‘Choked’ review: Lacks the Anurag Kashyap magic

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Cast: Saiyami Kher, Roshan Mathew, Amruta Subhash

Rating: 2.5/5

Choked begins with the trademark visuals of an Anurag Kashyap film. We see Mumbai’s famous fast-paced life, the overcrowded local trains and people dreaming of 'ache din' inside dingy, crumbling apartments.

The Kashyap touch is apparent but you don’t get the feel associated with this maverick director. The premise is interesting. A bank cashier (Saiyami Kher), in a rocky relationship with her jobless and irresponsible husband (Roshan Mathew), finds a secret route to limitless money one night.

Kashyap’s simplistic treatment of the first-act is a let-down. The drama lacks the crackling energy associated with his films. The first-half sporadically springs to life with satirical humour, which is one of the many strong points of the director. The couple’s back-story of being gifted musicians isn’t properly fleshed out.

The mystery angle of the story required a darker mood. The film’s best scene is when the country learns about demonetisation. A Tamil kuthu song injects a burst of energy as ‘Choked’ shows one section of people celebrating the Indian prime minister’s move while the other section faces chaos and confusion.

We sit straight to expect better things from the movie but it turns out to be a small surprise as ‘Choked’ slips back to its passive mode.

Politics has always found a significant place in Kashyap’s films but his die-hard fans will be disappointed to see the film not making any bold statements.

Performances form the backbone of Choked. Saiyami Kher talks less in the film but she makes us buy her character of a mentally tough woman. Roshan, a rising actor from Malayalam industry, underplays his role well in his Bollywood debut. Amruta Subhash, as the nosy and hyperventilating neighbour, is terrific.

Choked isn’t a lazily made film but with Kashyap, the expectations are always high.