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No Smoking (2007 film)

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No Smoking
On the poster's center is a man's face with a circle beard wearing sunglasses while smoking. Surrounding the face are various faded scenes, including a soldier pointing his rifle at a man lying down the ground, a woman holding a mug, and a man chasing another man. Below the face is the title "No Smoking" in white uppercase text, stylized as a cigarette butt.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAnurag Kashyap
Written byAnurag Kashyap
Story byAnurag Kashyap
Raj Singh Chaudhary
Based onQuitters, Inc. (1978)
by Stephen King
Produced byKumar Mangat Pathak
Vishal Bhardwaj
Starring
CinematographyRajeev Ravi
Edited byAarti Bajaj
Music bySongs:
Vishal Bhardwaj
Score:
Hitesh Sonik
Clinton Cerejo
Production
companies
Big Screen Entertainment
Vishal Bhardwaj Films
Distributed byEros International
Release dates
  • 24 October 2007 (2007-10-24) (Rome Film Festival)
  • 26 October 2007 (2007-10-26) (India)
Running time
127 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹7.50 crore[a]
Box office₹3.49 crore[1]

No Smoking is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language black comedy thriller film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, and produced by Vishal Bhardwaj. The film stars John Abraham, Ayesha Takia, Paresh Rawal and Ranvir Shorey. The story follows K (Abraham), a self-obsessed, narcissist chain smoker who agrees to quit smoking to save his marriage and visits a rehabilitation centre, but is caught up in a labyrinthine plot by Baba Bangali (Rawal), the man who guarantees that he will make him quit.

Taking inspiration from Stephen King's "Quitters, Inc.", Kashyap pitched the idea to Bhardwaj, who wanted to produce for him, and Abraham, who wanted to work with him, both of whom accepted, and the rest of the cast followed. Principal photography took place in Bhuj, Dharavi, Mumbai, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Themes include freedom, privacy, surveillance, and politico-religious methods of autocratic figures to suppress people's rights.

No Smoking premiered at the Rome Film Festival on October 24, before its general release on October 26, 2007. The film was panned for its cryptic storytelling, and bombed at the box-office, grossing ₹3.49 crore (equivalent to ₹11 crore or US$1.2 million in 2023) against a budget of ₹7.50 crore (equivalent to ₹23 crore or US$2.7 million in 2023). It has since gained a cult following.

Plot

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K, a wealthy businessman in his 30s, is confident, narcissistic, arrogant, and completely addicted to smoking, so much so that he even smokes in the bath. K's friends, Abbas and the doctor, offer to set up an appointment at a rehabilitation centre called Prayogshaala (lit. 'Laboratory'), but K ignores their advice. His addiction puts severe strain on his relationship with his wife Anjali. After K cannot even make love to her without having to stop to light up a cigarette, she leaves him.

K realises his problem and decides to check out Prayogshaala, and meets Shri Shri Prakash Guru Ghantal Baba Bangali Sealdah Wale, who runs it. The method Prayogshaala uses to cure their patients of their addiction is based on fear and psychological manipulation. Each time a patient gives in to their vice, Baba makes sure that something shocking happens to them, which includes:

  1. Almost killing one of his loved ones, by keeping them in a chamber full of cigarette smoke he has smoked in his entire life for five minutes,
  2. Losing his finger,
  3. Killing one of his loved ones,
  4. Taking his soul.

K is forced to pay the fee of ₹21,11,110 for his treatment by Baba and his disciples. Baba then tells K that he is free to leave, but he must abide by the rules or he will suffer the consequences. K tries to keep to the terms but fails twice, and is punished. He is now conscious about the third time.

