is like when your camera's film gets over. Whatever know anything Ananya: Hahaha! Akshay: can happen. Your album gets filled. Your power bank runs out. You know? Ananya: Exactly. God. But yeah, the ordinary word. Akshay: Yeah, because this is for sure an edit call. I can tell you like Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: This started in the grocery store, but it had Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: to be like, we can't start a film like this. We need to give it the grand Ananya: Mm-hmm. Akshay: opening, which it deserves. So let's do it nonlinear and then do it like this. Or maybe it could Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: have been a final script call because they had to shoot that first Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: sequence in a certain way, whatever. But, Ananya: Yeah, yeah. Akshay: yeah, that's what had happened. Ananya: Yeah. Okay, so you see in this sequence that Deepika Padukone is a medical student. She is meeting her parents' expectations all the time. She's clearly been raised in a family where doing anything out of the ordinary, like doing arts is like bad, dumb, all of that. Akshay: oven. Yeah Ananya: Frowned upon and hanging out with boys gets you pregnant so she says that that was very Mean Girls like that Coach Carr you have sex you will get pregnant and die like the mom gave the same vibes Akshay: Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Ananya: "If girls start having too much fun, they get pregnant." It was funny the delivery was 10 on 10 Akshay: I laughed. She is She is damn good yaar. Dolly Ahluwalia. Ananya: Yeah, really good. Yeah. Then you have your call to action. Your call to action is essentially the moment when you are said that come, come achieve your goal. Here's a chance to do it. You're being beckoned. You're being called to take action towards your goal. So over here, as we've discussed in several films, there are a couple of call to action moments. They all overlap with one another. Like your ordinary world is still going on when she's still being called to action. The first Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: is Kalki's character leaves her pamphlet behind at the grocery store check out for the hike that they're going on. Right. Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: And Deepika Padukone sees it. And the next is she's also doing research with her dog about the hike. Those are all her being called to take action. Your next stage is the refusal of the call. This is when you're like, can I even do this? This is dumb. Like, or someone else is telling you, bro, this is dumb. Don't do this. So this is when Deepika has decided to go. She goes to Bombay Central and she's about to get onto the train. And there are Akshay: Board the hub, yeah. Ananya: two refusals that I saw here. One is like the trek leader being all no berths are available. And the second is she's like, mai train pe chadu ya nahi chadu. Right? And in both these places, you meet the mentor. Your mentor is the person who has been on this journey before and says that, okay, if your goal is to slay the dragon, I will give you the tools to do this. And Bunny really is the mentor character for Deepika's coming of age over here. He's showing her that, yeah, I live like this, you learn. Right? Akshay: Fully. Fully. Yeah. Ananya: So he says, don't worry, we'll share this berth. And also like to, like when you, when the train is leaving, he's like, come on, it'll be an experience of a lifetime. Like, let's do this. I Akshay: Yeah, Ananya: think I was looking at this and I'm like, Ranbir overacted here. Like the look Akshay: Yeah Ananya: on his face when he's just like, come on, it'll be an experience of a lifetime. I'm just like, bro you're convincing her to go on a trek, not give you a kidney. I'm like what are those eyes? Calm down. So... Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. A little he goes overboard, for sure. For sure. Ananya: Definitely. Yeah. And then you have crossing the threshold when they literally get onto the chalti hui train and Deepika is like cannot get off. This is my life. Like I am doing this trek Right? Crossing the Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: threshold is essentially when you take a... Definitive step into your new world. You take an action and you reach a point of no return where you're like, now there is no going back. The door behind me is shut. I'm in this new world. Then you have tests, allies, and enemies. This is the phase in your hero's journey where you're getting a sense of the land, lay of the new land that you're in. What are the challenges you're going to face? Who are going to be your friends during this phase? What are the enemies you're going to encounter? And over here, this is the lion's share of the film, which is the first half of the film, which is from playing Never Have I Ever on the train all the way to getting to the trek to seeing how she's the odd one out. All of this is the tests, allies, and enemies- her discovering Akshay: enemies. Ananya: what being on a trek with these people entails like fighting with the villagers, being part of the cool kids gang, integrating herself, all of that. Right? Akshay: Yeah. All of that. Yeah. Ananya: And then at the end of this sequence, you're introduced to Bhuta Pahad, which is essentially a haunted mount summit, which nobody goes to because they're scared. Right? And then you have the approach to the innermost cave. Your innermost cave, if your goal is to slay the dragon, your dragon is in your innermost cave and then you approach it. This is when you go and slay the dragon. Now for Deepika's character, it is doing something that no one would do because she really wants to experience life, right? Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: So for her, this is like, okay, I will climb Bhuta Pahad. And she's like, she says, okay, there is a temple there. If there is, then I also to ask for something. Akshay: not yet. Yeah. Ananya: So she's like, okay, that is her excuse. But she actually is enjoying the thrill now. Of you know doing Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: these things which she's never done before. Akshay: Yeah, Ananya: Right? Akshay: I also think a component Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: of Approach to the Innermost Cave is also her falling in love with Ranbir Kapoor's character, which is that whole Ananya: Okay. Akshay: track of Subhanallah. She is Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: experiencing life which she never thought would have. So I do think that's Ananya: life. Yeah, for sure. Akshay: a very important part of the Approach to the Innermost Cave. And it's Ananya: unless you're Akshay: great because it's not intertwined. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: That it's not that he makes her go to the Pahad, she goes there herself and it's not Ananya: Huh. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: the other way around also. So like it's Ananya: Also, yep. Akshay: not like she'll go because he wants to go. No, it's fully independent, which I really like about her track. Ananya: Absolutely, for sure. So when you say falling in love, I get it, throughout she is, there are those beats of her looking at him and him flirting. He is a charmer, that is his character. He also Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: says, flirting is like yoga, it's good for health like doing yoga. So, Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: but when we're talking about the ordeal, so for me, the ordeal was when she decides to climb and then she scares Ranbir Kapoor's character. And they both sit down and they have that Akshay: Hello. Ananya: conversation where he for some reason is carrying that heavy duty bloody scrapbook Akshay: Grab a book. Ananya: on a mountain. And she's carrying that immunology textbook. I'm like have you ever actually done a hike? There is so much suspension of disbelief that if you're someone who actually hikes you'll be like I cannot like I cannot get with this Akshay: First of all, making a scrapbook itself is problematic. I would never be proud. Ananya: And that wall they had behind him in his bedroom. I'm like this is so extra like production design like I get it you want to show he's a globetrotter but thoda toh matlab nuance laao. Nahi nahi sab ka picture chitka do. Easiest. There was no thought behind that. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's so notorious. Yeah, there's all these things. Ananya: Yeah. But so the ordeal for me began when you know, so she decided she's going to climb this thing, she starts on Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: her climb, but then she meets Ranbir's character there. And when he shows her that scrapbook, it's like she realizes how much more there is to life and how much like she's not going to really experience. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ananya: Like it's like the ordeal for there is this almost mental sort of like, wow, like opening Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: the can of worms of what lies ahead like it's Pandora's box right so that Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah Ananya: felt like the ordeal to me and her realizing that she's also falling in love because there's this moment here right where she's like i think this is when it happens when she says that you'd never even say hi to me in school. Akshay: Yeah, yeah Ananya: Like there, that's a good performance on Deepika Padukone's part because you can see that inner school girl of hers come out and it is phenomenal and she Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Ananya: realises that, man, I am falling for this life. It's not just about achieving this one goal. It's about living this life of Akshay: Yeah Ananya: adventure and experience. You know, it's not a one and done situation and that is her ordeal there that, God. