840: The demise of Dablu's 'democracy'

It is challenging to get over the fear of constant vigilance that went on for 15 long years. So when the film '840', also known as 'Democracy Private Limited', opened with clips of protests and news coverage of the July-August uprising, a little part of me could not help but be taken aback at its boldness. It's been a minute since we came across such a satirical theme. 

Mostofa Sarwar Farooki revisits satire and political commentary in this latest release, with Nusrat Imrose Tisha as the producer. A  star-studded cast brings the story to life with Nasir Uddin Khan, Marzuk Russell, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Zakia Bari Mamo, and more.

In the small town of Phoolmonirhat, Mayor Dablu has fallen out of grace with the Prime Minister because of a murder in the town. With rival forces like his old-time opponent Kaji making their way back, Dablu has to do whatever it takes to divert attention and win the Prime Minister's favour again. 

While '840' might not be connected with Farooki's 17-year-old classic series, '420', the director revisits similar themes such as power struggles and scheming. Leaning on the genre of satire becomes the film's biggest advantage. 

"To be able to revisit political satire is a relief for me," said Farooki at the movie premiere, a hand over his chest, as if in a sigh of relief. "In the past 15 years a lot has happened so being able to revisit the genre is a relief."

And why wouldn't it be a relief? Farooki shared that he began the project in November 2023, and he says the audience will be able to understand his distress during that period. 

It feels as though reality has sketched its lines across the film's plot, shedding light on issues like censorship, political manoeuvring, and the presence of certain controversial political figures.

For an audience filled with people who witnessed the atrocities of a regime and the uprising that led to its downfall, humour and absurdity seem to be the best way to go about it. After all, laughing off the pain does work sometimes. 

The entirety of the plot revolves around political games, and sometimes it hits a little too close to home. When initially brainstorming how they could divert the attention of the public, Dablu orders for a disaster fire and a subsequent fund to be ready—which he would distribute to the victims afterwards. It remains a sour reminder of how innocent people get caught in the crossfire of dirty politics. 

What I was most interested in was seeing how this satire would work to adapt to the cultures of the current day, and '840' did not disappoint. Dablu is not a stranger to social media, keeping a close eye on the types of 'reactions' his posts get. To divert public attention yet again, he tries to become a viral star, believing it will help him gain favour. 

The film also felt like a way to relieve a lot of the frustrations the filmmaker may have had with the previous regime—one aspect being censorship. Censorship dictated media and content for so long and now it has returned in the film through the app, 'Nagar Sheba'. Dablu made it mandatory for everyone to download the app so he could spy on conversation, and in turn, ensure everyone's loyalty. Sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it?

Nasir Uddin Khan was the perfect person to play Dablu. The actor maintained a delicate balance between the absurd dialogues and serious moments. Even while saying lines like, "I paid so much attention to development, so why doesn't anyone love me?" —the actor doesn't seem like a caricature. 

As soon as loyalties slip out of Dablu's grasp, his power is threatened, one person turning against him after another. Thus, bringing back the feel of the original show, '420'. 

Kaji returns to the hospital bed as soon as bad news of his rival, Dablu, surfacing to steer away from scrutiny, Dablu crying crocodile tears to make sure everyone sees his sympathy for victims of murder—all of these moments act as recaps of our memory. Although the film's pacing falters slightly in the second half, it still succeeds in delivering its commentary on the government.

All that said, I can't deny that when I checked the news the morning after watching the movie, I couldn't help but chuckle as the comedy in politics became even clearer.