Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) — Pehla Nasha, Pehla Khumaar

After The Interval (Interval Ke Baad) — Season 1, Episode 6

Remember that feeling? The theater goes dark, that first note of music hits, and for the next three hours, nothing else matters.

1992. A new India was cracking open. Zee TV had just launched. The Three Khans were in Hindi cinema simultaneously for the first time. And in the misty hills of Dehradun, a director made a film about class, rivalry, first love, and a bicycle race, and reinvented two entirely new genres of Hindi cinema in one afternoon.

Bharath and Neelima rewatch Mansoor Khan's Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar — the film that defined a generation, made Aamir Khan the gold standard, and gave us what may be the most perfect song ever written about falling in love for the first time. We ask the hard questions: Why did a film that came seventh at the box office outlast every film that came before it? How did a cousin's conviction and intervention save a film that was 75% complete and about to be abandoned? And should someone make this film again in 2026?

This episode: The year the era of the three Khans officially began, the casting changes that made the film what it is, the Jatin-Lalit soundtrack that belongs in any conversation about the greatest albums of the 90s, Pehla Nasha shot entirely in slow motion, the Girija Shettar thread that connects this film to our previous episode, and a full debate on who would star in the 2026 reimagining.

Because the best part of any movie isn't the movie — it's always the conversation after. New episodes every week.

Because the best part of any movie isn't the movie — it's always the conversation after.

New episodes every week.

Interval ke baad, the real conversation starts.

Follow us: @aftertheintervalpod
Email us: aftertheintervalpodcast@gmail.com

Produced by The LuminACE Group, LLC

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:18

That beat needs no introduction, does it, Neilima? Especially for you, Amerkan fan.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Yes, yes, a fangirl.

SPEAKER_05 0:30

Forever a fangirl. And uh safe to say that this was the love anthem of the 90s. Hi, this is Parad, this is Neilima. Welcome to After the Interval, Interval Kibad. So Neilma, folks have been saying you've done a Sharuk Khan movie, you've done a Salman movie. When is it time for an Amir movie? So, folks, you've been asking for an Amir episode from day one. The requests have been consistent, enthusiastic. Today we deliver our first Amir Khan film, Jo Jita Wahisikander from 1992, because the best part of any movie is not the movie itself, it's always the conversation after. Meanwhile, we need to talk about this movie because it is, I would say, generally underrated because it may not have won a ton of awards, but it is an OG of sorts across so many dimensions. One of the first great coming-of-age stories in Hindi cinema, a film about class, rivalry, first love, and a bicycle race that somehow made an entire generation beg their parents to get them some bikes with Gears.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

With Gears, yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:51

And uh set in the Misty Hills of Deradun, directed by Mansoor Khan. He made this blockbuster QSQT just a few years before, and with a soundtrack that, in my opinion, may be the perfect song ever written about falling in love for the first time. And the cast, Neilma?

SPEAKER_02 2:09

It's Amir Khan, Aesha Julka, Ti Pakti Jori, Puja Baidi, Mamik, Kulbushantarbanda, Aditya Lakya, Asrani, and many more.

SPEAKER_05 2:18

Our first segment, this is called uh Samana Kya Ketae, where Neilima and I just paint a quick picture around what was happening in the world and what was happening on the entertainment front when this movie was released. Nilma 1992, I would say, was an year of extraordinary hope, extraordinary tension. Cold War is officially over. Bill Clinton gets elected in America. And for you and I, this was what uh we just wrapped up our freshman year in college. The liberalization reforms were a year old, you could feel them on the streets, foreign brands, new possibility, and a middle class beginning to believe the future might actually look quite different from the past. And so when in 92, when Joji Tawoi Sikandar came out, India was still in that hopeful, electric, energetic, a country that felt for the first time in a long time that it was going somewhere. ZTV came out, the first private Hindi satellite channels, cable TV, MTV music videos were starting to arrive. And a generation of us young Indians were about to discover that the world was much, much bigger than they had ever anticipated. And that's the India that just fell in love with Jojita Wahi Sikandar.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Uh 92 was not the greatest year in Hindi cinema, but the most significant certainly because 92 was the year the era of Khans officially began. Amy released Jojita Wahi Sikander. Sharuk had just walked into Hindi cinema with Divana. Salman had already given us uh Manipiarkia and Sajan by this time. So, in short, I would say 92 was the year the starting gun was fired and the era of the three Khan's had officially begun.