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, totally. I'm totally on board with that. Like that's what I wrote for this also that realizing that how big this life is and like she will never be able to like Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: get the full out of it anyway and like she will have to be compromising Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: in some way, you know, at some or the other Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: time and it crystallized when like when they're both climbing the final leg of the mountain Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: and as there was some line which I forgot the exact of it which was like he wanted to see the world faster than we could run up that mountain. Ananya: Yeah, yeah. Akshay: When it comes to the one about her personal journey, but also in this relationship, she maybe like Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Akshay: now realizes that are we good or not? Like, I don't think so. You know, we will not be on the same page. She's still hopeful. She's still hopeful for sure, for sure. But Ananya: Hmm. Yeah, but she's hopeful. But she's hopeful. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: still. I always felt this was a very small, nuanced ordeal anyway. It wasn't Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: like a very big one, but it totally Ananya: No. Akshay: tracks like the emotional nature of ordeal totally tracks here. Yeah. Ananya: The tracks, absolutely. Yeah, they hit the emotional beat. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: And the reward is them summiting Bhuta Pahad and like them Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: there's a shot of them holding hands as they summit. And there's the reward. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah Ananya: Then you have the way back. The way back is when you're making your journey back but your road is full of thieves who want to take it away from you. This is Balam Pichkari. There's Akshay: Yeah, this is Balam Pachkari. Yeah. Ananya: no real... conflict there. In fact, is Ranbir looking at her and being all, my God, she's suddenly sexy because she wears shorts and removes her like glasses. Chashmish. Who's Chashmish? This is the Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Ananya: fatal flaw of all these movies, right? Like Sandra Bullock suddenly becomes Miss Congeniality. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: I'm like the body was always there, bro. Like they were always sexy. Yeah. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, they always sexy. Yeah Ananya: So, that is your way back and the way back continues all the way to Deepika going and telling Ranbir that I want to talk to you about something, I have something to tell you. And that, in my opinion, is the fact that, you know, I think if Ranbir hadn't been going to Chicago, okay, Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: this would have almost been her saying that I am ready for a life where I get to experience everything. This is what she was saying, that she almost believed it. You know, like this is a problem I have with... Deepika's... well, not problem, but that she does not have an arc in this film. She stays the same. She has this one experience, I think, where she says that, okay, you know, I will, I experienced this life. But then she goes back to being her normal self. There is no change in her character. Even Akshay: Yeah, yeah, Yeah. Ananya: the closing of the first half of this film is that yado ka suitcase. So it's like, I will take these memories with me, but I am not changing. This didn't impact the way she lived her life. Akshay: Yeah, yeah. Ananya: But she wanted it too, which is why she was going to tell Ranbir that I'm in love with you. But when he says that I'm going to Chicago, which Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: is the lowest point of the way back, where she essentially dies, all her dreams die, she's like, okay, itna bada change toh like there is no way to make this happen. So Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: in fact, she doesn't resurrect and there is no return with the elixir for her. For her it's Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: like, okay, I am here. Akshay: Yeah, no, I do think there is a return with the elixir which is like, she Ananya: Mm-hmm. Akshay: does acknowledge that maybe like, I won't get to live his life or the life with him Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: or my life on that magnitude. But I definitely Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: am slightly different. Like it's not 100 % arc, which is like I'm not going to be Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: but you can see the lightness in her body, you know, like her body. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: Like even in the second half, there is no major change in her life. But there is lightness, like she has ease in her body. And also Ananya: Mm-hmm. Lightness. Akshay: the fact that she was flirting with Rana and whatever, you know, like she was, yeah, allowing herself Ananya: Hmm, yeah, yeah, Yeah. Akshay: to have those experiences again, you know, so, Ananya: again. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: so definitely opened her up as a person. It wasn't like Ananya: person. Akshay: a physical transformation or just like large Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: like load which has been lifted off her or pushed on her. But I definitely Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: think that is a little, some nuance has changed in her brain chemistry. Ananya: Yeah, yeah. It definitely gave her food for thought, I think. But also, Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: I think becoming less uptight is also a function Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: of age, right? Because the first two halves, they're separated by eight years. You're a whole new person in eight years. Akshay: Of course. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, correct. Ananya: So, like, by that point, she should have learned to flirt with a boy. Like, whether or Akshay: Yeah, fair. Ananya: not she had met Ranbir's character. I would expect that by the time you're 30 years old now you know how to flirt with someone, especially when you have those abs. Akshay: Yeah. Correct. But I feel like she must have done sooner in the movie because she met him. You know, we don't know the other people who might have flirted with her and she might have flirted with. Ananya: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She downloaded Tinder essentially, like after when we left. Akshay: Yeah, essentially. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: Cool, so that is your first hero's right? Deepika's hero's journey, yeah. Akshay: The Pika Zeroes Journey, Naina Zeroes Journey. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: Now your second one is with Ranbir. Now over here you see his ordinary world which is that he's traveling, he's a travel journalist, he's all over the place, globetrotting, has one of those, like you called them in our first episode in Band Baja Bharat, you said one of those career propaganda. Akshay: My god yes, career propaganda, it is! Ananya: These jobs don't exist. You see them only in montage sequences because they cut Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: out all the actual grueling bits. Where they are rigging, can't see anything, falling, permits. Akshay: I any payment I'm you know? All this. When you have a credit period of 45-50 days, business working days. Yeah. And again, this Ananya: Yeah. Jesus. Yeah. Don't worry. So he's doing. Akshay: This beat is the song, Ilahi essentially. Like the full Ilahi is his ordinary word. Yeah. Ananya: Then you have the call to action, which is the video from Kalki. She's like, Akshay: Huh. Ananya: bhai aaja meri shaadi mein, I'm sending you all the sexy, sexy photos taki thoda toh attention de mujhe. Which was a good detail because it foreshadows what Avi later says that she toh has no f**ks to give about this relationship only. She knows that your attention needs to be khichod, nahi toh tu nahi dega, so she's given up. Akshay: Correct. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: And then... There is no refusal of the call or meeting the mentor. He just arrives. Akshay: I felt like this scene kind of did all of it a little bit like it had a graph because she says in the Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: refusal that I know you don't like coming to India, you won't come. So again, Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Akshay: she herself refuses like the arc of the scene is such that it does all these three things and mentor Ananya: Hmm. Correct. Akshay: is that because she becomes the mentor like structural mentor that like come for me, just you know so it's that. Ananya: content. Yeah. Perfect. Perfect. Correct. Yeah. And crossing the threshold is Battameez Dil. Akshay: Yes, Battameez Dil, correct. I feel this is a Ananya: You're a liar. Akshay: good screenwriting tip for Indian commercial movies. You can plot some of your hero's journeys beats in songs. Ananya: Yeah. Hmm. Songs. Akshay: And there too many of them. If you have... First hero's journey, I thought Subhanallah was approach to the innermost cave because she was falling Ananya: Hmm Akshay: in love, road back is Balam Pichkari. In part Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: two, there's Battameez Dil which is yours Crossing the threshold, Ilahi which is your ordinary world. Then they also Ananya: ordinary world. Yeah. Akshay: have the separation montage, which your Kabira and all that, comes like for your later way back. Yeah, exactly. So you can do that. That's a good tip to remember. You can do that. Ananya: Yeah, the way back. Yeah. Yeah, that's actually a really good one as it has to embody the emotion of the beat and you can get this you can do this. Yeah. Very cool. Nice. Akshay: beat. Yeah. I realized just while doing this because I'm like, all these songs are like so related to like the beats. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: Yeah! Yeah, the beats. Nice, nice. Yeah. Which is what the songs are supposed to do, right? They're supposed to ideally take your story forward. When you don't have conflict. Like even when you see the separation montage, which is Kabira, right? In the way back here. It's because it's constantly sad. It's not punctuated by happiness. When you have Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: to go into complexity, it cuts to a scene. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Right? conflict. Yeah. And emotion is the beat. Yeah. The beat. So, yes. Akshay: So, and it carries the same sur, which is the same emotion. So hence they can fit well into a song. Yeah. Ananya: Then you have tests, allies, and enemies, which is the longest sequence of this film, which is the entire wedding prep all the way from them after Battameez Dil to them like doing the Haldi to the Sangeet where they have Dilliwali Girlfriend to even Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: him and Deepika hanging out and going to all those different places and all of that. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Where you have Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: the scene of, you know, like, let's watch the sunset. And then Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: he tells her that I missed my dad's funeral because I was on a hike and I didn't have signal. Akshay: Yeah, Ananya: And then she sleeps on his shoulder. I'm like, bro, you should be comforting him. Why are you sleeping on his shoulder after he's telling you all this like grief-filled story? Gender roles. Yes. Akshay: Because he a man, she a woman. One more thing about this test tests, allies, and enemies is I think like Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: one test is the character in the form of Aditya Roy Kapoor's character because that is a foil for his character which I'll talk about in the character creation but I thought that was an important test of this whole part like if he wasn't there Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: like it would be just hunky dory and rosy like nobody would be calling bunny out so yeah Ananya: Yeah, him out. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Definitely, yeah, cool. Then the approach to the innermost cave is he goes to find Deepika Padukone after the one wedding ceremony which everyone has, which is like the chill day when everyone still has to dress up, but still has to look, has to be kind of casual. And we'll just Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: hang out and there'll be musicians and a bonfire. Why is this there? Nobody knows. So Akshay: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, Yeah. Ananya: that's what our wedding function. And he wants he over there the ordeal begins when he finds Rana Daggubati's character. He kicks Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Rana Daggubati out he and Deepika get into a fight and it essentially ends where she is like of course I'm in love with you, like you need to go because if not, I'll fall in love with you. Again. And you won't fall in love with me. Again. That is your ordeal, everything unravels. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, correct. Yeah. Ananya: The reward is then Cut back to chill night music night where Deepika Padukone says I love you. Akshay: They also kiss in that ordeal moment, right? once like she confesses or whatever, that's when they also kiss for the first time. Ananya: Okay. Akshay: So that also becomes part of like, I think the approach to Ananya: The reward? Akshay: the in most given ordeal combined there because Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: it's him, her expressing love for the first time, which is, and he also acknowledging that shit, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: I'm also falling in love and this is the tangible moment of that. So, Ananya: Yeah, yeah. Akshay: and like how we've spoken in previous rom-coms, like the kiss becomes part of these approach to the inmost cave and slash the ordeal, like where you realize where, Ananya: Yeah, in the most case. Ordeal, yeah. Akshay: shit, I have fallen in love, you know, that moment. Ananya: Love, yeah, Yeah, Falling in love is an ordeal. Do not recommend. Akshay: Yeah, clearly this movie. Deepika Padukone fully says that I can't be with you. Let's just enjoy life. Yeah. Ananya: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. Like feelings and all are too much, bro. Too much. I concur. Yeah. Akshay: Too much role. Yeah. Ananya: Yeah. And then the reward is she actually tells Ranbir, Ranbir, that bro, I love you. But then the way back begins almost immediately where she's like, Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: but I love you ke baad kya? Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: So she's like, look, what? Like leave the job in Paris. And he's like, what? And she's like, how Akshay: Yeah, yeah, Ananya: else do we make this work? And then they separate. And he goes back to the airport, there he has a flashback of his first time when he was leaving for Chicago and his dad, all of that. So he goes back to his parents' apartment and he sees everything. He remembers what being with his dad was like and how his dad really loved him unconditionally and said, follow your dreams, do what you want to do. He meets his stepmom character again, who says that your dad holds no grudges for you not attending his funeral and he would want you to listen to your heart and that listen Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: to your heart is the resurrection. Resurrection Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: is when you're at your lowest and you finally rise from the ashes and you say no I'm gonna go after what I want and that's when he's like okay I will listen to my heart and he resurrects Akshay: Yeah Ananya: from there and then that goes into him going and finding Deepika Padukone again. And that is your return with the elixir. Where he's like, I have given up my job in Paris. And now he is in the old world, but as a new person. Someone who wants stability and love. Kind of. We'll get into that in the theme. But yeah. Akshay: Yeah, yeah. What I like about these Ananya: Yeah, these... Akshay: moments, this hero's journey is like, it's very clear, you know, even with Ananya: Hmm Akshay: a film which does not have like, tangible goals, the hero's journey is so clear. And I think that's Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: a very important thing to remember, I think, and especially in a coming of age film, because there are, you won't find tangible results for everything. But your emotional hero's journey has Ananya: Hmm... Emotionally. Akshay: to fully track, only then it will work the way it does in this movie. So I really, Ananya: Yeah, absolutely. Akshay: and I love that both the hero's journey are from the perspective of different characters. Like one is from Deepika's, we open the film with her Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Akshay: and we close the film with him. So that's really nice. Yeah. Ananya: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, But no, I really like what you said about the emotions needing to track because at the end of the day, you should be able to point your camera to two characters against a blank wall and still make people feel something. It's great Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: to have like the budget to shoot on a mountain and to have like whatever Udaivilla wedding. But Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: what you need is so much emotion that you could be anywhere. You could be like in a box. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: and you're still making your audience feel something. That Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: is how deeply emotion matters in a film. Akshay: Yeah, and I think that's what these, you know, like the low budget indie movies which are coming of age movies you see at these festivals, like they have such Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: limited resources, right? But Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: because this journey is so followed, so to the T, like those Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: movies come out beautiful, you know, and definitely Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: I think that's the reason Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani works so well because Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: It is about conversations, it is about these small moments and these relationships. That's everything. Like, Ananya: Everything. Akshay: that is everything. So I really like Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: that aspect about this movie. Ananya: For sure, yeah. Even though they've used grand settings, they've not Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: really made grand gestures out of them in those senses. there's Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: no fancy action sequence or anything. Like, it's very simple. Akshay: Yeah, yeah. And these grand action, these grand sequences, they're not relied on to fill the void of plot, you know, they, Ananya: Hmm, yeah. Akshay: they enhance your plot, which is great, you know, so Ananya: lot. Yeah, yeah. Akshay: like, that mountain peak scene tent me bhi ho sakta tha, you know, it was written in such a way, like, Ananya: Huh. Yeah. Akshay: they just shot it at the top of the peak where they are chit chatting with each other, he is showing her the scrapbook there. But it could have happened there at a tent, you know. So, Ananya: Yeah, exactly. Akshay: so it totally tracks. Ananya: Definitely, definitely. Great. Let's go into theme next. What is your theme? Theme is the whole reason you became a filmmaker, became a writer or an artist of any sort. It's because you have opinions about the world. Opinions about how ideally life should be lived, how the world can be made a better place. And you want to express these opinions and you do them through the medium of your art. In a film, this is usually posed as a dramatic question. Where you ask your audience is this way of life correct or is that way of life correct? And then by the end of your film you have answered the question by the choices your protagonist makes. Over here the theme is fairly simple and there is one thematic thread across both halves of the film which is should one live a life of stability or a life of freedom? Akshay: Yeah, simple. Ananya: It's as simple as that. Should you follow societal rules? Should you do apne man ki? Right? Go where your heart desires or do what is expected of you. