Watch | Why Crying Isn’t Always Connection | Pathos Overload | Frequently Made Mistakes Episode 4

Everyone loves a good cry—but when does emotion stop feeling honest and start feeling manipulative? In this episode of Frequently Made Mistakes, filmmaker Sudhish Kamath breaks down the problem of pathos overload — when movies drown in melodrama instead of building meaningful emotional arcs.

Case Study: Laal Singh Chaddha — A film with the potential of Forrest Gump, but caught in a loop of trauma without triumph.

We explore:

• What pathos really means in film

• How to evoke emotion without emotional blackmail

• Why characters need dignity, not just tragedy

• Fixes that could’ve saved Laal Singh Chaddha

Plus: A screenwriting exercise to flip sad scenes with levity

Examples of movies that got the balance right: Anand, Iqbal, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Life is Beautiful, and more.