Neela!
Comb this entire area.
Anything we find in this perimeter is important evidence.
Yes, sir.
We must not miss even the tiniest of details.
- Got it? - Okay, sir.
- Especially bullet casings. - Okay, sir.
I need to know if they took the animals alive
or killed them before transporting them.
- Okay, sir. - Sathya sir.
Load the collected traps into the vehicle.
There are two footprints here and two over there.
But, I'm not sure if they're from shoes or boots.
Didn't it rain two days ago?
They must have come after that.
Sir.
There are dry blood stains, tissues, and hair fibers in all the traps.
This isn't their first time.
They have already done this many times.
Did you find any fingerprints?
We found a few fingerprints on the traps.
We'll check our database to see if they match with any previous offenders
and let you know, sir.
- Okay. - Okay, sir.
Brother Irfan.
If they laid the traps here…
then they must be somewhere close.
Brother!
The forest officers are closing in on us.
They are five kilometers south of here.
They'll be here any moment.
We must shift from here at once.
How long is this going to take?
About 45 minutes, brother.
- Hey, Kathir! - Brother?
Call the agent and tell him to shift everything to the warehouse by tonight.
Okay, brother!
Will the false images shown by the heart Break in front of the eyes?
Will time solve this clueless puzzle?
As the depth of eerie silence Echoes all over
Will this wild run after the shadows In the dark, stop?
Will the unresolved legends Unearth the truth
And the apparitions Of the mystery die away?
Step back!
Step back! You over there, step back!
Hey! Step away from the barricade. Move it!
He's the Managing Director of the tea factory nearby.
His name is Rathinam. Age 45.
The mechanics who were doing repair work in the factory last night,
were the ones to see him last.
After getting a call from his wife, he left the factory at 8:00 p.m.
But his car never left from there.
It's still parked at the same spot.
Who found the body?
The workers did.
When they learned that he was missing, they set out to search.
Over there, they noticed Rathinam's right slipper on the ground.
Then they found his body on the tree and informed us.
Go and check his car parked outside the factory.
He could've been attacked in the car.
Later they might have placed the body here.
Sir.
Ayyanar, let's go to the tea factory.
Yes, brother. I got the news just this morning.
I have no idea how it happened.
Yes, sister-in-law is here.
No, we didn't bring the kids.
What am I going to do?
Okay. I'll call you later.
Alright.
- Are you Thangarasu? - Yes.
How are you related to Mr. Rathinam?
I'm his younger brother.
We have to question you regarding this incident.
Oh, God! Oh, God!
Sister, please go home.
The kids must be getting scared.
I'll handle everything over here.
All of you please wait outside. Go.
Hurry up.
When was the last time you saw your brother?
Last afternoon, around 2:00 p.m.
I had lunch and left.
I had to meet a dealer in Pollachi.
When did you return?
This morning.
I came only after my sister-in-law called and gave me the news.
So you stayed at Pollachi last night?
Where did you stay?
Well…
Tell us where you stayed.
In a hotel.
The name of the hotel you stayed in last night,
and the phone number of the dealer you met.
Write it down.
Okay.
Do you suspect anyone?
No, sir.
Did your brother have any business rivals,
or any issue with the workers?
There are many.
But if they had any issues,
they would have slashed him with a machete,
or stabbed him with a knife.
But when I see him in this condition…
I don't understand, sir.
How was the relationship between you and your brother?
Any problems between you two?
I don't know why you are asking me this.
I had nothing against my brother.
We did have spats every now and then, but that happens in every family.
But we both were on good terms.
I had a lot of respect for him.
This is a big loss for me too.
Your phone is ringing again.
Answer it.
We'll wait.
It's okay, sir. I'll attend to it later.
There are three missed calls from the same person.
It must be something important.
Attend the call.
Take the call.
- Hello. - Where is my balance payment?
You'll get it tomorrow.
But that wasn't our deal.
Can we discuss this later?
I'm in an important meeting.
I know.
The cops are there with you.
If I don't get the money by tonight,
then you'll face the consequences.
It was a client…
asking about a payment.
I have asked to inquire about him in that hotel in Pollachi, sir.
- If we get any information… - Sir!
