From Choked to Puthan Panam: 5 films that dealt with demonetisation

It was exactly eight years ago on this very day in 2016 that Narendra Modi announced his decision to demonetise the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes and emphasised on the need to combat the menace of black money. The move sent shockwaves through the country and evoked sharp reactions from corners. Over the years, filmmakers haven't shied away from addressing the issue through their works. Here is a look at some films that touched upon demonetisation.

Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai (Hindi, 2020)

Anurag Kashyap, widely regarded as one of Indian cinema¡¯s most revolutionary filmmakers, dealt with the effects of demonetisation in his 2020 drama Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai .

The film centered on a cashier, played by Saiyami Kher, who finds a stash of money in her kitchen. She then decides to use it to secure a better future. Her plans, however, go for a toss after demonetisation and this forces her to return to her harsh reality. Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai created a buzz prior to its release but eventually failed to meet the expectations and received mixed reviews.

Shunyota (Bengali, 2016)

Suvendu Ghosh¡¯s Shunyota holds the distinction of being the first film to deal with demonetisation.. The Bengali drama revolved around a mother and daughter who face several hardships after demonetisation. In an interview with The Hindustan Times, the director said that Shunyota doesn¡¯t have a political message and its objective is to merely highlight the challenges faced by the common man.

Thatrom Thookrom (Tamil, 2020)

Thatrom Thookrom, a low-profile Tamil drama, revolved around three youngsters who try to survive in a world controlled by the rich. The film landed in controversy because of Simbu¡¯s Demonetisation Anthem, which criticised the move. S Arul, the film¡¯s director, later explained that the song merely highlighted a character¡¯s rant against demonetisation. He further clarified that Thatrom Thookrom did not explore the issue in depth. The film featured Teejay Arunasalam, best known for his work in Asuran, in the lead and received favourable reviews.

1888 (Kannada, 2023)

Directed by debutant filmmaker Sourabh Shukla, this independent Kannada thriller examined several real-life incidents that took place following demonetisation. The Neethu Shetty-led film was shot inside a car on a micro-budget. The makers faced several challenges while shooting the film as they usually worked on the project without taking permission from the authorities. Their efforts eventually paid off as 1888 received rave reviews at film festivals.

Puthan Panam (Malayalam, 2017)

Mammootty played a don in this Ranjith-helmed thriller that explored the impact of demonetisation on various sections of society. The film received positive reviews with critics praising the performances and the engaging presentation.

Most of them, however, felt that Puthan Panam didn¡¯t delve into the intricacies of demonetisation in depth. They added, this essentially reduced the burning issue to a mere subplot. Despite this, Puthan Panam collected nearly Rs 8 crore in Kerala to emerge as a commercial success. It was dubbed in Tamil as Cash Back.