Most heist shows rely on blueprints, safes, and security codes. Choona replaces blueprints with kundalis (birth charts). The show cleverly explains basic astrological concepts (retrograde planets, nakshatras, dasha periods) as legitimate plot devices.
It sounds absurd, but the writing makes it feel logical within the show’s universe. You’ll actually find yourself wondering, “Could a clever astrologer really pull this off?”
Here are four reasons this series deserves a spot on your weekend watchlist:
"Choona" is a heist thriller with a unique flavor—it blends high-stakes crime with political satire. The story revolves around a group of outsiders and misfits who come together to pull off an impossible heist.
Their target is a powerful and corrupt politician, Shukla Ji, who has amassed massive wealth through illegal means. The team is led by a mysterious mastermind, J.P. Yadav, who recruits specialists from different walks of life—each wronged by the system or Shukla Ji in some way.
The central hook of the series is the "Chaupad" (dice game) metaphor. The heist is designed like a game of strategy and chance, where the underdogs try to topple the king. The narrative is non-linear, using flashbacks and voiceovers to explain the meticulous planning and the chaotic execution of the plan.
Jimmy Sheirgill has long been typecast as the stern father or the heavy-hearted gangster. In Choona, as the astrologer Bishnu, he delivers a career-best comedic performance. His deadpan delivery of astrological nonsense, coupled with the silent grief of a man who lost everything to Shukla Ji, provides the emotional core of the series. For fans of the actor, this series is a top-tier showcase of his range. choona 2023 web series top
One of the standout reasons this is a top web series of 2023 is its organic portrayal of a transgender character, Bela (played brilliantly by Namit Das). Unlike many shows that tokenize LGBTQ+ characters, Choona makes Bela the financial brains of the heist. Her identity is part of her character, not her sole plot point. She is sharp, quick-witted, and essential to the crew—proving that inclusive storytelling works best when it feels natural.
"Choona" is recommended if you like:
It is a story of revenge, strategy, and how the smallest players on the board can checkmate a King.
In the heart of Uttar Pradesh, a ruthless and deeply superstitious politician named Avinash Shukla rules with an iron fist, believing his destiny is written in the stars. However, he makes one fatal mistake: he crosses the wrong people.
The story of the 2023 Netflix series Choona follows an unlikely band of eight misfits—each wronged by Shukla in personal, financial, or professional ways. Realizing they cannot take him down through traditional means, they decide to hit him where it hurts most: his massive, ill-gotten wealth. The Heist of a Lifetime
The group, led by the sharp-witted Shukla’s former accountant, devises a plan to steal 800 crore rupees (roughly $100 million) from the politician's high-security vault. The team includes: Most heist shows rely on blueprints, safes, and
The Astrologer: Exploits Shukla’s obsession with planetary alignments.
The Muscle: Provides the physical force needed for the break-in.
The Tech Whiz: Handles the digital bypasses of modern security.
The Inside Man: Navigates the labyrinth of the politician's home. The "Choona" (Trickery)
The series title, Choona, refers to the Indian slang for "conning" someone. The narrative unfolds as a high-stakes heist comedy where the group must stay one step ahead of Shukla’s violent henchmen and his "divine" intuition. As they execute the plan, the story shifts between tense action and satirical humor, mocking the intersection of power, greed, and blind faith in modern India.
Ultimately, it is a classic David vs. Goliath tale, where the "small people" use their collective wit to apply the ultimate choona to a man who thought he was a god. It is a story of revenge, strategy, and
Title: The Great Indian Political Heist: A Critical Analysis of the 2023 Web Series Choona
Abstract
This paper examines the 2023 Hindi-language web series Choona, created by Pushpendra Nath Misra and streamed on Netflix. Positioned within the burgeoning genre of Indian political satires and heist thrillers, Choona attempts to deconstruct the nexus between bureaucracy, politics, and superstition in the Indian heartland. By analyzing the narrative structure, character archetypes, and thematic concerns, this paper argues that Choona serves as a poignant, albeit occasionally tonally inconsistent, critique of systemic corruption. It successfully utilizes the heist genre not merely for entertainment, but as a metaphor for the chaotic, byzantine nature of Indian democracy where the marginalized must resort to subterfuge to topple the powerful.
At its core, Choona (which translates to “squeeze” or “swindle”) is a classic heist setup with a hilariously unique hook.
A mismatched group of small-town losers—an astrologer, a clerk, a gym trainer, a cashier, and others—decides to pull off the ultimate revenge con against their common enemy: a ruthless, arrogant, and deeply superstitious politician named Shukla Ji (played brilliantly by Jimmy Sheirgill).
The twist? They don’t use guns or high-tech gadgets. They use astrology.
The team manipulates Shukla’s blind faith in horoscopes and planetary movements to make him believe the stars are forcing him to empty his own bank account. What follows is a chaotic, slow-burn cat-and-mouse game that mixes sharp political satire with slapstick comedy.