While the effects of demonetisation on urban India are visibly apparent to those with access to mainstream English media, its impact on rural lives is so far vague. We travelled into the interiors of Maharashtra to examine the depth of the impact. Firstpost sent out Apoorv Mishra, who was accompanied by his friends — Tahir Alimansoor and Kush Shah, into rural Maharashtra with an iPhone, a couple of mics, a GoPro and no institutional monetary support – they had borrowed money from friends and withdrawn all the cash permitted under prevalent restrictions. Their journey began on a train from Mumbai to Kasara, where they heard progressively worsening tales of woe as they moved further away from Mumbai. If you missed it, you can catch that episode here. The trio arrived in Kasara on 18 November and spent some time talking to the people and documenting their daily struggles in a post-demonetised India. Kasara only has two banks and four ATMs. Being a small village that primarily relied on cash transactions, this was enough. Following the demonetisation move, however, the situation appears to have dramatically worsened. “We have to stand for hours in line just to get a small amount of money,” said one lady. “People are falling unconscious in the heat,” said another. One man tells Mishra that he’s been standing in line since 8 am (it’s 2 pm at the time our reporters speak to him) and that he hasn’t had a chance to either eat or drink since. An old man complains that he’s been in the line since 8 am and that his knees are aching. Local businesses have also been hit hard. An owner of a sabzi mandi (vegetable stall) ranted about the drop in earnings. “I used to make Rs 4,000 - Rs 5,000,” he says, adding, “Now I only make Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.” He also complained that it’s not worth going to the bank for money, “My whole day would be wasted.” Some people have seen opportunity in demonetisation. Certain stores are reportedly charging a Rs 100 premium on old notes, others have set up stalls that charge illiterate people a fee for filling bank forms. The fee might be meagre – Rs 10 – but as we later found out, that fee might amount to 10 percent of someone’s daily earnings. Amid these tales of hardship are also rare tales of hope. Those who can afford it are giving out goods on credit. Others, like Trimbakutal Shinde, a retired policeman, is housing the physically challenged and offering water to those who want it. Despite their hardships, the people still seem to be largely in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move. Their only complaint, in fact, is that demonetisation should have been planned better. “You don’t see the rich standing in line, do you?” is the common refrain. Firstpost broadcasted Mishra’s road trip on our live blog and our Facebook page . It is now releasing the videos in the form of a series of documentary shorts.