Sir? Sathya sir!
Is that Mallika madam?
Look at the fate of our DFO.
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?
Hello, Inspector.
Tell me, doctor.
I have to show you something.
I conducted a few experiments with the webspinners.
I tried using different pheromones to check if I could control them.
- Pheromones? - Let me explain.
The body of every living being, including humans,
secrete a natural chemical substance called pheromones.
Especially insects.
They communicate with each other using the scent of the pheromones.
For food, mating, building nests, etc.
Just like other living beings, trees also secrete pheromones.
The pheromone secreted in the root of a particular tree
strongly attracts these webspinners
and makes them rapidly weave webs.
Let me show you.
So, this pheromone chemical can be used
to make the insects spin webs over a dead body.
Yes, it's possible. This is a new finding!
I'm amazed too!
You shouldn't have followed me there that night.
If you hadn't come…
you'd still be alive now.
Somewhere.
You didn't deserve this.
Why did you come?
I get so angry when I see you.
But I'm unable to show it.
I'm unable to scold you.
Are you really there in front of me?
Or…
am I just talking to myself? I don't know.
But one thing is for sure.
I really loved you.
Though there were many problems and fights,
we had many beautiful moments too.
Memories…
I will always cherish.
I miss you so much.
But…
I have to let you go.
I have to let you go, Viji.
I have to let you go.
Did they ask us to wait outside?
Yes, they haven't finished the work inside.
- Hey! - Hi.
I heard you guys bought a new apartment.
- Congrats. - Thanks.
Sir asked me to bring Yamuna here to consult about something.
Don't know what it is.
Sir, our work is done.
You can take your things from your room.
But that storage room is off-limits.
Okay.
Let's go.
Sir?
When a crime happens,
we always ask three important questions.
Who? Why? And how?
We already know why these particular victims were killed.
Because in some way,
they were all involved in destroying the forest and killing the animals.
Sir.
Yamuna, hi.
Thanks for coming.
You're welcome, sir.
I hope Ayyanar briefed you about this case.
Yes, sir. He did.
Good. Tell me what you see in these photos.
These are Kaanagar's cave drawings, right?
Yes. Are these drawings of herbs?
Yes, sir.
These are drawings of rare and powerful,
leaves, roots, flowers, and mushrooms found only in Thaenkaadu.
It's impossible for outsiders to find these herbs…
The exact location of these plants in the forest,
the timings, and methods to obtain them are a secret,
known only by the Kaanagar Tribe.
Even if someone discovers their location,
it is said that these herbs are safeguarded by venomous snakes.
Outsiders won't even be able to approach them.
How do you know all this?
My father told me that these tribals were experts in herbal medicine.
I've also read his research papers on this subject.
What are these symbols?
These could be instructions and formulas to make various medicines.
Using these formulas, can someone prepare sedatives and poisons?
That's the "How".
The people that we are looking for,
have used these herbs to paralyze the victims,
induce cardiac arrest and murder them.
The pheromones that are secreted in these tree roots,
have been sprinkled over the dead bodies…
to make the webspinners weave the cocoon.
Now we have the proof that whatever they did is scientifically possible.
Sir, these herbs are technically undocumented and unknown substances.
That could be why nothing showed up in the toxicology tests.
Okay, but the killers need to understand these symbols, right?
It's written in Kaanagar's native language.
Even if someone got hold of these formulas and deciphered them,
how would they find the location of the rare herbs in the forest?
Didn't I just say that only the Kaanagar Tribe knew about it?
Exactly!
Only the Kaanagar Tribe would have been able to do it.
But they are all dead.
Not all of them.
The large chamber where the mass suicide happened,
and this small cavern with the roots of a large tree
are connected by a hidden fissure.
A small tunnel.
I believe that when the mass suicide happened,
some of them didn't go through with it,
and escaped through this fissure.
They must have climbed up the tree roots
and got out through a hole in the cave's ceiling.
There is no Vanaratchi.
Those Kaanagars who escaped are the killers we are looking for.
Yes, sir. About 20 of them are working inside.
All other workers have left.
The manager also left a few minutes ago, sir.
He said he'll call you in the morning.
Pardon me, sir.
My phone's battery is running out. It might turn off at any moment.
Okay, I'll inform, sir. I'll hang up now.
Why is he calling me for everything? Asshole!
