No Smoking

A man wakes in a decrepit house in an unknown area and is immediately confronted by Russian soldiers. He is chased through a room and is shot in the leg during a panicked escape. In a desperate moment, he lights a cigarette found in the snow and asks a soldier for a matchbox, who then shoots him.

The man awakens in a bathtub and is revealed to be K, a wealthy, narcissistic smoker. His addiction strains his work and marriage, eventually driving his wife Anjali to leave him. The cycle of smoking dominates his life in every setting.

K’s friends and family beg him to quit and propose Prayogshaala, a rehab center they believe can cure his habit. Abbas and a doctor offer to arrange an appointment, insisting the center holds a real chance for change. Reluctantly, K considers the option as his addiction spirals.

K visits Prayogshaala, which operates behind the front of another business, Kalkatta Karpets, and greets a labyrinthine, confusing atmosphere. The center uses fear and psychological manipulation to break patients' resolve. Its unconventional setup unsettles him from the start.

K initially refuses to sign but is forced to sign a costly contract for ₹21,11,110. Baba tells him he is free to leave, but only if he obeys the rules; otherwise he will face consequences. The atmosphere makes him wary of what lies ahead as the program begins.

K watches other patients endure harsh penalties for smoking relapses, including the loss of fingers. He attempts to stay compliant but fails twice and is punished, making him acutely aware of the third-time risk. The fear of punishment becomes a constant undercurrent.

K reunites with his old friend Alex, now a Cuban cigar seller, who forces him to place a cigar in his mouth at an event. Soon after, police inform him that his wife is missing and possibly dead, and Baba warns that smoking could endanger her. The line to reach Baba goes dead, leaving K isolated and desperate.

Seeking help, K discovers Abbas; the man claims to have lost a finger at the rehab center, though in reality his fingers are intact. The police press K to admit and smoke to prove his guilt, further destabilizing him. Soon after, K learns his brother has committed suicide because of smoking.

K is jailed after a volatile outburst, then bailed out and learns that Prayogshaala permits sins and vices during a period called 'Zero Minute'. He attends a later event where he glimpses Baba but cannot reach him, and a moment of smoking shatters his resolve and reality.

In a hallucinatory turn, K wakes up on a Russian army base receiving a call from his wife asking why she is believed dead. He escapes by leaping into water and ends up in a ragged room, staring out at a hospital bed where he sees his wife and Baba. A voice tells him his body no longer hears his inner soul, signaling a grim punishment has concluded.

Through a chaotic journey, K’s soul seems to rejoin his body. He awakens at home to find his wife by his side and discovers he has lost two fingers. The surreal odyssey collapses back into his ordinary life, with a haunting reminder of his ordeal.

K appears transformed by the near-fatal ordeal and the supernatural punishment he endured. He visibly carries the cost of his addiction, yet he commemorates the journey by recommending Prayogshaala to a friend. The experience leaves him with a lasting reminder of his dependency.