Podcast | Deep Dive: Two years after demonetisation- Did the enthusiasm finally dwindle?

 the second anniversary of demonetisation, let us go back in time to dig up a little bit of trivia. In 1978, comedian I. S. Johar made a satirical film called Nasbandi. The film starred lookalikes of major stars and mocked the forced sterilization drive during Emergency.

Not surprisingly, the film was banned after its release. Another film on Emergency was Kissa Kursi Ka, a 1977 satire by Amrit Nahata, and its prints were confiscated for obvious reasons.

Cut to last year. In April 2017, a Bengali film named "Shunyota" (Emptiness) was released to explore the impact of the demonetisation drive on the citizens. Before the film directed by Suvendu Ghosh hit the theatres, it faced what was according to the director, a "consolidated effort" to block its release. The film was finally released after six cuts that included beeps muting certain negative comments made by the protagonists.

Now according to a report, Vishesh Bhatt and his team are making a comedy about demonetisation. And why are we telling you this? Well, just to bring home the point that certain political events not only impact the lives of citizens in a far-reaching way, but they also shape popular culture too indelibly.

This Moneycontrol Deep Dive will explore a lot more than just trivia, it will be interesting to recall just how much popular support was drummed up for demonetisation in the days that followed the late evening order on November 8, 2016. This was when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that all Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes, comprising more than 85 percent of the total value of the currency in circulation at that time, would no longer be recognised as legal tender.