We found a strand of hair.
This could be anyone's hair.
It could be here because of the wind.
It's a 30-inch, unbroken hair strand, Ayyanar.
It's likely that it belongs to the murderer.
- Chitra… - Sir?
Bag it and send it to the lab.
Yes, sir.
- Careful. - Give that.
It is T23's.
It's gooey.
It must have crossed this place two hours ago.
Record the time in the register right away.
Or else the three of us will get a scolding from Irfan sir.
The camera is broken!
Must be the elephants!
The same thing happened last month also, madam.
They've totally damaged it!
The memory card is chipped and stuck inside.
Madam, the camera over here is broken too.
What's this?
How come they're targeting the cameras specifically?
There are four cameras in this beat, right?
Yes, there are two more cameras by the lake.
- We'll go and check them. - Okay.
- Come. - Okay, sir.
Don't be finicky about work hours.
If there's work, you should come.
Didn't you just return after a leave?
- What then? - Actually, sir…
Sir!
What happened? Did you check?
Yes, all the four cameras are damaged, sir.
Come in.
- Give me the memory cards. - Yes, sir.
Looks like all of them are damaged.
One of them seems to be fine, sir. Try it.
- What is your name? - My name is Saraswathi.
- And you? - I'm Shanmugam.
- Shanmugam? - Yes.
- How long have you been working here? - I've been working here for eight years.
- And you? - I've been working here for three years.
Do you both stay here or…
No, madam. We stay at our house only.
You called him on his phone about six times last night,
and even messaged him to come home soon.
Why is that?
Alright. That's all for now.
I'll contact you if we need to know anything else.
- Did you see anyone looking suspicious? - Chithra!
Brother, come here.
Move this table and chair to the corner.
Did you conduct any ritual here?
Answer me! What was the ritual for?
My dad was scared that…
someone had used black magic on him.
Black magic?
Yes. Dad strongly believed in all that.
Keep quiet, Jagan.
Don't tell all this to the police!
Wait. You tell us.
Two days ago, Mom heard some strange noises inside the house.
Dad saw a woman's shadow lurking in our garden.
What are you doing?
I'm digging a hole.
Are you going to plant something?
This is a grave.
Such a tiny one.
Who's it for?
Mom wept and said that Dad shouldn't have burnt this doll.
Ratchi got angry.
That's why, she took my dad away.
If I bury the doll and pray to it,
then Ratchi's anger will subside, right?
She won't harm my mom and brother.
Jaya!
Where are you?
Coming, Mom.
- Who is it? - Mangai.
Police! Open the door.
This is regarding a case.
We need to search your house.
Open the door.
What happened, sir? What are you looking for?
Do you practice voodoo and black magic?
I don't know such things.
Then what are these for?
These…
They are just showpieces for decoration.
Lots of tourists buy them.
Mangai, where's the key?
Over there.
It's October 22nd and the time is 03:50 pm.
CR 1311. Suspect name Mangaiyarkarasi.
The investigation is led by Inspector Rishi Nandhan.
Sub-inspectors Chitra Lokesh and Ayyanar Murthy are there in the room.
State your name for the records.
Mangaiyarkarasi.
- Place of birth? - Thaenkaadu.
- Age? - 25.
Looks like you stay alone at home.
Where's your family?
My parents…
they live in the same village.
But we haven't been in touch for the past five years.
Why?
That's none of your business, sir!
Why have you brought me here? Tell me that first!
Hey!
Just answer the question.
Because they didn't approve of the life I had chosen.
And I didn't want to be a burden to them.
So I moved out.
You work at the handicrafts shop.
Who's the owner?
I'm the owner, sir!
I started the business with my hard-earned money.
Do you know who these people are?
I don't.
Think harder.
They may have come to your shop to purchase something.
Maybe, I don't remember.
Where were you on the night of 20th October?
At home!
Why are you asking all this?
As if I'm a convict.
Yes, you're a convict.
What do you mean, sir?
I've got nothing to do with this.
There are only five or six handicraft shops in Thaenkaadu.
And you're the only one who makes the Ratchi doll.
Rathinam's wife said that she didn't buy this doll.
Then how did it end up in her daughter's hands?
