Jude Anthany Joseph's latest film 2018, now streaming on SonyLIV, is a fictional recreation of the terrible floods the plunged quite a few parts of Kerala on August 16, 2018. The movie features an ensemble cast in Kunchacko Boban, Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Aparna Balamurali, Kalaiyarasan, Narain, Lal, Aju Varghese, Tanvi Ram, Indrans, Sudheesh, Jaffer Idukki, Joy Mathew, Harikrishnan, Gauthami Nair, Sshivada, Siddique, among others. 2018 Movie Review: Jude Anthany Joseph's Film Celebrates Humanity in the Face of Tragedy; Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Lal Shine In Their Roles.
The majority of the film's events take place in Aruvikkulam, a village heavily affected by the floods, and the characters in 2018 are shown to be related to each other prior to the night, or to be linked by the tragedy of the night. Anoop, a young man who has escaped from the army, Nixon, an aspiring model, Mathachan and Winston, Nixon's fisherfolk father and elder brother, Noora, a channel journalist, Shaji, an employee with the District Office, and others are among the main characters.
In this feature, we look at what happens to the main characters by the end of the film, which of course, means MAJOR SPOILERS. So tread ahead with caution!
Anoop
Played By: Tovino Thomas
When it comes to the main characters, Anoop has the best character arc, and also the most tragic. Even though his villagers mocked him for leaving the army, he proved to them that he didn't have to be at the borders to be a hero. Anoop gains respect from his villagers after assisting in the evacuation of a pregnant woman onto a rescue helicopter, which inspires him to be more courageous. When Varghese and his family were trapped in their house, he nearly sacrificed his life to save them. However, he is not so lucky while attempting to save the blind shopkeeper Bhasi who has fallen into the water. Anoop's leg becomes entangled in the debris while trying to get the hapless old man to the surface and he drowns. The final scene depicts the village paying tribute to him by placing his photo on the 'Mary Matha' memorial calling him a brave soldier. We also see Bhasi now selling lottery tickets (perhaps his shop got destroyed in the rains, or now he can't run it without Anoop) near his picture, his fiancee Manju looks forlornly at the photo and the old man, as well as his best friend Alex, while Gundappi and his friend lay flowers near his photo.
Shaji
Played By: Kunchacko Boban
Shaji had been coordinating rescue and relief operations from the Alleppey District Office, while his wife and daughter remained at their newly built home in Aruvikulam. In the news, he is devastated to see the visuals of his house washed away in the floods, and there is no word of his family's whereabouts. However, a happy reunion awaits him when he returns to his village and finds his daughter and wife (who is injured and in a wheelchair) safe and alive, along with their rabbits. Christopher Ending Explained: Decoding the Climax of Mammootty-B Unnikrishnan's Cop-Thriller and Whether It Promises a Sequel.
Nixon
Played By: Asif Ali
Nixon may make fun of his family's profession, but when the time came for him to prove his worth, he arrived at the right time to assist the fishermen during their rescue and evacuation mission. Despite losing a family member in the process, Nixon and his elder brother rescued many of the villagers, he saved a girl's future despite being nearly bitten by a cobra (whom also he rescued, sending the serpent floating on small suitcase) and having his leg injured in the process, and even helped reconcile two warring siblings. The last we see of him, Nixon has achieved his dream of being a top model, but he is also helping Winston out in the sea with their fishery business.
Rameshan
Played By: Vineeth Sreenivasan
Rameshan's unexpected journey with Sethupathy altered the latter's perception of Keralites. Rameshan is seen alive at the end and appears to have reconciled with his wife Anu (Gauthami Nair) as they bring his mother home from the hospital.
Noora
Played By: Aparna Balamurali
Despite her enthusiasm for covering the floods, Ann is strangely absent for the majority of the second half. We see her again in the epilogue, hugging her sick mother and sleeping next to her, while her father (Siddique) looks pleased (his complaint was that his daughter didn't spend enough time with her mother). We also learn that Noora's ostensibly irresponsible younger brother Nahas founded the WhatsApp group that assisted in the coordination of rescue operations. Purusha Pretham Ending Explained: Decoding the Noir-ish Climax of Alexander Prasanth-Darshana Rajendran’s Malayalam Film on SonyLIV.
Mathachan
Played By: Lal
Matachan was a true hero; he and his elder son even get a hero entry in the film. He takes the initiative to lead the fishermen in the evacuation mission and transport the villagers to the school camp, and he is overjoyed when his younger son joins them. However, a tragic fate awaits him when he is killed after the flood-damaged school wall collapses on him while he is attempting to repair the dislodged roof tiles. The village immortalises his damaged boat 'Mary Matha' in his honour and as a tribute to the efforts of the fisherfolk.
Sethupathy
Played By: Kalaiyarasan
Sethupathy travels to Kerala in his truck with a consignment of bombs. However, after seeing images of flood operations on TV, he changes his mind and throws the boxes containing the bomb materials into the river, instead using the truck to transport more food and supplies to the affected. His phone conversation with Rameshan, and later with Rameshan's mother, softens him towards his own mother and his young daughter. Also, as a sidenote, the activists for whom he was carrying the bomb materials so that they can destroy the factor they were protesting, also get their happy ending, when the rains did the work for them.
Winston
Played By: Narain
Winston, like his father, assisted with the evacuation during the floods. Following his father's tragic death, he joins forces with his younger brother to save a family trapped in a lanslide. Later in the epilogue, we see Winston returning to the seas to continue their family business, with Nixon taking over from their late father.
Koshy
Played By: Aju Varghese
Koshy, a Kuttanad native, is trapped in Aruvikulam while driving a Polish tourist couple to Munnar. Fortunately, Anoop comes to their aid and transports them to his house, which has not been flooded. Later, we see them forming strong bonds with Anoop's family members and others who have sought refuge at the house. While the film does not show whether Koshy and the tourists learn of Anoop's death, we do see them later at Koshy's house, where the tourists are finally given their 'karimeen'. Later, Koshy drops them off at the airport, where they hug and say goodbye, with the couple asking him to bring his family to Poland whenever he can.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 07, 2023 04:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).