SPEAKER_05 4:07

Era of the three Khans officially began, and uh that Paela Nasha song was the love anthem of so many of us falling in love for the first time.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

Yeah, it still is, Barit, it still is.

SPEAKER_05 4:23

You hear that beat and it just takes you to a different place. So we'll cover all that today, Neilima. What was what were your first impressions when you saw JJWS?

SPEAKER_02 4:33

I was a diehard Amir fan by then. So in my head, he could do no wrong. But what really impressed me about uh uh Jojita was, you know, uh him not shying away from playing, you know, the aimless, lazy guy in the beginning of the movie. He's not a hero from the first frame. He just grows to be. I mean, there is an arc, growth arc to him, and uh that that was the most endearing uh thing about Amir for me. Uh and there was so much honesty, he was rooted, and yeah, a host of other qualities that just made him so likable.

SPEAKER_05 5:08

I mean, you already went into the movie An Amir fan, and then this movie delivers on so many different fronts. You leave there.

SPEAKER_06 5:16

Yes, he left.

SPEAKER_05 5:17

You leave there further in love with Absolutely, absolutely. For me, I I've actually appreciated the movie much more since re-watching it. What I remember about when I first saw the movie is one, the bicycling race and the bike cycle with gears. I remember going to my dad and saying, Hey, can you buy me a bicycle like these? And he was like, I just bought you a bike. Why do you need a bicycle now? I was like, Okay, fair point. But just for me, the sports themed, and we covered this when we did Basigar, right? Is that in Basigar it's the motor race, and you know, for a teenager, you're seeing these sports themed movies where it's an actual track, they're biking. So I think that was a that memory always stayed. Pooja baby for a host of reasons that we'll get into or stayed longer. Uh, that was another part of that. The other memory I have of the movie is just how good it felt for someone that grew up in middle class, lower middle class India, was was sticking it to the rich folks, if you will.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Yeah. Yeah, the elitist folks.

SPEAKER_05 6:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

Yeah, the rise of the common man. I mean, a theme we all identified with, right?

SPEAKER_05 6:37

Yeah, again, I have far more respect for JJWS now because Shahrak's graph was already beginning. Salman was doing hits, Amir was doing hits, but '92 Diwana comes out, and Divana had an amazing soundtrack as well, right? So I feel like Jojita maybe in those days didn't get the Love It Deserved, but we are going to rectify that today.

SPEAKER_02 7:03

Absolutely. Let's move on to the Pahila Nasha section where we go over some movie trivia. Directed by Mansoor Khan, who is uh Nasir Hussein's son. His second film, after the extraordinary debut of uh Kayamatse Kayamat Tak in 1988, produced by his dad Nasir Hussein, music by Jatin Lalit, lyrics by Majru Sultan Puri Saha, set in Daira Dun, but shot in Uti and Kodai Kanal. The Misty Hill Station is almost, you know, it's uh another character in the movie. It feels like that. Budget approximately two crores, box office over five crores. So not a complete washout by anyone. Yeah, it wasn't a flop per se, but yeah, but maybe it didn't get the love it deserved.

SPEAKER_05 7:54

Yeah, I think it was the will you get into this later in terms of um where it stacked ranked in the grocers of the year. Absolutely. Absolutely. Right. And let's just say this there's maybe one movie about this that we would re-watch. Fair?

SPEAKER_02 8:09

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_05 8:10

You're not re-watching the ones that made more money than uh or not anytime soon.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Certainly, certainly. Yeah. Uh this movie won filmfare for the best movie and for best editor. And before we go any further, one small detail for our listeners. Girija Shetar, who was Gita Anjali from our last episode, she was originally cast as Anjali in this movie. And I remember being so excited that uh Gita Anjali was going to be starring opposite my favorite star, Amir. But for for whatever reason, she was uh let go after a schedule. But she still remains in one of the songs picturized on her, Are Yaro Merepiaro. But she was replaced by Aisha Jilko, who did a commendable job. But who knows how far Girja would have gone had they stuck to her for the entire movie, and maybe she'd have become famous all over India instead of just in South India.