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: And the answer to that at the end is a little ambiguous, I will say. I think it's a little impractical too. Because yes, Ranbir Kapoor says that, you know, I am choosing you, I gave up the job in Paris. But then he also says, mai abhi bhi wo hi sapne dekhta hu. Just on two tickets. Akshay: to get there. Ananya: I want to explore the world but holding your hand. And I'm like, all that is well and good for the two vacations you're going to take in the year. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: But what are you going to do the rest of the time? You're going to do an office job? You'll work at Deloitte? Like, Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: I'm like, this is very impractical. This is in that heat of the moment. But Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: what Deepika Padukone was actually asking, she's like, "what after I love you?" They haven't solved that problem. Like, Akshay: Yeah, they haven't solved it. Ananya: They were gonna be in therapy for this. Yeah. Akshay: I also do not like the way they've answered this dramatic question. Like, Ananya: Mm-hmm. Akshay: why can you not? You know, like you can choose to go and like live outside, right? Like still have Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: that life of like freedom, right? Like I think it was Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: a disservice to Bunny's character a little bit. And it was, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: I think it was a little bit of projecting the correct societal Hindi film watching Indian audience that Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: nahi nahi, hume toh ghar pe baithna hai. You know, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: I remember when I watched this movie for the first time, I was so upset. Like I hated this movie to my core because what Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: it essentially did for me at that time, I think it was also Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: I was in an era where I used to get upset after Ranbir Kapoor movies anyway. You know, like Tamasha, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, whatever. Ananya: Huh. Akshay: But what had really crystallized was that the question was, can you really have it all? No, you can't. Ananya: Hmm, gone, yeah. Akshay: Because if you want to have Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: it all, somebody you love will die. You know, like that's right. Ananya: No, yeah. Yeah. Akshay: Like, or if you really want it all, you will not get the love of your life. Like, these were, Ananya: Exactly. Akshay: like, it was so heavy to, like, process this because it Ananya: Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: felt so enforced, like, in a very wrong way. And I was very Ananya: Exactly. Yeah. Akshay: upset about this. Like, I remember, like, my sisters were, Ananya: short. Akshay: like, chirpy and, like, joyful after coming out of this movie. And I was fully, like, not okay because Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: You know, it was also the phase where a little bit my writer brain had started developing where I was like, Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: I really want to be a writer. Like this is my dream and aspiration, but what will I have to sacrifice? You know, like I just went into Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: like that way and no, like it's like the sacrifice Ananya: No. Akshay: is a big word, right? It's not about Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: sacrifice. It's about people having different lives and that's okay. Yeah. Ananya: Different lives. Yeah. And making accommodations for other people, right? Like, Deepika could Akshay: Yeah Ananya: have said, go live your life, but instead of, like, after your three month project, come home for three months. That's also a viable relationship. But she said, leave everything. Yeah. No? Akshay: Yeah, and and she's No, no, she said like you know, but it Ananya: Huh. Yeah. And she thought she was not okay with that. Akshay: was also like Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: she gave him the option, you know, but he Ananya: Okay, I didn't read it like that. Yeah Akshay: was like, no, I need to be with you, you know, and Ananya: Yeah... Yeah... Akshay: and that's again a problem like I feel like with Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: He should be able to have these different projects. My biggest grouse was why couldn't he take this project right now? This a 9 Ananya: No, yeah. Akshay: month project. Right? Why didn't he? Exactly. Ananya: Exactly! And she have to meet She's like, I the flight. Like... Akshay: See, get her side because she has one of the rare jobs which is not transferable easily. Like she can't be a... Ananya: Yeah, but you can take a vacation now occasionally. Akshay: Yes, you can do that. And which is fine. Ananya: go travel to see him. Akshay: go travel to see him and also like... Why didn't he take this job? It Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: would have ended in a year. Then he could have married her. But like... Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: That's the problem, you know. I feel Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: like that big Hindi film ending really got me in this one. Ananya: Yeah, yeah, that no, no. At the end of the day, it is your people who are more important, your... you know, like all of that Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't live your life like a bloody hippie. Like that's exactly what it meant. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: Like my whole life is so invalid in this. Akshay: Yeah, and like anything which is out of the normal convention is a problem, you know? Yeah hated it. I hated it. Ananya: Yeah, problem. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But from a technical standpoint, I want to talk about the thematic Akshay: What? Ananya: scene and the thematic character. Okay. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: So the thematic scene is a scene where essentially you embody your theme and not all films have this, but it's when you essentially state the theme and you make a case for it. Over here, it is when Deepika and Ranbu then... Ranbir are Akshay: More. Ananya: going around Udaipur and over there they go to see the sunset and he's like no no we have to see the sound and light show and she's like no matter how hard you try, in life you're always going to miss out on something, so may as well enjoy what you have And then you have your thematic characters. Over here you have Ranbir Kapoor's character who is your thematic character. As we said, Deepika does arc but she arcs very very little and not in tangible ways within the constraints of this film. But Ranbir's character does make a tangible choice where he says that I am not going to go pursue my dreams because you will give me my dream life. Put all Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: your expectations of one person, see how well that ends. But that Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: is your thematic character. Your thematic character is one who finally comes, and ideally your protagonist, and tells your audience that out of this dramatic question, this is the correct answer, and I am embodying that answer with my choices. They go through the journey of experiencing both ends of it until they make their choice. And that is Ranbir's character, who we showed. Akshay: Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. Ananya: Let's go into genre tropes next. Akshay: Okay, because this film is set like coming of age and romantic comedy, I think I have like Ananya: Mm. Akshay: the tropes for both of them. Ananya: Okay. Akshay: One, the very first genre trope from the rom-com space is the meet cute. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: Meet cute as we have spoken about is the first scene where the two main protagonists meet for the first time. And it has to be cute, has to be something different, they need to have banter, whatever. Like whatever that first meeting which makes the boy and the girl feel memorable for themselves and for the audience. Ananya: Yeah and They have to start off on the wrong foot a little bit so that there's conflict and there's a gap for Akshay: little bit yeah Ananya: them to close. Akshay: yeah and that conflict can be terms of either particular incident or just in the how different they are now Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: in this film you have Naina meeting Bunny on the train station when she's about to go for this trek to Manali they start on banter because he can't remember her name and she obviously knows who this guy is because she Ananya: Yeah Akshay: technically stalked them essentially but it's okay yeah she went to school with them Ananya: Hmm. But she went to school with them also. Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: then after that there is a little bit of push and pull because she's like hey like can you hold my bag and he's like hey, what are the magic words? So you have the little bit of push and pull and you Ananya: Hmm... Yeah. Akshay: you know that they are on different ends of their personality spectrum because she's never done this he only does this and Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: they sort of like get on the train together. That part Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: where they run and get to the train together is the cute part of this meeting. So Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: this becomes the meet cute. Ananya: Nice. Akshay: Second trope I have is daydream versus reality, where the Pica's character Naina, she is just starting to like realize that maybe she does like this guy who is maybe like not good for her or like not, does not align with the values she has. But she can't Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: stop thinking about him. So we have the song Subhanallah where she thinks he's singing songs to her, but he's not actually singing to her. He's just existing. And she thought Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Akshay: like she was singing songs to him, but she's not. She's just singing in outer Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: space and he just looks at her. So that's the second trope. Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. And that The point of this is to create like a distance, right? Between where your character is and what their expectations are. And within that distance, you automatically create conflict. Because in the audience's mind, you're like, damn, how are they going to close this gap? And you actually feel really bad. That is the conflict which it creates. Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. And also it creates the emotion of yearning because in Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: both in terms of your character and your audience, because you're like, they are so good together. When will they get this? Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Get together, yeah. Akshay: So that now the third trope I have in the romcom space is the trope of common task. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: Generally, like your boy and the girl, especially in a rom-com, they need to be given a common task or one common thing to do which over which they can bond while Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: they tackle issues of their life. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: This is something that brings them together because if this didn't exist, probably they wouldn't be together in a different time or space. So Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: in the first half of the movie, the common task is when they climb the peak. It's just the two of them. She Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: wanted to do it, he wanted to do it. So now they are put in this space together where they have to do this activity together Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: while they're talking about life. So it also gives Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: the scene more dynamic nature. It's not a sitting scene. And the Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: second half of the movie, it's the whole dance choreography at the Sangeet. Right? Like Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: it has no story relevance otherwise. Ananya: No, no. Akshay: But it's just that they need to come together. Now another plot engine Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: is to be introduced so that they come together. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: It's only, this is only done so that your characters can spend time together on the screen. That is, Ananya: Time together. Yeah. Akshay: that's the only reason this common task is given. And it happens in lots of rom-coms. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: Every rom-com, especially like not romance film, but a rom-com generally relies on Ananya: Yeah Akshay: something like this. Ananya: Yeah, the whole movie can be a trope. Like for example, that one Set It Up. It's like they want Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: to get their bosses together, right? So that's the whole movie is this common task trope. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And like, it's again, like, off campus recently, which was like, he, they Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: need to like, do this task together because he they have a deal that she needs to get a boyfriend and he needs to score well in exams. Ananya: No. Akshay: So like, that's the common task. Just by saying other things-- Mistached! They have to build apps together so that they can spend more time. So that's the Ananya: Yeah, together, yeah. Yeah. Akshay: trope of common tasks. The next I have is clocking, which is that Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: the first instance where either of your protagonists sort of clocks the other ones and realizes that, maybe there is something more to this person, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: something which they hadn't done before that. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: I think in Deepika's case, it's very obvious the first entire film, first half of the film is clocking. Ananya: Yeah, okay. Akshay: But for him, it happens when he meets her for the first time after such a long time and she calls him out that old bunny not only used to laugh openly but used to flirt openly too. So Ananya: I think so. Yeah. Akshay: he realizes there's something more to her now which he had never seen in her and then obviously there Ananya: Mmm. Akshay: is a progression after that but this moment Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: is important in a film like this because you have established that one of the characters never loves you or has not loved you so far. When did that switch happen? Ananya: Hmm... Yeah... Akshay: That switch needs to be shown on screen. Similarly, when it happened with Hum Tum, throughout Ananya: Yeah. Hmm. Akshay: the film Rani Mukherjee had no interest in him. But the moment he comes Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: to drop her home, that's when she clocks him. It's important for your audience to register that moment. Now, this is my last trope, which is a mixture of the trope for coming of age and romantic comedies, which is exchange of ideal, which is exchange of ideologies. Ananya: I do too. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: And I think I love that in this film. Ananya: No. Akshay: You have to create these two characters who have different sets of wants, needs, desires, their Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: morals, expectations, their worldview, essentially, and let them talk about it. This Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: was the cornerstone of Mumblecore films like Before Sunrise because they were always Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: on different like it's all chatty chatty chatty about this thing about life that thing about life because that is what human life is right like when you are falling Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: in love with somebody or you're pursuing a relationship you will talk Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: about your worldviews and this Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: film i think is one of the rare bollywood films that does that because other Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: rom-coms don't touch this because why show conversation when you can Ananya: Mm-hmm. Booy. Akshay: when you can show sing and dance or you can just show like Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: other things in a movie but this movie properly focuses on multiple scenes where she expresses what she wants from life, he expresses what he wants from life, how they see the life differently. Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Akshay: The one easily which comes to my mind is when they're on sightseeing in Udaipur and they constantly talk about, have you seen this, have you seen that and that's completely different ideologies being set there so Ananya: Yeah. Hmm. Akshay: and I thought that was very cool about this movie. Ananya: Very well done. Definitely. Another rom-com one I had is Transgressive Touch. I know in, and in this movie, because of the way Ranbir's character is, he's always sitting close to Deepika and stuff. Doesn't have that. But it mixes in with your trope of clocking when Akshay: Hmm. Ananya: she says, when he's flirting with Lara or someone, he's like, why are you flirting. Take my phone and go to the hotel lobby. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Ananya: And he has to grab the phone from her phone case which is hanging by her whatever, ghagra. And it's an even more intimate moment, right? It's by her waist, all of that. So that Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: is transgressive in the sense that that level of touch they haven't earned yet. But your audience is dying to see it and you Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: want to give your character that spark. It creates that yearning that brings them to like make them kiss already. So Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Ananya: that and he also clocks her, more he clocks like how sexy she is. That's what he actually clocks in that. Akshay: Cheers! Yeah, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: that's what it clocks, okay? He'd never seen Chashmish Naina like this. So... Yeah! Yeah! Ananya: Exactly. Like, my God, all abs, three feet of abs. I can go surfing on those abs, Anyway. So yeah, that transgressive Akshay: three feet of abs. Ananya: touch. Akshay: Yeah, she is looking amazing in this movie. Yeah. Ananya: Yeah, yeah, she is. Her sexiest, maybe. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Let's go into scenes and sequences next. Akshay: The first technique I want to talk about is misdirection, which they do in the second half of this film. What does misdirection do is that you take your audience in a certain direction, thinking that, this will be the plausible conclusion to this moment, but something else completely happens. It creates an unexpected surprise and it sort of is also more engaging because it also counters predictability from the movie. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: So what this misdirection scene in this movie is that Ranbir's character, Bunny, notices that somebody is flirting with Naina. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: And you have the full chase. She's like, give me my phone back. Give me my phone back. And then somebody does come. He says, I've called him to the lake. And we go to the lake. