The Long Take with Akhil, Rohan & Devika

Epizodai

• 
  Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar 12.10.2026 27min

  Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar is a frustratingly illogical police procedural that ruins an engaging premise by burying it under an avalanche of unearned twists.We discuss the film’s baffling disregard for realism, which repeatedly sacrifices basic police procedures just to serve its protagonist. We also talk about how the script bends backwards to transform Parvathy’s rookie character into an infallible mastermind, leading to absurd narrative leaps.Additionally, we point out how underdeveloped the entire cast feels, including the dull characterisation of Vijayaraghavan’s lead investigator.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Bethlehem Kudumba Unit 07.10.2026 31min

  Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, the new Malayalam film starring Nivin Pauly, is a brilliantly localised, laugh-out-loud rom-com that has become the highest-grossing Malayalam movie of all time.We discuss the film’s respectfully handled age-gap romance, praising how the narrative gives Mamitha’s character the agency to initiate the relationship. We also dive into director Girish A.D.’s masterful visual storytelling, Nivin Pauly’s triumphant return to his “boy-next-door” roots, and the highly specific cultural context of Angamaly church units that grounds the humour.Along the way, we highlight the film’s hilarious reliance on Kerala meme culture—including the brilliant meta-casting of the “Convincing Star”—and applaud the genius marketing stunt where the film was jokingly promoted as the “behind-the-scenes footage” for a short released on YouTube.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Don’t Be Shy 29.09.2026 26min

  Don’t Be Shy, the new Prime Video original movie directed by Sreeti Mukerji and produced by Alia Bhatt, is a coming-of-age drama that fundamentally undercooks its characters.We discuss how the film’s bloated, two-hour-plus runtime wastes the potential of its unlikable protagonist and buries meaningful character development under unnecessary musical numbers and low-stakes college fest drama. We also talk about the frustratingly dated, millennial-coded writing that relies on tired “gym bro” tropes, superficial relationships, and corporate internship aspirations.Along the way, we lament the underutilisation of Kunaal Roy Kapur’s professor character, question the afterthought inclusion of chapter markers, and wonder when Bollywood will finally level up to the standard of Hollywood coming-of-age films from the 2000s, let alone the modern era.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Lust Stories 3 18.09.2026 36min

  Lust Stories 3, the new Netflix anthology featuring films from Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra, and Vishal Bhardwaj, is an uneven collection that mostly wastes its stellar ensemble cast.We discuss the frustratingly derivative nature of Batra’s divorce drama, Rao’s contrived thriller complete with an unnecessary twist, Motwane’s confused exploration of partner swapping, and Bhardwaj’s whimsical 1980s segment. We also talk about the anthology’s inability to tell a grounded slice-of-life story without shoehorning in extreme dramatic plot devices.Along the way, we question why Netflix forces these disconnected shorts together into a single movie instead of releasing them as television episodes.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups 08.09.2026 35min

  Instead of a gritty, remorseful gangster saga, Toxic is an exhausting 194-minute ego trip for its lead star, Yash.We discuss the clash of visions between director Geetu Mohandas’s attempt at an emotional father-son remorse drama and Yash’s demand for high-octane KGF-style star worship. Naturally, the film collapses under the weight of its conflicting ambitions.We also talk about the baffling visual language, its performative gender dynamics, and the claustrophobic close-ups that make a ₹500 crore budget look like cheap AI slop.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Main Vaapas Aaunga 22.08.2026 26min

  After the success of Amar Singh Chamkila, Imtiaz Ali returns with Main Vaapas Aaunga—a film that desperately wants to build a timeless love story, but forgets to make its lead characters believable.We discuss the movie’s sanitised and one-dimensional depiction of Partition trauma, the bizarre inclusion of stand-up comedy monologues, and question Ali’s “political reawakening”.Along the way, we talk about the disastrous casting of lead actor Vedang Raina, how the film treats historical trauma like a Wikipedia checklist, and why Naseeruddin Shah effortlessly outclasses everyone despite being bedridden.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  The Odyssey 01.08.2026 37min

  Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey serves as a massive anti-war critique of the insatiable appetites of men and the erosion of trust.From useless suitors to disgraced conquerors, and from Agamemnon’s bloody fate to the dishonour trailing Odysseus’ crew everywhere they go, the film isn’t subtle about its themes.We also talk about the terrifyingly atmospheric hell scene, contrast the stunning visual spectacle with its rushed pacing in parts, and question why the dialogue swings wildly between cryptic symbolism and super basic hand-holding.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Satluj 27.07.2026 41min

  Satluj traces the long battle human rights activist Jaswant Singh Kalra fought to uncover the insidious violence embedded in ’90s Punjab—and just like its protagonist, the biopic too fought its own battle to release.We discuss Honey Trehan’s documentary-like realism, the film’s uncompromising, eerie atmosphere, and its uncompromising visuals of dread and fear that establish the sheer horror of police brutality—including a scene that rivals Inglourious Basterds in pure tension.We also debate the film’s sharp tonal pivot into a police procedural, the decision to show Khalra’s torture, as well as the characterisation of the titular figure—does Satluj do a good job of separating the man from the myth?—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Devika Sreekumar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Dug Dug 07.05.2026 20min