SPEAKER_05 9:04

What are the odds? Folks, this was uh not pre-planned that we would do two movies back to back, both sort of short in both short in Oti, even though JJWSS the movie is based in Deradun. And uh Giriya Shetar does two movies, and we go and discuss her back to back, and she's in like five minutes. But this was this movie was entirely a family affair, right? Nasarusa and films, Mansur Khan, and uh Amir was in Yadong Ki Bharat as a child actor. Amir's nephew Imran is uh child actor in uh one of the songs towards the end.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

So but and also I think Bharat, his brother Faisal Khan, also acted as one of the schoolboys from from I think in one of the songs, you see him in one of the songs.

SPEAKER_05 9:54

You definitely there's a couple of scenes near the cafe where you see Faisal. Yes, so it's it's definitely a family affair. Mansur Khan makes what four movies QSQT. Yeah. Uh this one, then he does the Akile Kam. Akileham Akeleham Akilakum and uh Josh. Josh with uh with Ashwarya. Sharuk Sharuk and Ashwarya, and then he calls it a day and he's organic farming in Uti. Well done, Mansur Khan. Thank you for your short but tremendous contributions to Hindi cinema.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

We would love to see more of your work, but yeah, whatever makes him happy.

SPEAKER_05 10:31

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Milan Soman had been cast as uh Shekar Malhotra originally, and uh I think they realized you know he didn't suit the role well, something was wrong, and they had to shell the movie for a while because it was almost 60% completed, and Mansoor fell into a depression. He felt he had wasted a lot of footage and and his uh dad's more uh money as well. But Amir stepped in as a collaborator, as someone who believed in what the film could be. And full points to Amir Khan for trusting Mansour Khan because otherwise we wouldn't have such a beautiful movie ahead of us. He pushed Mansoor to start again and complete it. Meanwhile, Deepak Tijori had originally auditioned and had been rejected. He came back, uh, he was pushed by Mahesh Bhark to try again, and what a performance he gave. I mean, he's certainly one of the most important performances on par with Amir.

SPEAKER_05 11:23

For sure. And um, when we discuss some of the scenes in the movie, Deepakti Jori definitely brought the brash, rich kid persona, but there's a bit of a good heart in him as well, you know, during the fight scenes with Ratan when he falls off and they're a little worried about what's gonna happen to him. So I think he did Deepakti Jori fantastic job. Yes, and uh back to last week's uh movie too. Mani Ratnam was able to pull off with Girija's first movie, the performance of a lifetime from her. But it's hard, right? You have Melan Sermon, you have Girija Shetter, you have all these folks that are moved making movies for the first time. The whole thing about Amir Khan. This is quintessential Amir in the sense that you know he gets in there. People say, Oh, he's a meddling conviction, perfection, yes, vision, vision, and um stick intuitiveness, right? To be able to have the conviction in the early 90s to convince your cousin that no, you've got a great vision for a movie. It's a movie around Rajli's cycle racing. Mad props to Amir for pushing hard on that front, no doubt about that. So um, Nilima, one of the things that uh at least uh Pooja Betty said is there was a bit of Archie's comics in this. Do you do you think so?

SPEAKER_02 12:43

I don't see the uh uh resemblance much, maybe, maybe in Andazapnapna, but certainly not in Jojita. But I mean, she she probably knows uh better than I do.

SPEAKER_05 12:55

I think uh she knows which of the Archie's characters she is, and she wanted a movie to be molded a certain way. So I don't necessarily think that uh I I agree with you that Andazapnapna was much more Archie's comics than uh than this one. What did you think about JJWS the first time you saw it?

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Absolutely, absolutely loved it. The lush locales, just them casually biking away, and uh the way their character uh arc uh go goes through the movie. Aisha Julka just simple sada and you know her supporting Amit throughout the movie and even Mamik, Mamik's character, so strong, the older brother, their bond throughout the movie, uh Amy's realization, everything, everything made an impact on, not to mention, you know, the fantastic cycle race at the end.

