Entertainment
Choked Review: Paisa Bolta Hai- A tale of a clogged sink and a clogged life
Netflix’s new release Choked is a commentary on the middle-class struggles of a couple in Mumbai set in the backdrop of the demonetization period.
Cast: Saiyami Kher, Roshan Mathew, Amruta Subhash, Upendra Limaye
Directed by: Anurag Kashyap.
Written by: Nihit Bhav
Choked: Paisa Boltsa Hai- A Review
Set in a typical middle-class housing society in Mumbai with narrow staircases, old peeling off yellow walls, we discover the Pillai family and their neighbours. Sarita Pillai (Saiyami Kher) and her husband Sushant Pillai (Roshan Mathew) experience a disintegrating married life, where every morning begins with quarrels over the clogged sink and leads towards other issues. Their son, Sameer often proves to be the mediator in these fights.
All of the fights originate because Sarita is the single bread earner in the family and has to manage between her job at the bank, Sameer’s education, and the household chores. Meanwhile, Sushant has failed to even keep up a single job and spends his time either playing carrom with the building folks or skipping chores. He also has to pay several people their dues and who have now, started to haunt Sarita.
One night Sarita finds several bundles of notes originating from their clogged drain and feels this to be a ray of hope in her life. She hides them secretly in places in her houses without telling anyone about it, even Sushant. While she continues to spend the newfound money for several activities, her fortune goes in shambles when the government announces demonetization.
The title quite explains the plight of Sarita in the storyline. She lives a life throttled by her unfulfilled desires of becoming a singer and is choked by the strained relationship with her husband. She is burdened with all the financial and social pressures of the family and has to single-handedly deal with it.
Choked begins as a story of shattered dreams and unfulfilled ambitions. It is about a couple living a mundane life and trying to make ends meet in this vast city of Mumbai. Thus, the first hour of the movie is well-paced and keeps you hooked with the background set up that will carve an image in our hearts.
Anurag Kashyap portrays the clear idea that how money proves to be a turning point in the life of any middle-class person and establishes an emotional connection. Sarita and her note bank, straight from the drain is her secret pathway to the joy that lasts for a short time, until the new subplot is induced i.e. demonetization.
We witness that while Sushant, like any other government supporter, applauds the demonetization move, Sarita has to face a new level of difficulty, both personally and professionally. She knew her woes as a bank cashier aren’t going to diminish anytime soon, but her problems have multiplied due to the secret pile of notes which is now, nothing more than mere paper.
The issue with the movie is that we tend to lose the grip in the second half as it struggles to maintain the tempo it started with and eventually slows down. It keeps us wondering and ends on an uncoordinated note. The role of demonetization as a subplot is also questionable.
But one thing that Anurag effectively portrays is the strong political view and the vision of how the common man suffers the most with the demonetization act that barely achieved its purpose. This is creatively explained in the scene where an elderly woman pleads to Sarita for more money. Sarita replies, “Bank mein paisa milta hain, sympathy nahi. Unke haath jodiye jinko vote diya tha”, clearly implying to plead to the people who imposed this act.
The one thing worth watching is the actors on screen and their commitment to character. Saiyami Kher wins the lead here with the quality portrayal of a middle-class wife burdened by family issues and unfulfilled dreams. With the strong-headed woman she is, she pulls off the anxious times of the character well.
Her husband, Sushant played by Roshan Mathew delivers the perfect picture of an insecure husband to give their relationship a realistic face. Their sync as a couple who is dealing through issues is on point. Amruta Shubhash and Rajshree Deshpande who play the neighbours have driven a powerful performance.
Choked Paisa Bolta Hai- A concluding verdict
Choked is a classic representation by Anurag Kashyap of a middle-class setup, where people leave behind their dreams and aspirations to get choked amidst the battles of daily life. The film in several parts captures the metaphor between clogged drainage and a clogged life. It speaks volumes about the political system that shields the corrupt and only troubles the common man. Currently, streaming on Netflix, this is worth a watch.
The Popularity of the Spanish sportsman, Rafael Nadal in the tennis world is well-known. His dominance over the French Open over all these years is also not new, since any seasons he has shown why he should be considered for the tag of greatness. In the 2020s French, Open Nadal delivered a clear dominant with scores 6-0, 6-2, 7-5, over Novak Djokovic. Djokovic praised Nadal by saying, “He keeps going. No holding him back, it seems like. It’s amazing. I mean, I admire all his achievements”
Reactions after the win
With these outstanding scores, he is now tied with Roger Federer at 20 major singles championships, which is more than any player achieved in the tennis history. Due to two back-to-back Knee surgeries Federer who is 39 years at the moment, sat out both the U.S. Open and French Open. But after Nadal’s win he posted a congratulatory note on Instagram:
“I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion. As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players,” Federer began, ending with: “I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it.”
