Choona Review: Jimmy Sheirgill's Netflix Heist Series Doesn't Live Upto Its Promising Potential (LatestLY Exclusive)

Choona Review: Created by Pushpendra Nath Mishra, Choona is a comic-heist thriller series currently available for streaming on Netflix. The show revolves around the enmity directed towards a corrupt politician, compelling a group of dissidents to unite and devise a heist plan aimed at pilfering crores of rupees from him in order to teach him a lesson. It's hard not to draw parallels with iconic heist series like Money Heist and movies like Ocean's 11, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as we all love witnessing the heroes overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to execute a daring high-profile robbery. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that Choona lacks confidence in its own plot and settings. Choona: Aashim Gulati Opens Up About His Character, Says 'Roles Like This Allow Me to Experiment, Test My Craft'.

Shukla (portrayed by Jimmy Sheirgill) is a corrupt Urban Development minister who even instills fear among his own party members. His Achilles' heel is his obsession with astrology and omens, with a perpetual fear that inauspicious events are looming on his horizon. His worst nightmares start to materialise when those he has wronged through his arrogance and cruelty unite to execute an improbable scam, provided they can set aside their petty disputes.

Watch the Trailer of Choona:

At one juncture in the series, a character exclaims, "Guys, FOCUS!" This is precisely what I wish the creators of Choona had done. A compelling heist story should introduce characters we can wholeheartedly support in their battle against formidable adversaries. While Shukla is undeniably a villain we yearn to see defeated, the trouble lies in the fact that the protagonists lack the empathy needed for us to rally behind them. Furthermore, the series doesn't invest much effort into developing the dynamics within the heist team, instead becoming mired in their individual conflicts that pushes the team dynamics to much later episodes. The "Gangs of Wasseypur" vibe aligns with the series' tone, but the dark humor doesn't consistently hit the mark. And sometime overusage of humour ruins an interesting scene, like when the team plans the heist using VR but it loses impact with the unfunny banter. Choona: Namit Das Opens Up About His Upcoming Netflix’s Heist Comedy Series.

However, the most exasperating aspect of Choona is its narration. Arshad Warsi serves as the series' narrator and contributes an element of fun with his voiceover. However, is it truly necessary for him to elucidate every scene and every character's intentions in painstaking detail? If the creators believed that this level of on-screen narration was essential, why not present the series as an audiobook instead? Why not allow viewers to decipher the unfolding events for themselves?

For instance, there's a scene where Namit Das' conman disguises himself as a sadhu and dupes one of Shukla's henchmen into believing he vanished into thin air from a bridge. A few scenes later, the series meticulously elaborates on how he executed this illusion. But was such elaboration truly warranted? We understand that he is merely a conman who wouldn't genuinely vanish, and we can easily assume he employed some form of trickery. Therefore, there was no genuine need to illustrate how it was done. Moreover, when the extended scene of his ruse is presented, it includes additional verbal dialogues that were absent in the previous scene. At the very least, consistency should have been maintained.

The performances are generally decent. Jimmy Sheirgill is quite convincing in his portrayal of the conniving villain, whose greatest strength also serves as his greatest vulnerability. Aashim Gulati, Vikram Kochhar, Namit Das, Monika Panwar, Gyanendra Tripathi, Chandan Roy, Atul Srivastava, and Niharika Lyra Dutt all deliver commendable performances in their respective roles, with Gulati benefitting from the best opportunities and more screen time among this talented ensemble.

Final Thoughts

Choona struggles to fully embrace its own potential and needed bit more cohesion and trust in its storyline. While it offers moments of entertainment and a solid ensemble cast, the narrative lacks the confidence to explore its characters and plot with the depth and focus they truly deserve. Choona is streaming on Netflix.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 29, 2023 12:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).