Demonetization of Love

In the midst of India's 2016 demonetization chaos, Chintan Bhagat, a fervent communist, author, and political activist, crosses paths with Dr. Sheena Amin, a #MeToo advocate and journalist, while standing in endless bank queues. Their chance encounter sparks a passionate romance fueled by shared dreams of social justice and equality, as they exchange stories of rallies, exposés, and an idealized India free from caste and creed. Amid the clatter of worthless currency and the nation's economic turmoil, their bond deepens through intimate interviews and stolen moments, blending Chintan's crimson ideology with Sheena's emerald defiance, though underlying tensions simmer due to their differing beliefs—his godless communism clashing with her Islamic faith. The relationship fractures under mounting pressures, beginning with jealousy over Sheena's meeting with Chief Minister Kajriwal and escalating into demands for Chintan's conversion to Islam, orchestrated by preacher Dr. Zakir Nalayak with threats of false accusations. Desperate to appease her, Chintan begs on streets to raise 50,000 rupees, only for demonetization to render the notes worthless again, forcing them into more queues and fleeting intimacy. Ultimately, ideological rifts prove insurmountable; Chintan refuses conversion, pays Sheena in new currency after grueling exchanges, and they part bitterly, with him blocking her and vowing independence, while she channels the pain into her writing. Post-breakup, Chintan immerses himself in PANU University's revolutionary fervor, reviving his campus newspaper "The Azaadi Times," leading rallies for "free PhDs for all" and a one-lakh monthly pension, and clashing with professors and counter-protesters. His "Odyssey" reveals a life of activism, from childhood in Bitihar to jail stints in Tihar, idolizing figures like Lenin and Faizal Guru, and surviving assassination attempts.