After the victory, Nadal himself commented that “(To) win here means everything to me, no? It’s not the moment, honestly … (to) think today about the 20th,” and went on to say, “Roland Garros means everything to me. I spent, here, the most important moments — or most of the most important moments — in my tennis career, no doubt about that.”
At the moment he is ranked second, after his French Win. But if Djokovic won this season then the trio, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic will be standing at 20-19-18. But with Nadal’s win, it brought him closer to break another historic record.
The record he has made is extraordinary and unbelievable but then there are certain factors that contribute to it. Nadal is known as the king of clays since his early childhood planning tennis. He plays best on the best on the red surface and Heavy topspin forehands, incredible defense and a position way behind the baseline make him undefeatable. Nadal is a left-handed player which benefits him immensely, maybe that is the reason behind several wins. His left-hand strikes give him certain unique angles that the opponent is often seen at a loss.
Final Words
Since he is playing from a very early age, he has sustained several injuries. One of the most severe ones was in his knees (Tendinitis). The specialists of the Tennis world have always pondered upon a singular thought: what would have Nadal achieved if he was free of pain and several injuries?
It is explicitly clear that the man was born to reign the Tennis Court while he plays. His fitness, strength, skills, and attitude that goes beyond the court boundary also contribute to his victory.
What started as a murder mystery related to the death of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has now turned into a hunt for Bollywood Drug Nexus. During the interrogation of Rhea Chakraborty, few of WhatsApp chat messages were retrieved which game indication to drug consumptions by the Late Actor as well as people linked to him. Many of A-list Bollywood actors and managers were summoned by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for questioning.
Some of the actors who were Shraddha Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, manager Krishnma Prakash and Kshitij Prasad. One round of questioning is already done by the NCB but it said that the actors may have to be questioned again. Many people took to social media to extend support towards the actors. Karan Johar, who is the owner of Dharma Productions after the arrest of Kshitij Prasad broke his silence about the drug case.
Latest Update
- Shraddha Kapoor who shared the big screen with Sushant Singh Rajput in Chhichhore confessed that Sushant Singh Rajput used to consume drugs in his vanity van during the process of filming but she vehemently denies consuming anything of that sort. When the NCB questioned her about the party that SSR threw in his Pawana guesthouse, she stated that the party had just weed and alcohol; no drugs were present in the scene.
- Deepika Padukone was questioned by NCB for 5 long hours where she accepted that the part related to WhatsApp group but denied drug consumption. NCB did not give the nuances of the interrogation.
- Krishnma Prakash is the former manager of Deepika Padukone who was part of the WhatsApp group where procuring hash was discussed.
- Sara Ali Khan’s name got involved with this drug case when Rhea Chakroborty claimed that Sara Ali Khan used to consume drugs along with her and SSR. When interrogated Sara Ali Khan denied consuming drugs but revealed that she dated the late actor briefly during their “Kedarnath” Shoot.
- Kshitij Prasad is a former producer of Dharmatic Entertainment – a sister concern of Dharma Productions was arrested in FIR 16/2020 of NCB Mumbai zonal unit. He was supposedly involved with the major drug peddlers of Mumbai region. When interrogated by NCB, Prasad stated that he only used to procure drugs for his own consumption.
Final Words
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) released a statement saying that the interrogation and the answers of the actors cannot be revealed, it will be directly submitted in the court. “The actresses have denied taking drugs. We may serve them a summons for further questioning if we find new evidence. Their questioning is over for now,” and that they think there might be a link between Shraddha Kapoor’s and Sara Ali Khan’s case. All the actors have denied using any form of drugs, they even went ahead to claim that they do not even indulge in the activity of smoking. The main aim of NCB is to bring down the “drug Nexus” that is functional in Bollywood.
Indian Premier League is one of the most-awaited and thrilling events that the citizens of India wait for throughout the year. Like most of the previous IPL seasons, this year also brought jitters, cringe moments, moments of fun and cheer but most importantly a Plethora of memes. Memes are the new trend that is raging the internet, be it for positive notions or negative. The incident with Rahul Tewatia slings clearly to the positive and the brighter side.
In the match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the latter team reached a mind-numbing scored which exceeded beyond 200 runs. The credit for this goes to none other than Mayank Agarwal who scored a quick century. When it was time for Tewatia’s batting, people became thought Rajasthan Royals will lose the match because the batsman kept missing the balls and had just 8 runs in 19 balls. But to the utter surprise of everyone, when Sheldon Cottrell came to bowl, Tewatia’s luck got the best of the situation. Tewatia hit five sixes in 6 balls. If this is not turning the game around, then I don’t know what it is.