You went to their house and gave the doll to that little girl.
Oh no, sir! I never went to that girl's house.
That girl kept eyeing the doll, every time they passed my shop.
But since her mom never bought it for her,
that girl came to my shop all alone and bought that doll herself.
That's what really happened.
I swear, I didn't go to their house, sir. Believe me.
I don't believe you.
I know that it's you, who is dressing up as the Vanaratchi and scaring everyone.
Who else is with you in this?
I want the names of everybody in your group. Now!
No! It's not what you think at all, sir!
Then why do you have this costume, Mangai?
Sir, it's a costume for a play.
I am part of a theater group.
We are going to stage a dance drama titled "Vanaratchi", next month.
Rehearsals are going on in the cultural center in the neighboring town.
Hey! Stop lying!
I'm telling the truth!
I am an artist.
This costume is for the dance drama.
Why are you not believing me?
Why don't you believe me?
What is it?
Do you need a special invitation? Get in! You too!
Get in, fast.
Go! Go! You should not stand here.
Kumar, give some water to that poor dog.
Okay, sir.
What happened?
This husband and wife duo…
killed animals like wild boars, foxes, rabbits…
and sold the meat online.
The husband took his dog along to hunt the wild animals.
The wife cooked the meat.
They don't look the part, right?
Seems he runs an electronic shop and she's a school teacher.
Brother, I have a feeling that the two of them
are connected to a huge poaching ring.
We should question them properly.
I'll take them, file an FIR, and detain them.
We'll grill them while taking them to the magistrate tomorrow.
You go and get some rest.
You wanted to see me.
I have something to show you.
Is that the girl?
Could be.
The face is not very clear.
I've seen gymnasts and rope walkers…
climb up and down a pole in a similar way.
So, this is not impossible.
So she hasn't confessed to anything?!
She said she knows nothing about those murders.
Do you believe that?
I feel that she's hiding something.
We need to question her again tomorrow.
In order to connect her to the crime scene,
we need incriminating physical evidence.
Without that, we can't detain her for a long time.
Didn't you find a strand of hair at the crime scene?
We have sent it to the lab.
We need to check if it matches the hair in Mangai's wig.
The report is still due.
All this seems so dramatic and twisted, right?
I don't understand.
I mean…
making a woman dress up as the Vanaratchi.
Making her crawl on trees.
This grand drama of scaring everyone.
It's almost like a plot from an old, black-and-white Tamil movie.
Oh, yeah.
I too have watched a lot of them.
You've seen old, black-and-white Tamil movies?!
Of course. A lot.
My dad's a Malayali.
Mom's a Tamilian.
Mom loved detective fiction stories a lot.
She had a whole shelf overflowing with detective novels.
Another shelf filled with old Tamil mystery movie CDs.
Dad was a forest ranger in Palakkad.
He was always busy with work.
And whenever he found some time,
he'd only watch movies of Mohanlal and Mamooty,
and nothing else.
But Mom was not like that.
She used to watch a lot of Tamil movies.
And I gave her company while watching those movies.
My mom had a great sense of humor.
She'd be watching the movie and giving running commentary on the side.
My stomach ached from all the laughter.
She seems wonderful.
She was.
When I was in the final year of my college…
she fell sick and passed away.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay.
Neela, come here.
Come here!
I usually don't have any visitors here.
That's why she's scared of you.
Show me your hand.
Neela, come here.
Don't be scared. He's a friend.
Hey, Karuppa.
Hey, come this side.
Come here.
Selvam!
Sir! Why did you come here?
You didn't come to see me. So, I came to see you.
Forget that. I need one more goat.
Another one?
Sir, I can't do this any longer.
If my boss finds out, it'll become a huge issue.
There won't be a problem.
Am I not paying for the goat?
That's true, sir.
But he doesn't know about injecting the medicine.
Keep it that way.
Isn't that why I pay you a hefty commission?
Here, take it. Keep it.
Bring it to the same spot.
Hey! Enough, stop it!
Stop this commotion. Take turns and tell the problem one by one.
Muruga, you start.
The forest officers are of no use to us.
They are never going to catch the Ratchi.
She murdered four people and is still freely roaming in the village.