SPEAKER_05 13:45

For sure. And for me, I uh as I think about the movie some more, the cuteness of the love story, right? There is something to be said for, we are of course from a previous generation. Uh, the way Ratan falls in love, they're exchanging love notes in uh tiffin boxes and uh how Amir sets them up. Amir sets them up. There's a sweetness to that love story, there's a sweetness to Ayesha's love for Amir, which is clear from the very beginning. And Amir goes through his journey before he realizes how much she loves him and how much he loves her in return. But there is such it's such a cute, it's not just the song. I think there are the themes around that first love, the puppy love definitely carries the movie uh through and through. All right, Neelima, let's do our next segment.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

Yeah, next segment, Bakisa First Class. Just go through uh what other movies released in '92. 92, yeah, like I said, was the era that uh the Khan era began. But it was also a stacked year at the box office. Jojita came at number seven. Number one. Number one. I mean, we we I think we have an affinity towards uh movies that didn't do well on the first release, but you know, still still stand strong so many years later.

SPEAKER_05 15:14

That's why you do the podcast, right? You want to re-watch movies that stood the test of time, irrespective of the box office result back in the day, no doubt.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

So, number one in 92 was beta. Anil Kapoor, Madri Dikshet, Indar Kumar directing, Anand Milin providing music, pure mass entertainment.

SPEAKER_05 15:34

Yeah, we are not re-watching beta till we get to maybe movie number 5000. Let's move on.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Yeah, maybe some people would want to watch Dhak Karnilaga. Please go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 15:45

Yeah, YouTube the song. That's all you need to see from that movie.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

Number two was Divana, SRK's debut, Rishi Kapoor, Divya Bharati. Number three was Kudagawa, Amitabh Sri Devi, Epic, The Location in Afghanistan.

SPEAKER_05 16:01

We have to do a Kudagawa rewatch, no doubt, yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

And then Sholar or Shabnam, uh, Govinda and Diviya Bharati, Comedy, Chaos. I don't recall watching it then.

SPEAKER_05 16:10

I I don't know if I don't either. Which but it does remind us we have to do a Govinda movie soon because he's probably underrated. I mean, he's and we we do all these movies, and every year the one or two the biggest box office movies are Govinda movies.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Anything he touched would be gold in the 90s, definitely. One more movie worth mentioning in 92 was Kiladi, Akshekumar's breakout movie, Abbas Mastan's first breakout hit. Aisha Julka and Deepakti Jori also co-starred in that movie. The same Aisha Julka and Deepakti Jori who were in Jojita, two completely different films. So this is what 92 looked like. This is the company that uh Jojita was keeping.

SPEAKER_05 16:55

Yes, as we said, beta doubt we are. It's a good movie, we are not re-watching that anytime soon. Can't believe Jojita came in seventh. 30 years later, it's still the film Nilma that makes us feel 17 again. And still the film that gets discussed with a specific kind of love that very few Hindi films can generate. I mentioned this briefly earlier, Amir Khan. What a career, what an art, no doubt. Very few actors, I would say. QSQT, rich boy, Raj in a wealthy family, Romeo and Juliet in the Hills. That was what, 88? And then 92, JJWS, poor boy, Sanju from model school on the wrong side of the tracks in Deradun. And you said this perfectly: the conviction, the desire for perfection, the no coasting, no repeating himself. I know he gets some flack lately about doing a movie where he's the forest gump of sorts and he's done PK and and uh Lal Singh Chad direct. He's he's starting to typecast himself in our humble opinion, but back in the day, just the depth, the conviction, all of that big kudos to him.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Yeah. Just to add to your list, Bharat, Rang De Basanti, Dangal, Sarfarush, Tare Zameenpur, where he acted and directed. I mean, his script choices, his complete trust in the stories and the audience. And you know, him dedicating his time, finances, and backing projects like Lagan, Tare Zaminpur. I mean, these are qualities you rarely see in uh Indian cinema. I I think we should uh we should remember all these. He's not as flamboyant as the other Khans, but he should be celebrated more often.