Why are you late? Get started with the work.
Sorry, sir. I’ll get going.
Hey, why are you showing so much attitude?
Then what?
You expect me to believe all the stupid gossip about the murders?
Kalai, the news about the murders is true.
The villagers here say that some evil spirit killed them.
Do I look like a fool to believe all this?
Hey! You know something?
The mine that we are digging is connected to that spirit's cave.
Even Pandi said so!
Does he think we are little kids to believe all this?
Hey, who's that?
I told that idiot Kumar to refill the generator's diesel.
He must have forgotten. Do we have a backup?
We just have this one for the night shift, sir.
Ayyanar, ask him what happened.
- Hey, what happened? - There…
The Ratchi is there!
Who is making ghostly noises there?
Hey, Pandi. Is that you?
Fucker, I'm gonna beat the crap out of you.
Brother, what is that?
Hey! What's happening here?
What are you saying?
The workers are trapped inside. We need to get them to safety.
Come on. Let's clear this.
Sir, careful.
You both clear this out.
I'll go and look for another way. Give me the torch.
Here, sir.
Wait. Hold on. Slowly.
Stop!
Stop right there!
There is no Vanaratchi.
Those Kaanagars who escaped are the killers we are looking for.
Why would they dump the body here?
It looks like a warning meant for us.
This is overconfidence! Recklessness!
I was waiting for them to make a mistake.
This is it!
Think about it.
Who has access to this guest house?
Who can go in and out of the forest without raising suspicion?
Who can easily destroy all the evidence?
Who is close enough to divert the investigation?
Then where are they? Hiding in the forest?
No, they are right in front of us.
Hiding in plain sight.
I'm not really surprised that you're here.
Finally, figured it all out.
This fissure is too small.
It wouldn't have been easy for a group of adults to crawl through it.
Even if anyone tried,
the smoke inhalation would have knocked them out cold inside the fissure itself.
So, those who escaped the cave would have been children?
Yes.
That means, our suspects must be between the ages of 21 and 35.
I sensed something was off about Abdul in the beginning itself.
The way he told us and the cops that…
Vanaratchi killed Robert was bothering me.
When I was spying on him, one day…
I saw his grandmother abusing him and calling him an orphan.
She didn't want to pass on her inheritance to him
since he wasn't born in their family.
So, I believe that he is one of the survivors.
There is definitely a connection between Abdul and Mangai.
Without exchanging one word with each other,
Abdul handed over a parcel to Mangai that day.
That parcel could have been herbs.
Mangai is definitely one of them.
To justify the Vanaratchi makeup and costume found in her house,
she used the Vanaratchi dance drama as a decoy.
When I saw Mangai's photos in Kaliaperumal's house,
I didn't notice any photos taken before the age of five.
She too may have been adopted.
But Mangai was in our custody when we found a video with the Vanaratchi in it!
To get her out,
someone else from her group could have pretended to be the Vanaratchi.
I was wondering where the children would have gone after they escaped.
They came to you.
You helped them, didn't you?
You didn't want anyone to know that these kids were alive.
You also convinced Mother Leana to keep this a secret.
Why?
If the news of the kids being alive had come out,
the sacrifice made by the other tribals would have become meaningless.
That's why I hid the truth.
Not just that.
If some politicians and journalists came to know about the kids,
they'd have selfishly preyed on them like vultures feeding on carcasses.
But I thought,
I could give them the opportunity of a normal life.
It's okay.
I was just discharged from the hospital today.
Kathy came to see me and left from here just a while ago.
You just missed her.
Did she make this tea?
Kathy makes excellent herbal tea.
If there is any chronic pain in the body, drinking her tea instantly makes it better
The mind becomes calm and there's a sense of relief.
When I was in the hospital,
she used to make that tea and bring it in a flask.
How's your migraine now?
I hardly get it nowadays.
Do you still see Viji?
Hello!
Rishi?
I asked you a question.
I can't believe…
you killed all those people!
They deserved it.
That poor Sangeetha.
What mistake did she make?
The child that died in her womb.
What sin did he commit?
They didn't deserve this.
That was an unavoidable misfortune.
We just meant to scare her.
We always leave an eyewitness,
to tell the villagers that they saw the Vanaratchi.
Only then they will believe.
If anyone dares to harm the forest,
they should fear that the Vanaratchi will come for them.
