It’s easy to mistake ‘Smoke Cheyyaku Bro’ (Don’t Smoke Bro) for an involving, entertaining buddy film at first glance. However, while the two adjectives still apply, it is far from being anything about buddies or their friendship, and deliberately so. Anirudh takes a phone call at a gas station after having had a terrible day. 
The clerk on the late night shift, Sai Santosh joins the stressed Anirudh with kindness and compassion, offering him wisdom that truly helps him calm down. However, soon things take a very unexpected turn. The ensuing story ropes the viewer deep into its world, ensuring there is no looking away now. 
If it weren't for the dark events that are about to unfold in this comedic but equally shocking ride of a film, it would be a welcoming prospect to inhabit its world with its beautiful coloring and editing. The screenplay is constructed with care, and the portrayal and performance of the protagonist are handled with even more control. 
The visuals, combined with the choice of the background score, together with the film's stylized approach, present a wonderful realm at the end of it all, even if ever so unsettling.

Smoke Cheyaku Bro | Spotlight

The film opens on an endearing note as a woman enjoys a playful moment with a little girl. However, a sense of something heavier underlying this situation is also introduced to the viewer. 
 
As we go deeper into the film, it presents to us the very fraught relationship of Arjun and Dhriti. Once college sweethearts who connected and bonded on their shared linguistic and cultural heritage, the two are now at a very crucial juncture in their marriage and relationship. 

Familial and social pressures for an Indian couple in the US, alongside the very real financial demands of contemporary lifestyles and existence, and lastly the cost of dreams, all of these are portrayed for the viewer in a seamless manner. 
 Through snapshots of moments in the relationship that move between the past and the present, bolstered by the background score and performances, the film presents a notable comment on how shared dreams can change over a period of time, and in the process, completely alter the course of a relationship. As for our two characters themselves, while the fate of their love hangs in the balance, there is no definite answer to what is the right or wrong choice in this equation, and it is fully up to the viewer to decide that for themselves.

Most Viewed

Genres

Awards

Follow Us

Quick Links