The series opens in the dusty, politically volatile landscape of Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh. The region is under the tyrannical thumb of a ruthless and arrogant politician named Shukla Ji (played to perfection by the legendary Mohan Agashe). Shukla is not your typical villain; he is a superstitious, power-hungry despot who relies on a personal astrologer, Bishnu, to make every decision—from the color of his tie to which bill to pass in the assembly.
On the other side of the tracks, we have a ragtag crew of misfits, each with a personal grievance against Shukla:
The plan? Use Shukla’s own superstition against him. The gang decides to rig his astrological predictions, orchestrate fake celestial events, and manipulate him into ordering the transfer of one lakh crore rupees (approximately $12 billion) from the state treasury into a dummy account, right under the nose of his party and the police. What follows is a hilarious, tense, and brilliantly convoluted game of cat and mouse.
Beneath the slapstick and heist thrills, the Choona 2023 web series explores profound themes:
Choona stands as a noteworthy experiment in the Indian OTT space. It successfully adapts the global heist format to a hyper-local context, creating a narrative that is both entertaining and socially relevant. While it suffers from pacing inconsistencies, its sharp writing, strong ensemble performances, and biting political satire make it a significant commentary on power, superstition, and the resilience of the common man. It confirms that the digital medium in India is maturing,
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Choona (2023) Web Series Overview
Choona is a Hindi-language crime drama web series that premiered on Disney+ Hotstar in 2023. The show is created by Shashank Dheer and produced by Balaji Telefilms.
Plot
The series revolves around the story of Chandan Choona, a small-time criminal from a village in Uttar Pradesh. Chandan, also known as Choona, gets involved in various illegal activities, including extortion, kidnapping, and murder. As he rises through the ranks of the crime world, he faces several challenges and rivalries. The show explores themes of crime, friendship, love, and power struggles.
Cast
The web series features an ensemble cast, including:
Reception
The Choona web series received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the performances of the lead actors and others criticizing the show's predictable storyline and lack of depth.
Interesting Facts
Here are some interesting facts about the Choona web series:
Where to Watch
You can stream Choona (2023) on Disney+ Hotstar.
If you're a fan of crime dramas, you might enjoy watching Choona! Have you watched it already? What did you think of the series?
is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language heist comedy-thriller series. It follows an unlikely group of misfits who join forces to take down a common enemy: a ruthless, superstitious politician named Avinash Shukla. Core Details Platform: Netflix . Release Date: September 29, 2023. Episodes: 8 (Running time: 34–52 minutes each). Genre: Heist Comedy, Political Satire, Thriller. Creator: Written and directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra. The Plot
Set in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh, the story centers on Avinash Shukla (played by Jimmy Shergill), a high-ranking politician with aspirations of becoming the next Chief Minister. Shukla is not only ruthless but deeply superstitious, making decisions based on astrology.
The "misfits" include individuals whose lives Shukla has ruined, such as a bumbling cop, a wily con man, and a local strongman. They plan an elaborate heist to steal his ill-gotten cash (amounting to 800 crore rupees) on the day of a solar eclipse, exploiting his astrological fears to catch him off guard. Key Cast Jimmy Shergill Avinash Shukla The ruthless, superstitious politician Aashim Gulati Yaqoob Ansari The mastermind and leader of the heist Arshad Warsi The "Voice of Author" guiding the viewer Namit Das An expert in disguise and part of the crew Monika Panwar Bela Pandey A fierce ally in the revenge mission Chandan Roy A member of the misfit group Vikram Kochhar A disgraced member of Shukla's circle turned ally Viewer's Guide
The Unlucky Number
Shukla-ji believed in three things: the stars, his ledger, and the fear in a debtor’s eyes. For thirty years, he had run his political fiefdom in Prayagraj with an iron grip wrapped in a saffron cloth. His latest target was a former chief minister, Avinash Pandey, a man whose arrogance was only matched by his outstanding debt of nine crore rupees.
But Avinash wasn’t just any debtor. He was a choona master. choona 2023 web series
In a smoky back room of a crumbling haveli, six unlikely allies met. There was J.P. Yadav, the fired astrologer whose charts Shukla had mocked. There was Bishnu, the disgraced ex-cop whose career Shukla had crushed. And then there was Trilochan, the mild-mannered accountant who knew exactly where Shukla had buried his black money—next to the dead bodies.
“The plan is simple,” Avinash said, sketching on a napkin. “Shukla-ji is about to finalize a land deal for a new mall. He thinks he’s buying it for ten crore. We’ve convinced the seller to let us pose as his representatives. We’ll take Shukla’s cash, hand him forged papers, and vanish.”
