E17: Black Breakdown

E17: Black Breakdown

Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Black (2005) starring Rani Mukherjee and Amitabh Bachchan. Written by Bhavani Iyer, Prakash Kapadia and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, this film explores the relationship between a teacher and his differently abled student, as he helps her grow from a hopeless child into a young woman with promise. Ahead of its time with bold choices and unexplored themes, this story is one of Bollywood’s most unique and pathbreaking films. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 02:42 Logline breakdown 06:54 Hero's Journey analysis 29:06 Theme analysis 32:16 Scene construction techniques 59:07 Character Creation Techniques 1:02:18 Dialogue analysis And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Black again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

E16: Raazi Breakdown

Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Raazi starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. This spy thriller written, (Bhavani Iyer, Meghna Gulzar), directed, and starring women takes us into a world that we’re not privy too- how women contribute to the war efforts to prove their patriotism and mettle. Adapted from the rich source material provided by the book Calling Sehmat by Harinder S. Sikka, not only do we get a look at how India participated in Bangladesh's liberation but particularly, what role the unsung heroines played in it too! In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:34 Logline breakdown 08:45 Hero's Journey analysis 25:19 Theme analysis 29:34 World building techniques 36:01 Scene construction techniques 54:21 Character Creation Techniques And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Raazi again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!

E15: Barfi! Breakdown

Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Bari! starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra!  This wonderfully whimsical film written by Anurag Basu, Tani Basu, and Sanjeev Datta provides a mezmerizing cinematic experience that makes the audience suspense all disbelief while they’re glued to their seats, wondering how these phenomenal characters will escape their damning fate! In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:23 Logline breakdown 05:48 Hero's Journey analysis 22:45 Theme analysis 27:05 World building techniques 31:39 Character Creation Techniques 37:10 Scene construction techniques 52:18 Dialogue analysis 55:42 Genre tropes breakdown And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Barfi! again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties! All film clips and stills used belong to the owners. We do not own any copyright of the same. They are only being used transformationally for educational purposes.

E14: Lootera Breakdown

Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Lootera (2013) starring Sonkashi Sinha and Ranveer Singh!  This heartbreaking adaptation of O’Henry’s The Last Leaf, written by Bhavani Iyer, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Anurag Kashyap, shows us how Western tales can be culturally adapted for Indian audiences and elevated to provide a gut-wrenching and mezmerizing cinematic experience. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:57 Logline breakdown 08:02 Hero's Journey analysis 24:01 World building techniques 29:31 Scene construction techniques 48:54 Character Creation Techniques 52:50 Dialogue analysis 54:22 Genre tropes breakdown And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Lootera (2013) again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties! All film clips and stills used belong to the owners. We do not own any copyright of the same. They are only being used transformationally for educational purposes.

E13: Fashion Breakdown

Welcome to the screenwriting breakdown and analysis of Bollywood film Fashion (2008) starring Priyanka Chopro-Jonas!  This insider, almost voyeuristic view into the behind-the-scenes world of supermodels, written by Madhur Bhandarkar, takes audiences on a journey into a world we otherwise have little access to. In this episode of the Breakdown Besties, your film-school level screenwriting class experience, we analyze the techniques used in the script, to make the film come alive on the screen. Here’s what we cover: 0:00 Introduction 01:47 Logline breakdown 07:19 Hero's Journey analysis 20:05 Theme analysis 23:57 World building techniques 29:25 Symbolism 32:09 Scene construction techniques 48:41 Character Creation Techniques And after you’re done watching the episode, we recommend you watch Fashion (2008) again, now with all the awareness of the techniques, and see how they’re executed to bring entertainment to life. So whether you’re in the heart of Bollywood in Mumbai, refining your craft for your next gig, or making your way here from near and far – we’re sure the Breakdown Besties Podcast will further the course of your screenwriting craft and career. And if there’s any movie or TV episode you’d like us to break down, or you have any questions, – drop them down in the comments. Your besties are here for you! Hit subscribe and we’ll see you next week on another episode of Breakdown Besties!