We are just being mute spectators.
How many more lives will be sacrificed before we take action?
Only God knows!
Look here! If you can't do anything, just tell us.
The ten of us will patrol the village at night and keep guard.
Look here, brother.
You took matters into your own hands many times before.
Everybody knows how they all end up!
Don't poke your nose in this.
Are you talking about the incident from last month?
You must thank us for that.
If not for us, that tiger would've killed many villagers.
The forest police would've come and captured the tiger.
But what did you guys do?
You attacked it with knives and sticks.
Poor tiger! It died.
When it comes to our lives or the tiger's,
what else to do? Whose life matters?
All lives matter!
The forest police are doing their duty properly.
Additionally, CBCID is investigating that murder case.
If you guys take matters into your own hands and then things go awry,
it will become a huge problem.
So, be patient.
Understood? Now, leave.
Sir, greetings.
Hey, Selvam. How are you?
Haven't seen you around in a while.
Looks like you finally came to the panchayat today.
There was a festival at Poovalampatti.
My brother-in-law insisted I go, stay there, and take part in it.
- So I went with my wife and kids. - When did you return?
Only yesterday.
I heard of the incidents that took place in our village when I was away.
I'm so worried.
Anyway, how's your boss, Mr. Nallakannu?
He was not happy with me suddenly gone for a few days.
So, he replaced me.
- Oh, is it? - Yes.
- Shall I talk to him? - No, thank you, sir.
I'm planning to buy a few goats and start a farm of my own.
My wife too feels that's a good idea.
So I wanted to talk to you regarding that.
Do you want a loan?
Is that what you are hesitant to ask?
- Yes, sir. Anyway, I shall leave now. - Wait, come home for some tea.
It's okay sir. I have some work.
I'll come some other time.
Oh, alright.
After many years of not having a child,
Mangai was God's gift to us.
She was a very reserved girl.
She found happiness only in dance.
She took part in many plays and dance shows in school.
She also won many prizes for it.
She's a very talented girl, sir.
But her father didn't like it at all.
His dignity and reputation mattered more to him.
Women in our family are generally not allowed to perform on a stage.
He feared that he would lose his respect in the village because of her.
He was hell-bent on getting her married when she turned 19.
Mangai refused and tried her best to get out of it.
He didn't budge.
She wished to join some drama troupe.
He didn't agree to it and forced her into marriage.
But her marriage too was a disaster.
Her husband was abusive and tortured her a lot.
We never knew about it then.
One day, she couldn't take it anymore.
She removed the nuptial thread and moved out.
But she too is a stubborn person, like her father.
She broke ties with us…
moved to another house in the same village,
and lives alone, sir.
Sir, my daughter is a good person.
You have mistaken her.
She wouldn't have done anything wrong.
Please, let her go, sir. Please.
The lead in this dance drama is Mangai.
We conduct such shows in order to raise funds
for the education, employment, and medical expenses
of the girls in our organization.
Is this play about the Vanaratchi?
Yes, that's the theme.
Demigods like the Vanaratchi
have no place in the heaven where gods live,
nor on earth where humans live.
So they're shunned spirits who wander as castaways.
Since we lead our lives without abiding by the conformities of society,
we too are like the Vanaratchi.
It was Vanaratchi, sir.
The one draped in a red sari and has horns on her head.
He'd suddenly wake up in the middle of the night,
and scream "Let me go! Let me go!" at the wall.
Ratchi got angry.
They are fierce creatures who appear like ghosts and devils,
and terrorize the humans.
You are ranting non-stop.
Can't you stay silent for a while?
How could I when they sent us out in such cold weather?
I planned to write the survey report from the office,
but sir asked me to go with you.
Kathy.
The department has told us to plant tree saplings in the Chinnamalai area, sir.
We are headed there.
- You go ahead. I'll catch up in some time. - Oh, right. Go!
- Brother. Let's go. - Okay.
What are you doing out here?
Jogging.
Remove your sweatshirt, sir.
Excuse me?
Take off your sweatshirt, sir.
Leeches have bitten you.
Did you jog through the bushes over there?
Wait!
Sir, please don't move.
Sir?
Leave at once!
What?
Let go, please! Just get out of here!