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: And there is this random guy, Dev, who was like, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: I don't know, like an event manager slash friend or somebody who... yeah, a loser. Ananya: Yeah, two more times. Akshay: Loser types. And he's like, this was the guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fuck it, fuck it. So what it does Ananya: Hmm, yeah. Yeah. Akshay: is like his worry about her also dissipates, which is that like, Ananya: Exactly. Akshay: somebody like is flirting with her. Do I have a threat? Because you don't want this this moment at this point in the movie. It should come later Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: on. But, and it does come later on. When you realize that this person who was flirting with her was not this Dev guy but actually Rana's character who was the photographer shooting Ananya: Mm hmm. Yeah. Akshay: the film and it's a big surprise for us as well as Ranbir's character which is like Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: she does have somebody in her life it's not random and which also forces him to like think like shit now I do have feelings for her because I don't like Ananya: Yeah Akshay: seeing somebody else spend time with her so Ananya: Exactly. Akshay: this misdirection technique was important for this to land. Ananya: And absolutely, you reduce expectations. You essentially bring your audiences to a place of safety and your characters to a place of safety only to pull the rug out from under them later. And another minor misdirection I wanted to point out was when Kalki sends Ranbir the video that come for my wedding and then after that the next scene you see is suitcases, all of Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: that and you think okay now they're going to show you that Ranbir is at the wedding. Instead they introduce you to Avi that Avi is here. Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: And then because they have to give Ranbir that grand entry. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: And the reason that works is because you want to see Ranbir in this old world, right? Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: You're waiting for him to get there. So that's why when they delay gratification also through this misdirection, that they're like, no, Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: no, you got to wait audiences. You got to wait for the banger that you're waiting Akshay: Yeah, Ananya: for. Akshay: yeah, totally. I think this movie does one more misdirection scene, which is now coming to my mind, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: which is that Ranbir Kapoor thinks that Aditi's fiance is not a good guy. So because Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: she sees, he sees that when she goes to talk to Aditi Roy Kapoor's character, like he gets a little agitated, just from a Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: very physical point of view, like he's a little aggressive. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: And then he sees them having a fight. And later on, he asks her that, hey, are you really sure you want to get married? Because he seems Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: like a problematic guy. And she tells him that, no, he's actually a very good guy. I was Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: the one who was the problem here. Again, this misdirection, think. was nice for like much like character deepening also but for Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: both of their character essentially and also for Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: him to realize that you know like just because you decide to get married like it's not gonna be a problem forever, like right like he needed to see these good thing he Ananya: Hmm, marriage can be a good thing. Yeah. Akshay: needed to see small moments also like his lens to looking at marriage was this that he's jealous of like you talking to Avi but Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Akshay: she's like, that's not that, you know, like you're looking at everything wrong. Ananya: Yeah. You know, this This whole film was marriage propaganda. Akshay: It is. It is. Ananya: June. Akshay: It is. Yeah, hence I did not like it back then, you know. I mean, I liked the... Yeah. I Ananya: Yeah, this is a problem. Yeah. Akshay: liked the movie, but I was like, this ending is a problem, you know, all this nonsense. Ananya: Yeah, Exactly. You know, this is the problem with good filmmaking and bad intentions is that you can Akshay: Yeah Ananya: convince people of your bad intentions. This was the discourse around Dhurandhar as well, right? That Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: the right wing is using really good filmmaking to convince you of their ideology. And I'm like, Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ananya: this is the power of cinema and the problem of it, the problem of the makers. Akshay: Yeah And I am the worst victim because I'm a very film impressionable guy you know like if it's a very well made film I will get carried away and Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: like I did back in the day so I'm like I'm so upset Ananya: Yeah, yeah. But at least you got angry at this and you didn't come out being like, I'm a changed man, marriage is everything. So that is... Yeah. Akshay: Yeah. Huh. Yeah, because, yeah. That's true. That's true. The next technique I want to talk about is callbacks. Callbacks are key moments, dialogue, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: scenes between two characters, which repeatedly happen or happen twice at least so that you come to know whether the nature of relationship between them has changed or not changed. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: Multiple callbacks in this movie. This movie is littered with Ananya: littered with them this one. Yeah. Akshay: them. Some examples are like, he says in the first half, flirting sehat ke lechi hoti hai. It's like yoga. Ananya: Mm. Akshay: Now eight years down the line, he's come to meet her again and he's flirts Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: with her. He repeats the same thing and she completes the sentence-- like yoga. So you sort of know Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: like they sort of hold the same value in their hearts about the other person, at least she does for sure. Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: Then, shadi is like dal chawal for 50 years, he says in the first half, she completes this in the second Ananya: No. Akshay: half, now but the relationship nature has changed because she is attacking him with this, in the sense that Ananya: Hmm. Yeah. Akshay: this is what I want from you as a commitment, not just a passing statement. So you Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: know the nature of relationship has changed here. Other small thing which is like, he gets tired really fast when he's running or climbing. So, and she doesn't. And it comes again later when they're chasing, she's chasing him with the phone, for the phone. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: And he's like, hey, I'm not tired. He's like, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. So again, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: the nature of relationship hasn't changed. So I think there are multiple more, which I'm forgetting, but yeah. Ananya: One scene I want to talk about is the technique of using one object to establish many opinions. So, you have this scene when they just set out on their trek and they're in the village and they see a young girl getting married. And you get to see all of their opinions on marriage. So, Aditi goes all, arranged marriage sucks, like, you know, in these small towns, this is what they do. Then you see... Avi looking at her and being all like, yeah, but in India, though two women still can't get married, it's not legal. So he's taking the piss out of her. And Bunny says his famous line, shaadi is like dal chawal. It's like dal chawal for 50 years. And this scene is one that later, all of the opinions set in this scene are then countered later on. When Aditi gets arranged marriage, Bunny picks dal chawal. Avi by then he's realized that he's become bitter. Back then he Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: was so cool. He's like, I don't need your love. And now he's lonely. He's lost everything. Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: So how to pick one correct incident to establish the opinions of many. And then Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: also, it's also a character moment because later on, this is an arc. It shows you how they've all transformed over eight years. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Another technique I want to talk about is Doing two things with one moment, establishing two character traits with one moment. This is when Bunny and Naina are sitting on the rock during a trekking scene and she is getting ahead and he calls her, he's like, no, no, no, sit with me, talk to me. And he starts flirting with her because he's cocky, he can't help himself and that's the point of the film. But also when they get up to leave, he realizes that she's tied his shoelace, he's tied her shoelaces or whatever together so she can't get up and leave. So you've established both that he is playful and he's flirty. You've used two characters or techniques in one moment. This is a good scene technique, right? How to make your scenes Akshay: Yeah, yeah, yeah Ananya: more dynamic, richer, layered is to show multiple character traits in a single moment. Yeah. Akshay: Yeah, for sex. Yeah. Ananya: Another one I want to talk about is using the elements of the world, of the subworld, to create an action sequence. We talked about this in Ek Tha Tiger when they're doing the train fight sequence. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Over here, it is when they're being chased by the villagers because of Akshay: Hmm Ananya: Avi's transgressions or lack thereof. Even over there, all the moments, like are moments taken from the world to create a fight? They're not scatological, scatagons, whatever you call it, where it's essentially a left field of the world. So over here, it's like, okay, they'll find Gulal in the market to throw because it's a market, it's close to Holi, there will be Gulal. That was also an indication that Holi is coming, so Balam Pichkari lands later. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Then they find like a van, in the van there are alcohol bottles. Also, they made the correct character find it, they made Avi find it, because he's Akshay: that. Ananya: the one who would take those alcohol bottles. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: And then later on, there's a payoff for that where he throws them Akshay: close them. Ananya: at the people to get away from them. Then you have all the elements, the ketchup bottle to squeeze Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: on everyone, the backpack to hit people. So all the elements of the world used to create action. I Akshay: Yeah, nice. Ananya: also want to talk about using the elements of the world to create different conflicts which is in the scene, which is the whole marriage sequence essentially. So every conflict there, that okay, receive this uncle in the hotel lobby, or find out what the boy's side is doing. All of these conflicts, they are very out of the world of the film in the second half. So Akshay: world hmm yeah Ananya: even the task that brings them two together is from the world. It's not randomly. In fact, them Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: sightseeing through Udaipur is a little bit random out of the world. Akshay: random. Yeah. Ananya: Then because let's be real in a wedding, you do not have the time to go and do sightseeing. Like every time everyone goes very enthusiastically. But during the wedding, no, you can book two days extra later and go see it. Akshay: But I think because it was a 5 day wedding they could go. You know like she says 20-25th tak main wedding hai tumhaare. So it works. Ananya: Yeah, it's okay. It was a bit of a light schedule. They afternoon and they weren't hungover. They could go out. I never leave a room. I'm like, sorry. Akshay: Yeah that's unrealistic also about the movie. Like they're 30 year olds now. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: Like how do they not have hangover? Ananya: They do show it though in that scene later, right? Like after Dilliwali Girlfriend the next day everyone is... There is that. Not these two. Not these two. They are superhuman. That is also a trope, General Bollywood trope. That your characters are superhuman. They are your superheroes. Unko kuch hota nahi hai. Yeah. Akshay: But not these two Yeah, yeah, yeah Ananya: Let's go into character next. Akshay: I want to talk about how they have deepened Deepika's character in the first half of the movie. Which is that Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: you start her with seeing this as the studious girl who's always just around her books. But you also, when she's talking to her parents, you sort of Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: know that there is more than meets the eye. So because Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: you know that she is not entirely happy with her life. She also defends Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: her friend, whom her mother calls as whatever, hippie or whatever, know, Jhalli, Jaise Bhi. Ananya: Yeah Akshay: And then over the course of the first half, you peel layers of her character which we never saw. That, she Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: also enjoys Hindi music like these guys, you know, so like she can complete the lyrics for those. She is the one who like also like is very instrumental in winning the fight against those people outside Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: the temple. That was great. And then she also wants to like go on this peak which nobody else is but she wants to. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: So you realize that there is more to her character than just this uptight girl who is reading a book. And Ananya: Hmm... Yeah. Akshay: I really like that about her character because it's not that somebody else is forcing her to do these things. Like generally in a lot of these coming of age movies that's what happens like, like Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: Others are doing this, you do this, now you realize you like this. But no, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: she is very active as a protagonist. Lots Ananya: Lots of agency, yeah. Akshay: of agency, which was very refreshing to see back in the day, right? Like 2013. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: So that's what I really like about Deepika's character that they have added, given her layers. That's one. I want to talk about Aditya Roy Kapoor's character which especially in the second half of the film Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: because this couldn't have happened in the first half because in the first half he and Ranbir Kapoor are essentially similar characters right like they Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: want the similar things they want to have fun they want women they want to have alcohol they want to just chill and have fun. But Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: obviously you realize Ranbir Kapoor is different as a person who he has other ambitions and this guy does not have the same Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: ambitions. So when you see them in the second half, Aditya Roy Kapoor's character is the perfect foil to Bunny because he's Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: the one who did not travel the world. He's the one who doesn't have that free flowing money which Ranbir Kapoor's character apparently does. He's the one who is struggling in his career whereas Bunny is not. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: And so everything contrasting with your main character. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: And not just that, but he also is the one who picks fight with him. He calls him out Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: on his behavior that, know, "just because you've seen the world, you think you're better than all of us." And like Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: he reminds him that essentially what life behind you have left, it's not something you can leave behind. Like leaving behind will have consequences. For example, you left us so like we're no more in touch, we're not friends anymore. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: So this character was Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: very important for the second half of the movie because it sort of propels Bunny's character into realizing that, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: whatever my dreams are, has consequences. Ananya: And it also gives a little bit more of depth to Bunny's character too because even he says he finally admits that look it wasn't easy in the first few times that I was moving, you know, being in a new place, understanding the new location, the customs, the people making new friends, all of that. It was hard on me too. And he says that. Akshay: Me. Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: So that finally allowed him to open up a little more. Otherwise Bunny's character is on... yeah, whatever. Akshay: Yeah, Ananya: Everything is hunky dory. Akshay: yeah Ananya: But in that moment he admits that it wasn't easy too and Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: which is important they didn't focus on that but when you show this my god nomad lifestyle there is this side of it which you have to highlight too Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: like Akshay: Yeah, totally. And I'm glad they did that in the movie, even if in the smallest way, because Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: again, like, it just adds another layer to his character. Like it's important to not have Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: cardboard cutout characters, right? That makes Ananya: For sure. Akshay: every scene work boring. Ananya: And it's also real. You would be skipping out on something that's thematically very relevant. Like as someone Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: who lives away and loves moving across countries, I'm like the fact that you go somewhere you don't know where your closest grocery store is. You don't know where you'll meet your next friend. You're speaking in a different language. You're feeling stupid. All of those things are very real troubles. So we glamorize this lifestyle, but there is a very real downside of it that you have to address. Akshay: Yeah, totally, And another thing on character I want to talk about is the existence of this dog character. We've spoken about Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: previous films like Hindi Medium and Rang De Basanti where this character essentially exists in the story so that this will be the reason your main character will arc. So that Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: when this dog who will be the most self-sacrificing, who will have no wants or desires of their own, they only want a main protagonist to like do well. And when this Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: dog sort of takes the bullet for a main protagonist, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: this will impact a main protagonist to be like, shit, something has terribly gone wrong. And in Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: this movie, it was Ranbir Kapoor's dad, which was that Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: he completely like loves his child and he's like go live your life. He gets him his trekking Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: bag. I have never stopped you from doing anything. Please live your life. Take this more money Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: along with you. But ultimately he does die and that Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: sort of permanently colors Ranbir Kapoor's character. Like he can never like Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: forgive himself until the point when the Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: stepmom tells him that it's okay. You know like your father will not Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: hold any grudge against you. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: This moment became very crucial. Maybe we didn't see this crucialness coming to fruition in real time in the film, but Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: you realize this happened in the past. And now his Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: character is different from the first half the way we saw him. Not just because he's living life Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: differently, but what Deepika Padukone correctly said, you don't smile enough now. So, and it just, the weight of this life is now like Ananya: Hmm... Yeah... Nice. Akshay: sort of like coming onto him. So Ananya: Yeah Akshay: like we said earlier in the episode, the father had to die for him to peak. Yeah. Yeah, he was created to be killed. Ananya: had to die. He was created to be killed. He was the sacrifice. I also want to quickly talk on character introductions. So, all these characters are introduced in their most defining trait. So, Deepika Padukone is immediately introduced as a self-conscious nerd. Like, her first thing is, okay, I'm a medical student. Her mom introduces her, she's doing medical. You see, Aditi as overconfident, brash, always willing to fight when she's telling that kid, never seen sexy legs before? Immediately, you know, she's one who's going to pick a fight. Bunny in Ghagra flirting with the sex worker where Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: he's like convincing her to give another take. Immediately flirty, cocky, charming. And Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Avi is seen watching the cricket game because he's obviously put down some bets gambling his addict personality that is immediately established. So you introduce them with the trait from which they will arc eventually or the most defining trait. Akshay: Yeah Yeah Ananya: I also want to talk to you about one other relationship technique which is called characters-- to establish how good friends the characters are by showing how well they know each other. So, Avi is looking at the cricket game and he's like, okay, I'm not going on this trek, I can't miss this India Pakistan series. And Ranbir immediately is like, you bet all your pocket money on this, right? So that shows familiarity where your characters know even without the other people saying. That is a Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: relationship building technique. Akshay: Yeah. It also, think, is a good, like, scene technique to avoid too much exposition. Like, I think it's an interesting, like, it's interesting to do it Ananya: Exposition, yeah. Yeah. Akshay: this way rather than say, I bet and I lost money. Whatever. You know? Ananya: Aha, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's good. That's also economical. Akshay: Yeah, yeah, It's also economical. Ananya: Let's go into dialog now. Akshay: Yeah. One thing which I repeatedly bring up in dialogue is the original thought of dialogue takes it a long way. And this movie has lots of them. I think they Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: do sprinkle the film with lots of nuggets and moments of wisdom, which sort of like maybe we have heard them, but not in these many words. And I think that's what Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: makes the dialogue work of this film so exciting, which is that One of them is like you spoke about when they're watching the sunset and he says, let's go see the light and sound show. It'll be banger. But Naina is like, of course it'll be banger. But no matter how hard you try, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: you're going to miss out on something or the other in life. Again, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: an original thought in dialogue work takes you a long way. Like Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: I remember this dialogue even without seeing the movie again. Right. Like so. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: So. And again, shadi is like dal chawal for 50 years. It's sort of like just coined. what this wedding means or this marriage means, you know. So thought Ananya: Hmm... Yeah. Akshay: and originality will always lead to exciting dialogue work. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: And I think this film does it great. Ananya: And this comes from having really fleshed out characters, right? Whose ideologies you have a solid understanding of. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Otherwise, without-- your characters have to have a point of view. And then it is about making that point of view interesting. Like, dal-chawal Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: is a better way of saying, ki, acha, for 50 years we will be stuck doing the same thing every day. No. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: So it is first, having a point of view and second, saying that point of view in an interesting manner. Akshay: Yeah, correct. It's also like, especially with this Dal Chawal line, it's also assigning a metaphor, right? which also like with I think it's spoken in one of the other episodes I don't remember, but it's a good dialogue technique where you like give a intangible feeling or an emotion a very tangible metaphor so that you Ananya: and Jibouti. Yeah. Akshay: know that, like this is the correct description of what I'm feeling. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: So that's pretty cool. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: I think one more technique I think they've used in the movie which I could be wrong but is that however spoken about they have a second pass which is like either it's a bhai pass in Munnabhai MBBS I think here especially with the boys they have done a horny sex pass which is like yeah Ananya: Like a Sexa pass in Chhichhore. Akshay: yeah which is that every Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: line has to be like some flirty or some dirty meaning or some double meaning. Ananya: Hmmmm Yeah. Akshay: Whatever, you know, this whole thread with Aditya Roy Kapoor's character and Ranbir's character especially, they've done it throughout the film, think, which was, I think, quite Ananya: Yeah Akshay: interesting. Ananya: Very cool. Yeah. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: Another technique I want to talk about is subtext. Akshay: Hmm. Ananya: Subtext is essentially when you want to say something but you can't address it directly. So you don't say what you're actually meaning. You assign it to something else. Now this is a very complex way of saying this. I'm going to give an example. So Kalki's character obviously in the start has a crush on Avi. But she's trying to hide it. So... when Avi calls Lara and her friends in the train to join them and he says, come, come, we've got ham and cheese sandwiches. She's actually angry that he's flirting with them. But she can't say that because then she'll reveal her crush. Everyone sees it. Obviously out of self-respect, she doesn't want people to, she doesn't want to admit Akshay: Yeah. Yeah. Ananya: to it. So she starts arguing about the ham sandwiches. What? These are not your sandwiches to share. Like blah, blah, blah. So you find Akshay: Yeah Ananya: another object to remove that on to show your same frustration. Akshay: Yeah, yeah. Ananya: So the subtext in that is pretty good. Akshay: I also think with Kalki's character, they've done it in another very specific moment, which was that once the trek is over and Aditya Roy Kapoor's character finds out that Bunny is going to go abroad. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: And just before that, she's seen Avi go and hook up with this other girl. And Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: when those things confluence, she just says, congratulations, Bunny. I think you should go. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: In a very subliminal way, you know she's not going to pursue this relationship with Aditya Roy Kapoor also. She's done. Ananya: Missionship anymore. She's done. Yeah, she's graduated from this. She arc'd in fact in this half Akshay: I think her character is very layered. I really like her character. Phenomenal job Ananya: Yeah. Yeah. Akshay: on writing and performance both. Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: So I think the subtext here came in very nicely with her character again. Ananya: Yeah, definitely, definitely. Akshay: Yeah. Ananya: That is all I have on Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani. That is actually a lot, but it is all for now. Akshay: Yeah, that is all I have as well. I just want to give like a little bit props to this film because I think the time it came, it did something to move culture. And I think that is a, Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: I think that's a big tell of how well your film has done because, Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: your show has done because I remember talking to somebody and they said like when Friends came on, there was a very universal shift in the way in like especially Friends when it aired in India and like that Ananya: No. Akshay: strata was watching Friends, they realized like Friends become your found family, you know. Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: So similarly I do think with this film as well when it happened I think friendship got a new meaning in different people's lives because so Ananya: Mm. Akshay: far you had seen like Friends getting involved not your family becomes involved in your wedding but here everything was Friends, you know like She is the one who puts Haldi first and he is the one carrying her chadar. Everything is like the involvement Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: of friends in your wedding, like going on a trek with your Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: friends. It became a part of the movement. And I think that's a Ananya: Yeah. Akshay: very hard achievement to do, but this film did it and I think it's Ananya: Hmm. Akshay: pretty cool. Ananya: Cool. So you guys know the drill. Like, share, subscribe, leave us any questions, suggestions, recommendations in the comments. And we will see you next week on another episode of the Breakdown Besties Podcast. Bye. Akshay: Bye. Akshay Jhunjhunwala: Hi again bestie. The next week we're breaking down the film Veer Zaara. They don't make films like that anymore. Hmm. Let's actually let's find out why. And if we learn, maybe we might be able to make a film like it. So watch the film before the episode comes out and you'll know exactly what we are talking about. Bye.