After some time, K meets an old friend, Alex, who is now a Cuban cigar seller. At an event, K is forced to place a cigar in his mouth to appease Alex. Seconds later, he receives a phone call from the police, informing him that his wife is missing. He calls Baba, and is told that for smoking, his wife will be killed, as per the rules. He protests that he did not actually smoke and Baba apologizes for the mistake, but says that it is too late. K asks Baba to tell the police about this, but the line dies out, and the phone number is non-existent on dialling. K's protests are ignored and the police believe that he is delusional. Trying to make them believe, he seeks out Abbas, who had lost a finger, only to find that he has all of his fingers intact. Mocking him, the police force K to smoke. Shortly afterwards, K gets a phone call about his brother committing suicide due to his smoking. K raves angrily at the police and is thrown in jail, but is eventually bailed out.

K learns that Baba permits smoking during a period known as 'Zero Minute'. He attends such an event, where he lights up a cigarette. Suddenly, K wakes up in a Russian army base, with a call from his wife. She asks him why he believes she is dead. Confused, K escapes from the base by jumping into the water and ends up in a ragged room, from which he sees himself staring out from a hospital room. He also sees his wife and Baba. He calls out but no one can hear him, and he is told that it is because his body no longer hears his inner soul. The final punishment is complete.

K wakes up in his home, his wife sleeping beside him. He finds out that he is missing two fingers. In a mid-credits scene, K, who has since gotten his finger back, is seen recommending Prayogshaala to a friend.

Cast

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John Abaraham (left) and Ayesha Takia (right)

Main cast

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Other characters

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Production

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Development

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The idea for the film came during the making of Satya (1998), when director Ram Gopal Varma pitched a story to Anurag Kashyap, the film's writer, about a chain smoker's encounter with someone who despises smoking. Varma later incorporated his own idea of the story as a short segment in his anthology film, Darna Mana Hai (2003). During the shooting of Kashyap's Black Friday (2007), his assistant narrated him a different script about a chain smoker who wakes up without cigarettes and is unable to get any because of a curfew.[3] Taking inspiration from Stephen King's "Quitters, Inc.", Kashyap decided to take the story forward.[2][4] When asked if Cat's Eye (1985), an American anthology horror film that adapted "Quitters, Inc." as one of its segments, was an inspiration, he replied that he hadn't watched it until after the script was complete.[2]

According to Kashyap, when he narrated the script to producer Boney Kapoor, he told Kashyap that "no one in India would make this film."[5] After directing Omkara (2006), Vishal Bhardwaj approached Kashyap, who wanted to make a film with him. Kashyap told him about No Smoking, and Bhardwaj agreed to work with him.[6][7] Remarking that the film has a universal subject, Kashyap further said that since none of his films were released up until that point, he shot the movie in "a lot of anger," and that he was "defying the system." by making the film.[8] The film was originally titled Smoking is Injurious to Health, but was later changed to No Smoking.[5] The film was distributed by Eros International.[9]

The film has been described as a black comedy[b] or a thriller film.[c]

Casting

[edit]
Saif Ali Khan was erroneously reported to be in the film

Kashyap approached actors through short messaging service;[6] John Abraham replied back, because Deepa Mehta, the director of his Oscar-nominated Water (2005) told him that he must work with Kashyap.[7] Thinking that Abraham would not be able to understand the idea, and afraid of throwing away the chance, he narrated him a bad script titled Lapata, after which Abraham told him that he expected something more intelligent from Kashyap. Thrilled, Kashyap told him about No Smoking, which the actor ended up loving. He further claimed that Abraham was trying to rediscover himself; which propelled him to accept the film, alongside his previous roles in Kabul Express, Taxi No. 9211, Goal, Aashayein and Water.[6] Kashyap was uninhibited about his fondness for Abraham, calling him a "smart man" who understood the script "immediately." When asked if K was Kashyap, he replied, "K is me and many like me and my battles."[5] There was a rumor of Abraham appearing in a nude scene, but Kashyap clarified that he had not decided how to shoot it.[16]

For the dual role of Anjali and Annie, which Kashyap described as "one a self-respecting woman, another opposite", Kashyap went to actresses he thought could do the role, but they refused as the role was not substantial enough.[2][6] Ultimately, Ayesha Takia was cast. She was not comfortable with the lovemaking scenes and the outfits of her character Annie, though Kashyap refused to make any changes. Despite this, he maintained that she was an "actress" and a "face" too.[6]

