'2018' Hindi review: Immaculately-shot survival thriller with powerful emotional undercurrents

The Hindi dubbed version of the Malayalam survival-thriller film 2018: Everyone is a Hero has been released theatrically on Friday. Directed-written by Jude Anthany Joseph and starring Tovino Thomas, Tanvi Ram, and Aparna Balamurali, among others, the film poignantly captures the cataclysmic floods that ravaged parts of Kerala in 2018, and accentuates how the power of humanity can brave even the most disastrous storms.

There is no single hero here, and yet, everyone is! 2018 begins with parallel sub-plots about the lives of working-class people in Kerala, who eventually find themselves connected due to the torrential downpour that causes their lives to fall apart at the seams. Thomas plays Anoop, an ex-Army man who, along with many others, stands at the frontline to brave the odds.

Watching 2018, there will be several occasions where you will wonder, "How did they film that?" While the majority of the first half is devoted to world-building, introducing characters and their backstories, and setting the overall mode and tonality of the survival drama, it is the second half where the breathtaking cinematography, art direction, and sound design truly knock you off your feet.

The atmosphere also doubles up as a character, and here, the visual details become all the more consequential. Some of the film's texture reminded me of the famous scenes of downpours in Tumbbad, especially with the clouds that hang heavily in some scenes, ready to simply burst open. The entire second half is soaked in water and grime: the rains arrive, and never stop.

Thanks to the number of characters in the film, there is no dearth of subplots here, and every single one of them has a backstory that is tethered to a strong emotional core. For instance, there is a pregnant woman unable to reach her husband, a specially-abled boy whose condition has deteriorated due to a fracture, and a blind man who lives alone.

Even though 2018 shows men at the forefront of rescue operations (rowing boats, flying helicopters, carrying people on their backs, etc.), it never tries to imply that women take the backseat during such adverse conditions. The female characters contribute by taking care of children, nursing people's wounds, helping with food, and other logistical arrangements. After all, when humanity beckons, everyone has to step up.

The character arcs deserve a mention too; Anoop leaves the Army because of its challenges, but eventually, he emerges as one of the heroes everyone looks up to. In one scene, after saving a life with the aid of some soldiers, Anoop greets them with a Jai Hind, implying how he may have left the force but the valiance it taught him lives on.

2018 makes several points about the power of humanity and how it can alter lives, but at the same time, it doesn't hesitate to subtly underline how even disasters discriminate between the rich and the poor. For someone, the lashing of rain means nothing beyond pleasant weather, but for a child, it may mean being separated from her father for days on end.

2018 tends to become somewhat formulaic at times, but rarely loses its momentum, keeps you glued to the seat, and even makes you jump in a few places. The audacious efforts of the entire team translate effectively on the screen, and its emotional beating ensures that you instantly root for the characters. An excellently executed film from start to finish. Don't miss it.