  Dug Dug, the long-delayed satirical comedy from director Ritwik Pareek, doesn’t take its intriguing premise to the pinnacle.We discuss the film’s languid opening act that has little to do with the following hour. We also talk about its commentary on blind faith and superstition, and wonder why it doesn’t train its targets on bigger enemies, choosing instead to punch down.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Apex 29.04.2026 18min

  Apex—the new Netflix survival thriller starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton—is like an anti-Australia propaganda video paid for by people still traumatised by the 2003 Cricket World Cup final.We discuss Netflix’s dedication to making instantly forgettable movies, its digitally created natural landscapes, and its by-the-numbers plot that has exactly two unexpected twists.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Samay Raina: Still Alive 18.04.2026 22min

  Samay Raina reveals his opportunistic soul in the self-aggrandising comedy special Still Alive.We discuss his decision to portray himself as a victim, to conflate the suffering of his parents with his own, and the consequences of giving in to bullies while projecting himself as a martyr.We also compare his stance to that of his fellow comedian Kunal Kamra and discuss the differences between the YouTube version and the live performance.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Mardaani 3 29.03.2026 19min

  Mardaani 3 has the same flawed feminism as its predecessors, but a larger canvas to project it on. We discuss the evolution of Rani Mukerji’s vanity project, which is coming up on nearly 15 years. We also talk about the film’s jarring third-act plot twists and Shivani Shivaji Roy’s Bond villain-esque new adversary.Along the way, we touch upon its attempts to create some sort of Avengers-type team for future instalments.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Dhurandhar: The Revenge 24.03.2026 26min

  Dhurandhar: The Revenge doubles down on everything that made the first film so controversial. The level of sycophancy on display borders on the pathetic. We discuss the film’s plodding narrative, pointless diversions, and shameless devotion to the ruling party.We also talk about plot twists that you see coming from a mile away, the protagonist’s muddled motivations, and the convenience with which certain hurdles are overcome.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Made in Korea 14.03.2026 22min

  Netflix’s new Indian original movie, Made in Korea, is a lazy excuse of a film made by an inept group of people with no idea what they’re doing.The very existence of such slop is a slap in the face of talented filmmakers who struggle for decades trying to do honest work. This is an insult not only to them, but also to audiences who pay hard-earned money to Netflix every month. Here is proof that the unemployment crisis isn’t restricted to men.We discuss the film’s clueless protagonist, her pointless motivations, and the aimless narrative that she is confined to. We also raise questions about the plausibility of such a premise, and the movie’s cartoonish attempts to “honour” Korean culture.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Subedaar 05.03.2026 19min

  Subedaar fools you into watching a ‘70s-style neo-Western about corruption and caste by presenting it as a South Indian remake.We discuss Anil Kapoor’s refreshingly muted lead performance, the film’s pointed nods to John Wick, and whether its disguised social commentary makes up for its tonal missteps.We also discuss Mona Singh and Aditya Rawal’s characters and who they represent in the context of contemporary India.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Accused 01.03.2026 24min

  Accused, the tone-deaf “feminist” film on Netflix, is the equivalent of Neha Dhupia going “It’s her choice” on Roadies.We discuss the film’s utterly misguided defence of a serial harasser, groomer, and all-around toxic human being, and its baffling attempts to pass her off as “ambitious”.We also question the film’s understanding of sexual harassment as a concept, and disapprove of anybody trying to make a movie about false allegations in a post-#MeToo world.Additionally, we poke holes in the film’s central mystery, the decision to have not one but two eccentric detectives, and an irrational villain reveal that disregards the laws of the genre.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri 25.02.2026 25min

  Once again, we find ourselves watching a Kartik Aaryan movie and wondering why…We discuss Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri’s pointless travel vlog first half, which unexpectedly transforms into a combination of Baghban and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.We also discuss the film’s awkward projection of seemingly progressive values, which happens to be filtered through a deeply regressive lens.We conclude by wondering if Croatia even knows what it has gotten itself into by inviting the Kartik Aaryans of the world to visit.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Kennedy 20.02.2026 18min

  It took three years for Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy to secure a release after its Cannes premiere, and that, too, on the D-list tier streaming service ZEE5.We discuss the film’s baffling narrative, vague rumination about corruption and power, and long stretches of inaction that don’t feel authentic to Kashyap.We also spend way too much time discussing the ill-fitting costumes of Rahul Bhat and the underused Sunny Leone, and end with unverified rumours about the movie’s long-delayed release. Hint: It had something to do with a certain ‘Bade Papa’.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Sabar Bonda 13.02.2026 17min

  Sabar Bonda, the Marathi film that won a prestigious honour at Sundance last year, is either a poetic exploration of the road not taken or a pretentious try-hard desperate to feel important.We discuss the film’s unconventional dramatic choices, the effects of its stillness, and the lacklustre quality of the central performances. We also debate its performative nature and wonder how it turned out to be so divisive.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].
• 
  Sthal 07.02.2026 22min

  Sthal, the Marathi-language feature from debutante director Jayant Digambar Somalkar, is one of the best films of 2025.It’s a deftly written, confidently shot, and expertly performed psychological drama about the commodification of women.We discuss the anger at the film’s core, its bleak view of Indian society, and the catharsis it provides with an instant-classic climax.—Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar, The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider donating if you enjoy our work.The Long Take is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Overcast, Pandora, RadioPublic, iHeart Radio, YouTube Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow The Long Take on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube. Write to us at [email protected].