SPEAKER_05 18:42

Folks, if you're listening to this, Amir Khan is generational. If you've got a long weekend, you should do an Amir Khan retro and just pick like five movies where he's done such phenomenally different characters. So for all the flack he's getting lately about trying to do the same role over and over again, we can argue that no one's given us the breadth and depth over a long career like Amir has.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

When you re-watched Joji Ta recently, what do you think holds up and what does not?

SPEAKER_05 19:11

Pahila Nasha holds up like nobody's business. If you fall in love, you're falling in love, like that song just transports you back to a different time. This has been my reflection about JJWS. For a movie that came in seventh, for a movie that wasn't a big hit back in the day, it is the OG coming-of-age movie. It is the OG sports movie. JJWS was a good, what, decade before Chuck Day and uh Bag Milka and now Dhoni, you name it, there's 1983, so many sports movies. It is a barrier-breaking, milestone-making movie on so many fronts. I have just fallen in love with JJWS all over again.

SPEAKER_02 20:02

Totally agree. And here's what I kept coming back to the things that have aged are just peripheral. Thing that still holds is the core, the strong emotional core of the movie.

SPEAKER_05 20:11

Yes, and uh, I was looking up uh Jatin Lalith's filmography. Fun fact, Jatin Lalith have never won the Filmfare Award for best direct music director. I'm like, how is that possible?

SPEAKER_01 20:26

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:27

How is that possible? So unfortunately for them, the problem is you cannot argue with the pics. So 1993, you were singing Divana's song again, so they lose to Nadim Shrevin for Divana. The next big, big hit that you think about with Jatin Lalit is uh DDLJ, of course. Yeah. Yeah. They lose to Rangila. Personally, like Kamoshi should not be losing to Raja Hindustani. Okay. So 97 they they they get nominated for Kamoshi, they lose to uh they lose to Raja Hindustani. I'm like, come on, guys. Like then in 1999, they get nominated twice for two movies and Pyarta Hona Hita, and they lose to Dilsay.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

So these guys got sandwiched.

SPEAKER_05 21:24

These guys got sandwiched between so, and then in between all this, they give one to R.D. Burman posthumously for 1942 a love story, right? So unfortunately, they got sandwiched between Peak Nadeev Shravan, Rangila, and Raya Rahman going into his peak. So I again, I don't think like the movie, some of the elements of the movie don't get the love it deserves. But Jatin Lalit, absolutely phenomenal career, and uh what what an amazing soundtrack.

SPEAKER_02 21:55

And then there is Udit Narain, the relation between Amir and Udit Narain, one of the Greatest uh singer-actor partnership during our time, certainly. Udit became Amir's voice, the combination was so perfect. I I think the defining period of Amir's career was Udit doing his playback. And by 92, Udit was at the peak of his powers and what he does in uh Jojita, breathtaking.

SPEAKER_05 22:22

Breathtaking. Udit Narayan for Amir Khan is a match made in heaven.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

Heaven, absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 22:29

Take us to our next segment.

SPEAKER_02 22:35

So let's go through the songs of the movie in the order that they appear. The first one being Yahake Hamsikandar, Udit Narayan Sadhna Sargam, opening anthem. Rajput College Boys Riding Down the Mall Road. Even the arrogance. I mean, yeah, you really love the way it's been picturized. Uh the album opens here with the swagger of the Rajput boys. Yeah. The second song is Sheherki Pario ke Piche Udit Narain and Sadna Sargam. It's Anjali's take on Sanju's hankering for girls like Devika. Third, Mahila Nasha. Uh yeah, I don't need to say anymore. The one that stopped the generation. Farah Khan stepped in as uh principal choreographer as uh Saraj Khan was unavailable. And then came the intercollege uh music festival.

SPEAKER_05 23:55

And I think there are three songs that go straight into that, right?

SPEAKER_02 23:58

Yeah. It kind of reminded me of the music competition songs from Hamki Sise Kamnihi. I think this is like a sing feature. Your celebration. And then the album closes with Root K Hamseika Bhi, my my personal favorite, quiet, aching melody.

unknown 24:49

Root key hamseika.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

It still makes me, it makes my eyes swell up when I listen to some of the lyrics that are in this song. Like very touching.

