The Jeff & Ishan Show #13 – Raazi

Just dropped! Our review of Raazi, a 2018 (2026 Netflix) Hindi-language period spy thriller starring Alia Bhatt, Rajit Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal, written by Bhavani Iyer & Meghna Gulzar, and directed by Meghna Gulzar, based on the novel Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka, streaming now on Netflix. Rated MA-14. Our original theme music by Ano Malee.

“It’s a TV-14 rated drama set during the leadup to the India-Pakistan War of 1971, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence. Most Americans don’t have a clue about this, or that Bangladesh used to be part of Pakistan, even though it’s about 1400 miles away on the other side of India, except for maybe The Concert for Bangladesh organized
by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison, held at Madison Square Garden in 1971 . . . I wasn’t really sold. It felt a little over-the-top, not quite realistic. It just it didn’t really speak to me that much. I couldn’t really get it.

Jatra Shots – Godspeed, Rahul

Rahul as Ajit in Byomkesh Gotro, 2018

Ishan and I were saddened to hear of Bengali film star Rahul Banerjee’s tragic passing while shooting his TV series this week. I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with him when I lived in Kolkata in 2018. Durga Puja was in full swing, and I was researching contemporary jatra as part of my Fulbright work. The producers of the Subhalakshmi Opera jatra company, with whom I spent some time, were gracious enough to allow me to sit in on some early rehearsals for their new show, with the cast still in their street clothes. They explained to me that Rahul was a Bengali film star who would be headlining the production.

Here are some photos and video that I shot on the rehearsal stage at the Netaji Subhash Institute. Rahul, his costar Emili Chowdhury, and the rest of the cast and onstage musicians were kind in letting me creep around them onstage and click a few shots as they rehearsed. They were all terrific, and Rahul could sing! I never intended the photos or video for public consumption, they were just for my own reference, but I feel compelled to share them.

We’re big Byomkesh Bakshi fans (the original stories and the films/TV series), so when Byomkesh Gotro premiered in October, 2018, I was one of the first in line. In addition to my seeing Rahul on the big screen for the first time, the film marked my first time seeing a movie in an Indian (Kolkata) movie theater.

The Jeff & Ishan Show #12 – 120 Bahadur

Fresh out of the oven, our review of 120 Bahadur, a 2025 Hindi-language wartime biopic starring Farhan Akhtar, Sparsh Walia and Raashii Khanna, written by Sumeet Arora and Rajiv J. Menon, and directed by Razneesh “Rhazy” Ghai, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Rated PG-13. Our original theme music by Ano Malee.

“It’s about the Battle of Rezang La which took place on a mountain pass in the Himalayas in the early 1960s when the Chinese army betrayed India. It follows the story of 120 brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives to keep thousands of Chinese soldiers out of their country. . . Most Americans don’t have a clue about this. You might think of it as having a similar place in U.S. popular memory to the Battle of the Alamo.”

Film Fest Call for Entries!

🎬 Call for Submissions — Consortium of Film and Content Creators Festival Award | London Chapter

The Institute of Engineering & Management, Kolkata, University of Engineering & Management, Bengal Heritage Foundation, Forum for Film Studies & Allied Arts, Kolkata; and SMART Society, USA, invite filmmakers and content creators worldwide to submit their entries for the Consortium of Film and Content Creators Festival Award — London Chapter.

📍 Venue of award ceremony : Historic House of Lords, London
📅 Date: 18 April 2026
🕕 Time: 6 PM onwards (followed by dinner)

This international platform celebrates outstanding films and creative content that inspire, inform, and make an impact. If you have a powerful story to tell, this is your chance to showcase it on a global stage.

🔗 Submit here: https://cfccf.smartsociety.org/register

🎥 Let your film be seen. Let your story be heard.

NYU Fulbright Reception

Such a wonderful and reenergizing time at the New York University Fulbright Reception today meeting international Fulbright students from around the world and US faculty like me, sharing stories about our experiences and the ongoing impact they’re having on our personal and professional growth. Thank you, NYU Changemaker Center and NYU Office of Global Awards for the experience and the new friendships (and the delicious meal).