Originally, director Rajkumar Santoshi was to play as the doctor, and writer Abbas Tyrewala as Abbas, the reason why Kashyap named the character after him. However, Tyrewala opted out and the role was given to Ranvir Shorey instead.[17] Furthermore, erroneous reports surfaced that Saif Ali Khan would appear in a cameo, on the request of co-producer Kumar Mangat Pathak, who worked with him in Omkara.[18] It was also reported that Bipasha Basu was to appear in an item number.[19][20] When asked what made Kashyap appear in the film, he replied, "only vanity."[2]

Kashyap cast well-known actors in the hope of having the film released; he thought that casting "unknown but brilliant" actors had made his prior films unreleased.[2]

Filming

[edit]
Principal photography took place in Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, India.

Principal photography took place in Bhuj, Dharavi, Mumbai, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia.[5][21] During the shooting in Uzbekistan, a Russian actor dressed as a soldier had to chase Abraham. After running 200 meters (660 ft), the man collapsed from oxygen depletion and had to be rushed to a hospital, as the shooting was on a high altitude.[22]

Soundtrack

[edit]
No Smoking
Studio album by
Vishal Bhardwaj
Released5 September 2007 (2007-09-05) (India)
GenreFeature film soundtrack
LabelEros Music
ProducerKumar Mangat Pathak, Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj chronology
Omkara
(2006) 		No Smoking
(2007) 		U, Me Aur Hum
(2008)

The official soundtrack was composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, who also co-produced the film, while the lyrics were written by Gulzar.[d]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Gulzar.

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Kash Laga"Daler Mehndi, Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Bhardwaj5:47
2."Phoonk De"Sukhwinder Singh5:55
3."Ash Tray"Deva Sengupta4:39
4."Jab Bhi" (Trance)Sunidhi Chauhan5:06
5."Phoonk De" (Club Mix)Rekha Bhardwaj5:15
6."Jab Bhi" (Jazz)Adnan Sami5:03

Themes

[edit]
K's predicament was compared to Alex DeLarge, the protagonist in A Clockwork Orange

Anurag Kashyap has stated that it was the story of "arrogance versus super arrogance, freedom to choose versus censorship; and that in the end freedom loses."[2] Time Out's Girish Shahane compared the film favorably to Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and argued that both films show that "the cure is worse than the disease if it robs you of your soul."[25]

On the significance of fingers, Kashyap said that fingers could also be used to hold a pen, which symbolises writing that is freedom of expression; and that K without his fingers represented his body without soul.[2] Film director Raja Sen doubted the claims of Kashyap fans that K stood for Kashyap, arguing instead that "K is a character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever," so that must not be the director's intention.[26]

The character of Baba Bangali was subjected to much analysis. FilmCompanion's Zoeb Matin compared his "pompously philosophic" figure to despots who use false spiritualism as means for their "nefarious end".[25] The Guardian's Phelim O'Neill called him "Hitler-loving,"[27] and The Times's Anil Sinanan called him "a proud Hitler fan," the latter pointing out the climactic gas chamber sequence.[28] The Guardian's Philip French pointed out that his means of coercion include constant surveillance and loss of privacy.[10] The Hollywood Reporter's Gautaman Bhaskaran noted further that, "in using politico-religious methods, including curbing the freedom of his female employees by making them wear veils, the character reflects the state of autocracy and fanaticism, driven by money, politics and religion, which prevails in Indian society," and how the film is ultimately about manipulating the human being as K loathes the idea of giving up his right.[29]

Release

[edit]

No Smoking was invited to be screened at the 2nd Rome Film Festival, where the film had its premiere on 24 October 2007, where it was well-received, before its general release on 26 October.[e]

Reception

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Box office

[edit]