“And the nine crore he owes me?” Avinash smiled. “We’ll take that too. Consider it interest.”
The execution was a masterpiece of misdirection. On the day of the deal, Shukla’s favorite astrologer (a man on Avinash’s payroll) warned him that Venus was in retrograde. “Do not carry black bags,” the astrologer said. “Carry jute. Green jute.”
So when Shukla arrived at the dilapidated “government office” with a trunk of cash in a green jute bag, he felt cosmically aligned. The fake officials—Bishnu in a crisp shirt, Trilochan sweating behind a desk—welcomed him. They counted the money. They signed the papers. Shukla left, believing he had just bought a prime plot of land for a steal.
Twenty minutes later, his phone rang. The real seller was confused. “Shukla-ji? Which land? I sold it to a cooperative of farmers yesterday.”
Shukla’s blood turned to ice. He ripped open the jute bag. The cash was gone. In its place were neatly stacked rectangles of printed green paper—cut to the exact size of currency notes. On the top sheet, in Avinash’s handwriting: “Choona lag gaya, Shukla-ji. Check your locker.”
He raced to his private strong room. The lock was intact. The combination untouched. But when he swung the heavy door open, his nine crore rupees—the cash he had extorted, laundered, and hoarded—was gone. In its place was a single item: a small, cheap astrological chart showing his stars in total freefall.
Outside, in a creaking Ambassador car, Avinash lit a cigarette. Beside him, J.P. Yadav unfolded a map. “Next target?” the astrologer asked.
Avinash glanced at the rearview mirror, where Shukla was stumbling out of his mansion, screaming at the sky.
“Anyone who thinks the universe belongs to them,” Avinash said. “Let’s go give them their choona.”
Choona (2023): A Heist Comedy of Karma, Politics, and Astrology on Netflix The series opens in the dusty, politically volatile
Released on September 29, 2023, on Netflix, Choona is an Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama heist series that defies easy categorization. Created and directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra (known for TVF’s Tripling and Yeh Meri Family), the 8-episode series blends rustic political satire, astrological determinism, and a classic underdog revenge plot into a uniquely flavorful, if uneven, package.
Plot Overview: The Long Game of the Wronged
The series centers on the tyrannical and superstitious politician, Shukla ji (played with intimidating flair by Jimmy Sheirgill). A powerful, ruthless, and deeply arrogant man in a small-town Uttar Pradesh setting, Shukla has spent years trampling over the lives of ordinary people to build his political empire.
The plot is set in motion when a disparate group of six individuals—each personally wronged by Shukla—decides to unite for a massive, improbable heist. The crew includes:
Their plan is not just to rob Shukla but to systematically dismantle his life and ego. The twist? The entire scheme is timed to align with the planetary positions of Shukla’s horoscope. Guided by a sympathetic astrologer (a delightful turn by Atul Srivastava), the crew believes that if they strike during Shukla’s “Choona” (a colloquial Hindi term for being cheated or duped) period, the cosmos will ensure their success. The series unfolds over a single night, weaving together flashbacks of each character’s betrayal with the high-stakes present-day heist.
Themes and Style
Critical Reception and Audience Response
Choona received mixed to positive reviews. Critics praised its originality, strong ensemble cast (particularly Jimmy Sheirgill’s menacing yet comically vulnerable performance), and its refusal to follow typical heist-genre formulas. The show’s dialogue, rich with local idiom and dark humor, was also widely commended.
However, the series drew criticism for its sluggish pacing, especially in the middle episodes. Some viewers found the intertwining of astrology and logic confusing, and a few subplots felt unresolved. While not a global smash hit like Sacred Games or The Family Man, Choona gained a dedicated cult following for its quirky charm and thematic ambition.
Why Watch It?
Watch Choona if you are tired of slick, urban heist dramas and want something that feels rooted, philosophical, and unpredictably human. It’s a show about losers who win, not through superior firepower, but through patience, belief in cosmic justice, and the sheer, satisfying weight of karma. It is imperfect, meandering, and deeply character-driven—a slow-cooked meal in a world of fast-food thrillers.
In a streaming landscape dominated by high-octane action thrillers and gritty crime dramas, Netflix’s Choona (released in August 2023) carves out a unique niche. It is being described as a "startup heist"—a chaotic, character-driven story where the plan is less about precision and more about creating a systematic mess. Directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra (known for Taj Mahal 1989), the series blends the gritty reality of North Indian politics with the absurdity of a dark comedy. The plan