SPEAKER_05 25:02

Yes, but the whole movie is anchored by Paela Nasha. No doubt about that. One of Chaya's favorite songs of all time is I think if she can listen to Paela Nasha and Mate Mantramu back to back for the rest of her life, she'll just go back and forth between them. Yeah. Yes. So a fun um story about Paela Nasha. So I used to have a nice stereo in my room, and um uh my college roommate was uh dating and starting to fall in love, who was uh going to med school a good uh four hours from our college. And of course, we were listening to Pelanasha. I mean, it's the perfect love anthem, right? Like, yeah, he would miss her. It was playing, I don't know, every waking moment in the room. And he would on some days wake up at four in the morning because he had to catch the train. There was a 5 a.m. train that would get there around 8:39 o'clock. He would spend the day with her and come back around midnight. So he'd wake up at four in the morning and he would start getting ready. He's showering, he's shaving, he's ironing his clothes, and the entire hour back and forth. Palanasha is just playing continuously because I guess it's getting him in the mood, and I would be cursing him about like first of all, getting woken up, uh, you know, the night before you're drinking plain cuts, whatever. Right? So you've already had a long night, but uh it was such a that song. Yeah, I mean, you can even wake up to that song, it's so perfect, it's so melodic.

SPEAKER_10 26:40

Even at 4:30 in the morning, yes.

SPEAKER_05 26:42

At four in the morning, but all's well that ends well, they're happily married, they live in Atlanta, three wonderful kids. So a little quick Pelanasha brought uh lovers together.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

Together, yeah. So so good to hear that. Let's move on to our next section, Kismutka Kale. For this film, Kismuth played its hand more times than almost any movie we've covered so far. Starting with Girija Sheltar, who was originally cast as Anjali. And after the first schedule, she was replaced by Aisha Jutka. We don't know the reasons, but maybe only Mani Ratnam saw in her what no one else could see. Would she have brought the same freshness, the same absence of cinematic baggage to Anjali? My honest answer is a big yes. It would have been a more uh unguarded, raw Anjali. Girija would have made Anjali more than just a supporting act.

SPEAKER_05 27:38

When you see the song Arayaron during the college festival, you see the original Gita Anjali, the energy that Girija brings, even though she's in an ensemble dance on the stage, she just has a very peppy, energetic persona.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

Yes, right?

SPEAKER_05 27:58

And uh I think Ayesha Jilka did a took a very different approach. Maybe that's what the script wanted. Even the love that she feels, the the way she writes in her diaries, the character, the way she's developed. I think she's she did a really good job for this role where her her task was not to make her presence felt in an overt way.

SPEAKER_02 28:22

Maybe that's what the script uh needed, uh that's what the director demanded.

SPEAKER_05 28:27

And I think so. I think well done with bringing Ayesha Julka. I'm totally on board with that. We heard Akshay Kumar was uh considered for the movie too, right? The Deepakti Jori's role as the villain. Maybe that would have worked, but then in that case, we're like, okay, like Akshay Kumar ain't losing Drahmir Khan in a bicycle race.

SPEAKER_02 28:45

Yeah, yeah, he's not. He's not.

SPEAKER_05 28:48

So I guess it all panned out.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

What do you think? I mean, uh, what would have happened if Milan Soman played as I mean, they retained Milan Soman as Shaker.

SPEAKER_05 28:56

We we love our models, but uh but we have to wait till uh Meher Jesia's husband comes on the scene before we give models their due. For Arjun Rampal to be recognized, uh it it took what a good 10 years before Raw came out. Uh but here's the here's the thing I was thinking about. I think Joe Jita can be a thousand percent remade in uh 2026, 2027. They will bring an energy to that movie, the bike scenes will be much more realistic, they'll probably do it in some kind of real racetrack with real motorcycles. They can absolutely up-level the movie in in many ways. Yes, the innocent love story of the early 90s, some of those aspects would be.

SPEAKER_02 29:46

They're hard to recreate.