Prithviraj Hegde noted that No Smoking could be cheered at film festivals, but that "it sure won't either at a suburban multiplex nor a tent cinema in Tamil Nadu or Bihar."[31] It ultimately bombed at the box-office, grossing ₹3.49 crore (equivalent to ₹11 crore or US$1.2 million in 2023) against a budget of ₹7.50 crore (equivalent to ₹23 crore or US$2.7 million in 2023).[f]

Critical reception

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The works of Franz Kafka (left), David Lynch (center) and Neil Gaiman (right) were counted among as influences on the film.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.8/10.[32]

No Smoking was panned for its cryptic storytelling.[g] Rajeev Masand of IBN Live rating it 1.5/5, criticised it for its "intentionally incohesive screenplay and bizarre dialogue."[12] Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India rating it 1.5/5, said that the film leaves one "completely baffled and desperately looking for logic."[34] Indu Mirani from DNA India rating it 1.5/5, said that "understanding its plot's many forward and backward movements would be out of the scope of the layman."[35] Khalid Mohamed of Hindustan Times rating it 1/5, said, "too in-depth man, too in-depth. What’s happening out here? You can’t make out, you don’t care."[36] Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama rating it 1/5, called it the "most complicated cinematic experience of 2007," and that it leaves one "exasperated, because till the end credits roll, you just don’t know what happened in those 2 hours. Moviegoers want to watch a good story at the end of the day."[37] Prithviraj Hegde of Rediff.com rating the film 0/5, called it "a bad dream, peopled with strange characters and situations" which "spins into a downward spiral that's unreal, incomprehensible and leaves you dazed. I have no clue what the movie was about."[31] Among foreign critics, Phelim O'Neill of The Guardian rating it 3/5, criticised its "unsettled internal logic and goofy subplot."[27] Tajpal Rathore from BBC Films rating it 1/5, found its "shoddy screenplay stale, and its situations laughable."[38]

Abraham's performance divided critics. Bhaskaran said that he gave "a solid performance as a conceited man,"[29] Adarsh stated that he made "a sincere attempt to leave a mark and succeeds to an extent,"[37] and Mirani called him "good."[35] Conversely, Mohamed said that "he still has to learn the A B C of acting,"[36] and Sinanan found his performance "leaden."[28]

Takia's performance was criticised. Adarsh said that she "runs through her role mechanically,"[37] Mirani stated that she "sleepwalks through her part,"[35] and Mohamed said that she "has to stop looking plump."[36]

Rawal's performance received some praise. Bhaskaran said that he played his role with a "verve,"[29] Adarsh and Mirani found him "okay."[37][35]

Shorey's performance was subjected to criticism. Adarsh found him "a big bore,"[37] and Mirani said that he "disappoints greatly."[35]

Cinematography drew positive reactions. Masand said the film had "spectacular photography,"[12] Adarsh said that it was a "good-looking film," and that cinematography was its "only aspect that stand out,"[37] and O'Neill stated that the film had a "slick look."[27]

The film has been noted to be influenced by the works of Franz Kafka (particularly The Trial), David Lynch,[26][39] Lars Von Trier, Neil Gaiman, and graphic novels in general,[35] as well as The Game, Seconds,[10] Schindler's List and Being John Malkovich.[28]

It has since gained a cult following.[h]

Accolades

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The film was honoured at the 2011 Indian Film Festival.[43]

