Better Call Paul

Better Call Paul

Hosted by former Marvel entertainment lawyer Paul Sarker and entertainment enthusiast Mesh Lakhani, Better Call Paul will delve into the business and legal issues at play behind the glitz and glam. This show takes you beyond the catchy headlines to find out what’s really at play behind the scenes and gives you an introduction to the business side of show business.

Episodes

March 27, 2024 42 mins
Paul and Mesh dive into the latest sports legal news, starting with a potential gambling scandal involving Baseball’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, whose former interpreter allegedly racked up $4.5M in gambling debts. They then discuss UFC's recent antitrust lawsuit settlement with former fighters and examine its potential impact on the sport. Wrapping up, they discuss Reddit's successful IPO and ponder the company's future. Learn m...
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This week, Paul interviews very special guest Rishika Jikaria, a lawyer who is also a rising star in the world of dance. Rishika and her sisters turned their lifelong passion for dance into a viral sensation during the pandemic and grew their following on TikTok to over 600,000. Using this platform, they have expanded into branding deals, endorsements and live performances all while balancing prestigious corporate careers. Rishika ...
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March 13, 2024 29 mins
Paul and a very special guest, Jessica David, discuss and recap the Oscars - who won, who looked great, and who stole the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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March 6, 2024 6 secs
We'll be back next week with a new episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Paul and Mesh kick off the episode with a deep dive into Warner Brothers Discovery's earnings report, highlighting the fact that while streaming was profitable (a first for a major studio), other aspects of the report were mixed. They then turn their attention to OpenAI's debut of Sora, its incredible text-to-video product, and discuss its potential to impact Hollywood. Finally, they analyze Kylian Mbappé’s anticipated move from Pa...
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Paul and Mesh start by revealing the upcoming theme of the Met Gala. They then provide a box office update, reflecting on Madame Web’s underwhelming performance and the overall sluggishness in the past few weeks. Shifting gears, they dive into Disney’s introduction of X-Men and Fantastic Four into the MCU and whether it can reignite excitement and recapture the magic for fans. Finally, they analyze Roku’s recent earnings and its pe...
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Paul and Mesh dive into the future of sports content distribution, exploring how networks and leagues are shifting towards streaming and potentially disrupting the entire cable business. They also analyze Disney's recent collaboration with Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, who will begin to incorporate Disney’s intellectual property in a metaverse. To wrap up, Paul sheds light on the potential for an IATSE strike as their deal ...
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Paul and Mesh kick things off with a preview of Superbowl LVIII which will stream on Paramount+ and be broadcast on CBS, both of which are Paramount properties, and they discuss Byron Allen’s recent $30B bid for Paramount Global. Next, they recap the early reviews on Apple’s latest gadget, the Vision Pro headset, and ponder whether its cutting-edge technology will lead to mainstream adoption. Finally, they discuss UK lawmakers' eff...
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In this week's episode of BCP, Paul and Mesh delve into their Oscar predictions and snubs. They then discuss the recent updates to the DGA's agreement with the AMPTP, including a streaming success bonus which is comparable to what the WGA secured, despite the DGA not having to strike. Finally, they break down the latest earnings report from Comcast, highlighting Peacock's remarkable subscriber spike fueled by having the first ever ...
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On the heels of the Golden Globes, Paul and Mesh kick things off with a recap of the Emmys and the Critic’s Choice Awards before previewing some of the most-anticipated films at Sundance. Next, they discuss Reddit’s revisiting its IPO plans and what the implications might be for owners and users alike. Finally, they discuss a recent trend of layoffs to start 2024 in the tech industry and wonder whether they are a cause for concern....
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In this episode of Better Call Paul, hosts Paul and Mesh open with the latest scoop on Tom Cruise's groundbreaking deal with Warner Brother Discovery to develop and produce movies. They then shift gears to provide a comprehensive recap of the Golden Globes, highlighting the standout moments and winners. The episode concludes with a fascinating exploration of the hottest trends at CES, focusing on the SAG AFTRA agreement with Replic...
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Paul and Mesh begin with a recap of Broadway’s strong finish to 2023 and then delve into the latest rumored replacement for Jonathan Majors in the MCU. Next, they shift to Paramount's exploration of a potential sale and why it might be attractive to a variety of media players and platforms. Wrapping up, Paul shares his legal and pop culture perspective on the recent drama between Aaron Rogers and Jimmy Kimmel that started on Pat Mc...
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January 3, 2024 39 mins
Paul and Mesh kick off the new year with the second annual Paulies! Listen as they recap the best stories from 2023 as they run through their nominees and winners from the categories including: Best Movie, Best TV Show, Best Streaming Service, Biggest Lawsuit and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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December 27, 2023 36 mins
This week, Paul interviews Oz Krakowski, the Chief Revenue Officer of Deepdub.ai. Deepdub.ai leverages AI to create localized versions of films and television shows. Paul and Oz discuss AI generally, and safeguards that can be put in place to ensure that actors have meaningful consent rights and the opportunity to earn compensation from the use of their likeness (or dialog) in new works.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
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December 20, 2023 38 mins
This week, Paul interviews a very special guest, Melanie Chandra. Melanie is a former Mckinsey & Co. consultant and beauty queen who has followed her dream to become a model, actress, writer and producer. Paul and Melanie discuss her journey, her take on the challenges facing actors and writers today, how she kept busy during a dual SAG and WGA strike, and some of the differences between being an actor and a producer. Finally, Mela...
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In this week’s episode, Paul and Mesh discuss the latest GTA 6 trailer along with Netflix’s plan to bring the GTA trilogy to its gaming platform. Paul then breaks down a wire fraud case involving the Jacksonville Jaguars, where $22M was embezzled by the manager of financial planning. They end with the NCAA’s potential new plan to allow schools to pay college athletes directly for the first time in college sports history. Learn more...
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This week, Paul and Mesh begin by jamming about whether the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals will generate streaming subscriber growth and looking forward to the Wonka release amid a slow November for the box office. They then dive into a copyright lawsuit brought against a major talent agency and studio over Ad Astra which was tossed last week. Finally, they end with a discussion of SAG’s proposed agreement whose ratification v...
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This week, Paul and Mesh banter about Thanksgiving before diving into an update of the recent suit between streamers over exclusive rights to SouthPark. Next, they discuss the whirlwind involving Cassie’s salacious lawsuit against Sean Combs which was settled and silenced within a day. Finally, Paul breaks down the FCC’s recent adoption of final rules to help prevent discrimination in broadband access across the U.S. and what some ...
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In this week's episode, Paul and Mesh begin with a celebration of Diwali and a discussion of the 33rd installment in the MCU, The Marvels, which, despite a hefty budget, has failed to live up to Marvel’s lofty box office standards. They then delve into the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike, first discussing the concessions that SAG was able to negotiate from the AMPTP (e.g., increased minimum compensation, pension and health contr...
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 this week's episode, Paul and Mesh reflect on the tragic loss of Friends star Matthew Perry. They delve into a few high-profile examples of celebrities criticizing AI, highlighting voices like Nicholas Cage and Tim Burton. Paul breaks down the recent Executive Order issued by President Biden which addresses the safe use of AI and attempts to provide a framework which allows development while mitigating risk. Finally, they provide ...
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