SPEAKER_05 29:48

Yes, they are hard to recreate, but it's uh it's a sports movie, it's a coming-of-age movie. I think it can be totally redone in 26, 27. If you're going to remake this movie, please handle Pela Nasha with utmost care, folks, or you will have you will you will hear from a lot of fans. Be very careful when you go near that song. But what do you think? If we made the movie again today, who who might be your picks for uh some of the actors?

SPEAKER_02 30:17

Um, I'm not too familiar with uh the newcomers, Bharat, but here are my picks from my limited exposure to latest Hindi movies. For Sanju, Vedang Rena. He looks cute and endearing. I can totally see him playing Sanju. For Anjali, Anit Kodda. Grounded, real, and cute. For Devika, Ananya Pandey.

SPEAKER_06 30:42

Oh no, oh yes, oh no, oh yes, the grammar is there.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

Not sure she would accept such a role, but she would be perfect for that. The wor the world that Devika inhabits is right there with her. I would love to see Adash Garo. The intensity, intelligence, the ability to make you feel the weight of being someone who wins and still doesn't feel like a winner. White Tiger, all the way.

SPEAKER_05 31:10

I'm having to look up some of these people. Oh yeah, I know Adarshgar. All right.

SPEAKER_02 31:13

Adashgaro is from White Tiger, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_05 31:16

Yes, fair enough, fair enough.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

Yeah, good page. For the director, uh, either Kiran Rao or Gori Shindek, they would keep the movie rooted, stay true to the story instead of going all glam and losing the plot in the process.

SPEAKER_05 31:28

I like that you're giving the helm to a female director because somewhere deep down you don't want to lose the heart of the movie, right? Which is the innocence and the coming of age. You have to you have to balance that very well. In some ways, there's a trickle of Lapata ladies in that, right? The innocence of the characters and and some of the coming of age of one of the main main protagonists. So all of that makes sense. What do you think? What's the name of the girl who is the young bride in La Pata ladies?

SPEAKER_02 32:00

Nitanchi. Nitanchi Goel. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 32:02

Nitanchi Goel. I think she would be a great picture.

SPEAKER_02 32:05

She would be a great Anjali. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 32:06

Great Anjali. But no, let's not debate uh Pooja Badis. What a perfect casting. Aranya Pandey. All right, let's we are good. Uh uh Aranya probably has more acting jobs now than Puja. To Pooja Bade's credit, when uh I re-watched the movie, she actually did a pretty good job of acting in the role. So, I mean, she was just cast around much better actors, but um and she was very young, I think.

SPEAKER_02 32:37

She was very young when the movie released. So for her age and for her experience, I think she did a decent job in the movie.

SPEAKER_05 32:44

Yes, and uh again, uh just the courage to pull off a Marilyn Monroe during the Pelanasha song. Absolutely. Uh mad props for for being able to pull that off. All right, Neilma. It's time for uh our last segment where we pick some of our favorite scenes from the movie. Uh, this is the CT Mar segment.

SPEAKER_02 33:12

My first uh CT Mar moment. This is not exactly a CT Mar, but one of my personal favorites the laid-back, aimless nature of Sanju and his friends that we are introduced to in the first song, Ya Kamsi Kandar, their camaraderie. And when Sanju runs into them after ditching them for Devikan, they immediately understand their assignment and they hype him.

SPEAKER_05 33:48

We all should have and deserve friends like those who are so in sync with us. Yes, right. What a great thing. That scene cracks me up too. And they don't move miss a beat, there is no Ishara going back and forth. They quickly understand the situation and the stakes. Love it. Uh, my first pick, the opening scene, the very first scene, Ratan in that bike race, just the fact that they were shooting a bike race, the the he loses that, he loses that by just a fraction. And the whole movie is immediately set up, right?

SPEAKER_02 34:27

The injustice, the haves versus have no Kurubushinkar Bandha saying, No, I mean, when Nasrani says, you know, he almost won, but but then he says, you know, it's winning that mat matters.

SPEAKER_05 35:01

The first time he says, Jojita Vahisi Kandar.

SPEAKER_02 35:10

My second favorite scene is uh uh the backdrop uh during Root King Hamse Kabhi. Sanju realizing how much he loves his brother, their bond, the family dynamics. When young Ratan wins multiple trophies and his dad is adoring him while ignoring, you know, the poor single trophy that Sanju brought. Sanju and Ratan's innocent and beautiful bond. So natural relatable. I always tear up whenever I listen to these lines. My second favorite.

