Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai Review – An Amusing Take on a Nightmarish Phase!

Previous to Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai, Anurag Kashyap’s previous outing with Netflix (Ghost Stories) didn’t turn out the way anyone expected and failed to create an impact in the psychological-horror genre. Coupled with the conclusion of Sacred Games 2, my expectations for this movie are low also because the track record of Netflix India’s original content in 2020 is pathetic, to say the least. So, with the entire nation dealing with a new set of problems every day, does Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai serve as a nice little distraction? Yes! Without a doubt.

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With Saiyami Kher and Roshan Mathew as our lead protagonists, Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai details the journey of a typical middle-class family, where an employed, diligent wife constantly gets into fights with his unemployed husband on a day-to-day basis. However, their lives change for the better, or the worse, when the wife keeps discovering anonymous money bills in her clogged-up kitchen sink, which has a different story altogether. The remainder of the film showcases how this copious amount of cash direct them to uncanny situations from start to finish.

One of the more entertaining aspects of Choked is its unique storyline and the fascinating timeline it takes place in. As the movie’s narrative kicks off around October 2016, it is apparent, judging by the setting at least, there had to be some mention about Modiji’s “masterstroke” known notoriously as the black day of the Indian economy, and in more modest terms – the demonetization. However, to my surprise, the movie structured its entire primary theme around our Prime Minister banning the 500 and 1000 rupee bills overnight.

Showcasing the opposite side of the coin, the movie focused more on the initial reactions of the middle-class families and the amount of trauma and nonsense that they endured through to live their lives peacefully. Adding more on the entertainment side of things, the humor worked for the most part, only because we now knew how the entire stint was maneuvered as corrupt politicians still managed to find a way out, despite PM’s abrupt statement.

Taking a detour to the negative side of things, the entire 114-minute run time did not do the film many favors, especially when you understand the direction it’s heading to. And with a clear-cut, straightforward narrative, the film stalls regularly or gets muddled against repetitive scenes, which should have been trimmed in the cutting room floor. Additionally, pacing plays an imperative role predominantly in thrillers/dramas, to keep up the momentum and the viewers on the edge of their seats, however, Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai certainly had a few issues maintaining that pace through its entirety regularly.

The performances and the character development of the lead cast serve as supplemental positives substantially when the film focuses on the lives of these individuals. Saiyami Kher plays the primary protagonist, and she knocks the ball out-of-the-park with her exceptional ability to act, which we’ve only seen to a limited extent in her 2016 Bollywood debut – Mirzya. Her character was well fleshed out and the writer, Nihit Bhave, had brief explanations about why she regularly choke at the right moment.

Roshan Mathew as her husband, plays the opposite, of who Saiyami is in terms of personality, attitude, and discipline. Their prolonged discussions and the lack of understanding between both their roles as parents and as a couple added more authenticity to their characters through and through.

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Overall, Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai is an amusing take on the nightmarish conditions we, as a nation, went through during the 2016 demonetization phase. Nihit Bhave elegantly weaves a complete thriller around this theme which had its own set of problems. However, powerful performances keep the film enjoyable alongside Anurag Kashyap’s decent directorial job. This is a step in the right direction for Netflix cause this film ticks all the boxes required for a casual weekend watch. Watch ‘Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai’ on Netflix here.‘

Rating – 3.25/5 | Grade – B

Images via Netflix