See also

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Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Budget figure includes print and advertising costs[1]
  2. ^ Attributed to multiple references[10][11][12]
  3. ^ Attributed to multiple references[13][14][15][12]
  4. ^ Attributed to multiple references[23][24][16]
  5. ^ Attributed to multiple references[21][6][30][24]
  6. ^ Attributed to multiple references[1][11][15]
  7. ^ Attributed to multiple references[30][33][2][26]
  8. ^ Attributed to multiple references[40][11][41][42]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "No Smoking". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The director's guide to No Smoking". Rediff.com. 30 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Anurag Kashyap's 'No Smoking'". The Times of India. 10 February 2011. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  4. ^ "The Inspiration Behind Anurag Kashyap's Films". Rediff.com. 21 June 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d Chopra, Sonia (26 October 2007). "Anurag Kashyap: No Smoking is a state of mind". Sify. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d e f N, Patcy (24 October 2007). "Our cinema is immature". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b Mazumdar, Shreyanka (29 June 2024). "Anurag Kashyap On Offering No Smoking To John Abraham: 'Usko Sab Log Achha Actor Nahi Bolte The...'". News18. Archived from the original on 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  8. ^ Aseem Chhabra (5 September 2011). "Anurag Kashyap: I loved No Smoking the most". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  9. ^ Gajjar, Manish (10 October 2007). "No Smoking". BBC. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  10. ^ a b c French, Philip (28 October 2007). "No Smoking". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  11. ^ a b c "Anurag Kashyap praises John Abraham's performance in 'The Diplomat', needs 'subject' for 'No Smoking 2'". The Hindu. 12 March 2025. Archived from the original on 14 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  12. ^ a b c d Masand, Rajeev (26 October 2007). "Review: No Smoking is a colossal disappointment". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  13. ^ "No Smoking". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026.
  14. ^ "No Smoking film gallery". BBC Films. October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  15. ^ a b "John Abraham, Anurag Kashyap team up for No Smoking 2". Hindustan Times. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  16. ^ a b "John Abraham to do a nude scene for No Smoking". Bollywood Hungama. 19 October 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Rajkumar Santoshi to act in No Smoking". India Fm. 31 October 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Saif and Bipasha: No butts please". The Times of India. 21 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  19. ^ "Saif and Bipasha in No Smoking". Bollywood Hungama. 19 July 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  20. ^ "One more smoking number from Bips". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  21. ^ a b "No Smoking in Rome". Rediff.com. 25 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  22. ^ N, Patcy (23 October 2007). "I am doing films that are more meaningful". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  23. ^ Tuteja, Joginder (8 October 2007). "No Smoking". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  24. ^ a b "No Smoking Cast & Crew". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 23 January 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  25. ^ a b Matin, Zoeb (17 April 2023). "A Film Ahead Of Its Time: No Smoking". FilmCompanion. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  26. ^ a b c Sen, Raja (15 November 2007). "Why Anurag Kashyap is like Bhansali". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  27. ^ a b c O'Neill, Phelim (26 October 2007). "No Smoking". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  28. ^ a b c Sinanan, Anil (5 November 2007). "No Smoking". The Times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  29. ^ a b c Bhaskaran, Gautaman (4 November 2007). "No Smoking". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  30. ^ a b "Biased criticism doesn't help: Anurag Kashyap". Hindustan Times. 30 October 2007. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  31. ^ a b Hegde, Prithviraj (26 October 2007). "What was the director smoking". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  32. ^ "No Smoking". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  33. ^ Jha, Lata (27 October 2015). "Ten Bollywood directors who found success late". Mint. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  34. ^ "No Smoking". The Times of India. 27 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  35. ^ a b c d e f Mirani, Indu (26 October 2007). "Kick Kashyap's butt". DNA India. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  36. ^ a b c Mohamed, Khalid (26 October 2007). "Review: No Smoking". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  37. ^ a b c d e f Adarsh, Taran (26 October 2007). "No Smoking". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  38. ^ Rathore, Tajpal (22 October 2007). "No Smoking (2007)". BBC Films. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  39. ^ Sudhish Kamath (29 June 2016). "Gangs of Wasseypur - Gags of Wasseypur". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  40. ^ Ellis, Peter (17 January 2012). "I Don't Try to Make Cult Films: Anurag Kashyap". Forbes. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  41. ^ Roychoudhury, Amborish (2018). In a Cult of Their Own: Bollywood Beyond Box Office. India: Rupa. ISBN 978-8129151353.
  42. ^ Doshi, Tushar (7 August 2025). "Exclusive: John Abraham says he's been after Anurag Kashyap for No Smoking sequel". India Today. Archived from the original on 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  43. ^ "No Smoking wins awards at Indian Film Festival, China". Bollywood Hungama. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
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