SPEAKER_05 35:47

I love it. My second favorite. And this one is also very closer to home where Sanju is having dinner with his brother and dad. And of course, I didn't have a brother growing up, but the scene where the dad is absolutely chastising him for like getting bad scores, bad everything.

SPEAKER_06 36:25

But he's so shameless. He walks over to his girlfriend's house and he shows up and he says And then it's so cute the way she feeds him.

SPEAKER_05 36:42

Just uh let's just say I have uh personally l lived that moment many, many times in my life.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

My third pick is the final race, the the greatest uh sporting climax. I I I just love the background score of the of that race. The final scene when Sanju races ahead of Shaker, your heart skips a beat. It's it's pure goosebumps. The screen freezing over Sanju with the trophy, no, you know, no drama after he wins instead of the usual filmy reactions. It seems Aisha Julka's shot for this scene despite a serious head injury. So full props to her professionalism. So she's wearing a cap there to hide her injury there.

SPEAKER_05 37:35

I think Aisha Julka deserves more credit for the restrained way in which she's done this role. It's hard to do favorite scenes of Jojita without uh giving Pahlaan Asha its its own credit. I recently, when I re-watched it, I was like, wow, this whole song is actually in slow motion. Yeah. And uh then I had to look it up that it is one of the few songs in Hindi cinema that have been shot entirely in slow motion. I think it was a third or fourth song by that time. Alright, Neilma, some closing thoughts about uh JJWS.

SPEAKER_02 38:11

Yeah, just just two things. First thing, Amir Khan, what I love about his performance is this is the opposite of what QSKT gave us. Raj was romantic, self-sacrificing, noble. Sanju is lazy, selfish, irresponsible, but completely lovable anyway. The second is Mansur Khan. He he made QSQT, one of the great directorial debuts in uh Hindi cinema. And then he came back with Joshita, completely different film, a completely different world, and delivered again. That is extraordinary. And Hindi cinema did not make enough of him. Both these movies have aged very well, in my opinion. That's because of their strong emotional core. Mansoor can please direct one more movie.

SPEAKER_05 38:56

Please, please come back. It's been 20 plus years, I think, since Josh came out. For me, great points around just Amir and Mansur, no doubt. Two reasons for me, you picked a couple reasons, I'll pick a couple as well. Number one, there was no coming of age movie that I remember that was around young people going through this journey, the romance, being unformed and trying to figure out who you are. So every and you could think of some of the coming of age. You mentioned Rangde Basanti earlier, I mentioned Dilchatae, Dil Chatae, Rangde Basanti, Wake Up Sid, Udan, Lakshir, Yejavani, Hedivani. They all I think owe something to Mansur Khan and the hills of Dehera Dun from '92. So number one, OG coming of age. Number two, sports film. Again, Lagan, Chakda India, Bhag Milka, Dangal, Merikom, 83, a whole genre built on around sports. And but this was we didn't make too many sports movies. And the other thing, the gumption to make a sports movie around bicycling, again, kudos to those guys. So the OG-ness of coming of it, the OG-ness of being a sports movie, even for me, Joji Tat basic in the absolutely rewatchable because I think it still sets the standard for so many movies that have come after that. Alright, Neilima. So for next week, the uh it's like we can't we can't keep up with demand. But people are like, all right, dude, when is the first Amitab movie gonna come? And uh you and I have been debating uh do we do a classic Amitab or do we do an Amitab favorite? So we are gonna stick to our guns. We are going to do an Amitab film, but a little bit I would say hotke.

SPEAKER_04 40:46

Jisni pa cheese baras, apni mako, haros tora, tora, martede ka ho se modse kyardar lagega.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

Maho bate bade babaki until next week.

SPEAKER_05 41:05

Absolutely, Neilma. It was a joy, a lot of fun. Folks, keep the feedback coming. We appreciate all the feedback. If you have any suggestions for movies, you can reach us at uh after the interval podcast at gmail.com. Until then, Nilma Albidah. Have a great rest of the week.