Right after that the world of social media flooded its platform with positive memes.
Here Are Some Memes That Will Definitely Crack You Up
A Bit of Fun- This picture is taken from the famous comedy show “Comedy Nights with Kapil”. The picture itself is quite self- explanatory
“Hera Pheri” Fans round up
Hulk all the way – Tewatia is clearly being compared to the “smash” version of Hulk.
Leonardo Dicaprio to the rescue
The memes that were created after the win of Rajasthan Royals surely kept the spirits of the game active. The fun banter between both the teams was a pleasure to watch as well. We hope to see more such incidents.
Edward Tufte said, “There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software”. The new Netflix original documentary by jeff Orlowski “the social dilemma” brings to you the dark side of the social media that keeps you addicted to a virtual world. It is a well-documented and a very staunch portrayal of social media.
It explores the spooky side of these platforms which has the capability to manipulate and psychologically affect human beings from people who have closely worked in these industries. These people talk about the distress they felt when they worked for something. How it is taking hold of an individual’s life and play around with it to earn profit to become the most successful industries in the history of humankind. This group of people is from social media giants like Google, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and many others.
What is the “dilemma”?
As the name suggests, it talks about the dilemma that is social media. I talked to one of my friends from school today, she is doing fine and told me about this new show she is watching. Well, I also saw stumbled upon celebrity news casually scrolling which by the way, has no use for me. Now, that is the dilemma we are talking about. The documentary talks about our heavy dependence on social media in today’s world and how we fell prey to this trap. In today’s world, it is not possible for one to totally isolate themselves from social media.
All our work has come to Gmail, Pinterest is the world of ideas, and for much social media is the workplace. We found all our old friends on social media and stay connected with our family and friends. But at the same time, we can’t put our down at the dinner table to have an actual conversation with our family. This dilemma is really where we can’t go with just the good part, we will take along the repercussion as well. This is the question this documentary puts out there. The dilemma of good and bad. But the question is, “is the payoff of good is enough to compensate for the cost of bad”?
What are these “bad”?
Now, how this social media is affecting you? Manipulation of the Human brain, social media is a world of ideas and how these ideas are presented to you is based on an algorithm that is up to the maker of these platforms to decide. This sequence and control over what one is coming across leads to restricting the way one thinks and builds is the point of view.
Social media has been used as a weapon by many people to pour out false information that is provocative, degrading, and spread negativity across communities resulting in things like riots, violent actions, and sometimes even things like mass killings. We came across this kind of news almost every day. Content related to ideal beauty types, body shaming, hate comments, and constant exposure to advertisements are all constantly floating on social media specifically affecting teenagers and the young generation.
These algorithms work to keep you looking at your screen and is an addiction that needs to be addressed. Unknowingly, social media is affecting all aspects of our life It puts a threat on democracy, increase depression, and even suicides, mob violence, etc. it has also lead to people losing contact from the actual world. Addiction to devices has distanced families and also affects other relationships which are totally opposite to the way humans are supposed to behave, humans as a species are supposed to be open-minded, dynamic, and communicative. Not to just hide behind screens.
Final words
Jeff Orlowski has very rightly called it the social dilemma. But at the end of the day, it’s in our hands that how do we want to live How do we want ideas to come to us and how we decide to act to them. All of this can be summed up in one last question – whether we want to live a life that is influenced by people around us, with a wide range of ideas on all aspects from all sources, not just a few selected ones, or a life that is operated by an algorithm.
Seeing the current situation, it was evident from the very onset that there were going to be major changes in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), one of the most anticipated events in the sports work. But what the audience did not expect is the fake additional cheers. The current IPL is being held at empty stadiums in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and the management is doing their best to keep it virus free.
They aim of the added IPL Fake Crowd cheers and shouts of joy were meant to make the matches livelier, much like how it is done for sitcoms where we see fake laughter in the background. Many people compared the match to the popular sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S which is known for its background laugh. But what seems to work for the show did not work for IPL. People took it to social media platforms like twitter, Instagram and Facebook to criticize the move and made memes out of it.
Some of the most famous memes
Which Peshwa are you?
The old meme which is eternal
Hang in there audience
Nothing beats stand-up comedy
Overreaction is a way of life
Bollywood is here to up the meme game
The contexts of the memes are extremely self-explanatory. All of the above memes compares the fake artificial cheers to some bizarre or exaggerated situations to extract humor. Many audiences took to Twitter to complain about the same. One person wrote, “Do you need further proof that this is more about entertainment and less about cricket when there is a need to add the fake sound of audience cheering when the game is being played in front of empty stands!”
But all these issues where overshadowed by CSK’s win.
