Who would want to remember the horrors of the months following the announcement of demonetization? Long queues outside ATMs, interviews of confused bankers scurrying to serve the people, bags of old currency notes found discarded at traffic signals, and primetime television constantly debating the government’s move.
Debutant feature director Sourabh Shukla takes us back in time by seven years to when the chaos unfurled in his latest film, “1888” (2023). On the eve of the announcement of demonetisation, former actress and social activist Sandhya Shetty (played by Neethu Shetty) is seen employing all her team and resources to find a way to convert a huge chunk of her now demonetised, ‘black’ currency into ‘white’. She repeats over and over again that she cannot let that money go because it is the fruit of her years of hard work.
Left without any option, she suggests they burn the stash of cash. However, just when the bag full of money is about to go up in flames, an anonymous person arrives at the spot, and Sandhya Shetty and her men are made to flee, leaving the bag intact. This sets the film’s premise, which becomes more convoluted with newer characters and a twisted storyline with each passing minute.
The film starts slow, really slow. The number of expositions and a cute, romantic song that lapses into daydreams may make you question where the film is headed. At one point, when three characters stop at a dhaba and eat their food, I felt genuinely confused about how this could be a story about a cat and mouse chase when it feels like an average road trip film. But, hold on to your seats patiently. Shukla is more sure-footed about the progress of this story than you would have imagined in the first 30 minutes. It takes its own sweet time to lay out the building blocks before starting to piece them together into a fine monument.
Once the events of the second half start to roll out, you realize that this film is more intelligent and thrilling than you’d have given it credit for as all the elements start coming together. It makes it worth the wait. Sooner, you will realize that you have always been a part of the cat and mouse (read: investigative thriller) chase, even without knowing it. What an experience!
A film I was reminded of and returned to right after watching “1888” was “Manorama Six Feet Under” (2007), directed by Navdeep Singh. The grim realities of life and a web of deceit and lies plague Satyaveer Singh Randhawa and Vikas equally well. Shukla primarily focuses on the people and their opinions on demonetization and seems cautious about not dabbling his feet into the politics of the times, keeping it strictly thought-provoking about the extent to which a human being would go to get their black money converted to white in the wake of such a nation-wide change. If you can successfully look past the tediousness of the first half, the second half will reward you with plenty to think about. This makes the film a very ‘mid’ experience.
However, I always appreciate films that bring something fresh to the table, especially in current times when all films are primarily made to bait the audience into a willing suspension of disbelief. “1888” shows sincerity in the thought process and research that went into it; it has a little bit of everything—drama, action, romance—while trying to dabble in an Intelligence Bureau investigation.
The film also gifts you with well-shot and choreographed action sequences, despite being suspended on a tight-rope budget, to its credit! A major problem with the film is the performances; neither seems convincing enough for an audience to either embrace or debunk. The dialogues in the film’s first half feel too textbook exposition-heavy as well. However, “1888” is a movie you need to watch because of the earnest efforts of the filmmaker and the crew to present you with a good, engaging script. What Shukla achieves here is so refreshing that I think I shall be on the lookout for more of his works hereafter. “1888” is now available for rental and purchase on Apple TV, YouTube, and BookMyShow. It is also available on a pay-per-view basis on Movie Saints. You can also stream it for free on VDOJar.
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