There are thousands of ways to protect the forest.
What you are doing is wrong.
Twenty years ago,
my people tried to protect the forest in the right way.
And look what happened!
So I found my own way.
- It happened just last week. - Really?
How are you, brother?
- I'm good, brother. How are you? - I am good too.
I heard that you got a promotion.
I'm so happy and proud of you.
Thanks, brother.
You carry on. I'll change and come.
You continue.
As I was saying, sir. The DFO's death seems very suspicious.
He had been there for less than six months. A gem of a person.
I've never seen him take any bribes.
Do you think that he was murdered?
Isn't that what happens to the honest officers?
A new DFO named Mallika has been appointed now.
She takes bribes and turns a blind eye to everything.
She is in cahoots with many higher officials as well.
People like me complaining against her is not going to do any good.
Now I understand how that Poomalai road construction project got sanctioned.
Isn't that supposed to be a protected area?
They deforested that area completely.
Many animals and birds that depended on the forest died.
They burnt all the carcasses before anyone found out.
Such injustice is happening there, sir!
Our Thaenkaadu Forest is being butchered by these people.
It's very painful to see.
- Did you find Mangai? - No, sir.
I searched in her shop and her house.
No one at the cultural center knows about her whereabouts either.
Sir, I couldn't find Abdul.
I traced his phone to his last known location and came to that place.
It looks like a storage shed where they keep all their stuff.
- Both of you please come here at once. - Okay.
This cylinder was filled with poison.
But…
that's too much for just one person! Isn't it?
They have filled another cylinder and taken it with them.
Why so much?
This is not for one person.
They must be planning something really big!
Mining work!
That's what started it all.
And that's what they'll try to stop next.
Is anyone there?
Can anyone hear us?
I can hear you, brother.
Is anyone injured there?
Seven to eight of our men are badly injured.
We are suffocating badly in here.
- Please, save us! - Hurry up. Come on.
Sathya.
I know that you are planning to kill the mine workers.
But they are just laborers.
Innocent people.
Please don't harm them.
Sathya…
please don't do this.
Let the workers go!
I really like you, Rishi.
You are too good at heart.
You are on the verge of death and you're still begging for other people's lives.
You're not gonna get away with this.
Goodbye, Rishi.
Vinoth sir's phone is not reachable.
But we can't wait any longer.
We need to get to the coal mine.
- Now! - Sir…
Yamuna, let's go.
It must be here somewhere.
I read it in Dad's research paper.
If there's a poison, there must be an antidote for it too.
Just in case one of their own people accidentally inhales it.
I'm sure they would have definitely prepared the antidote.
She's right.
Why are you smelling that?
It's okay.
This must be the antidote. Take a look.
This looks like tobacco… khaini.
These are "Narumulli" leaves mixed with "Thel thattai" seeds.
Very powerful.
Combining the two would be like giving a shot of adrenaline.
To jump-start a stopped heart.
Yes! In theory.
I think they keep it inside their mouth.
Like khaini?
Something like that.
But you should chew it only after the poison is inhaled.
Not before that.
Are you sure this is gonna work?
You three are going after them.
I cannot stop that.
Suppose, they attack you with that poisonous spray,
at least this antidote might prove handy.
Stop it!
It's over, Sathya!
We have enough proof against you.
I'm telling you one last time.
Just surrender!
Sathya, listen.
Sathya, listen to me!
Hey, stop! Or else I will shoot you!
Did you guys notice something?
That first victim, the truck driver Bala died five years ago.
But Sathya got transferred to Thaenkaadu only a year after that incident
and reunited with the others.
They didn't kill Bala.
Maybe, like the forensic reports said.
That could've been an accident.
But seeing how the villagers feared that it was the Vanaratchi who killed him,
Sathya must have got the inspiration for his plan.
That's possible, isn't it?
Bala said that he was chased by the Vanaratchi.
If it wasn't someone from Sathya's group, then who was it?
So, he must have been killed by the real Vanaratchi.
You all may not believe it,
but a real Vanaratchi definitely lives in this forest.
Don't start all over again, Ayyanar. Come, let's leave.
Come.
Come on, let's go.
If anyone dares to harm the forest,
they should fear that the Vanaratchi will come for them.
I will come like a mysterious wind Which spins web
I'll protect the forest This is Vanaratchi’s Thaenkaadu!