[somber music playing]
[Ansari] We're ready, sir!
[Sundaram] All right! Toss them!
Be careful!
All right, sir! Hoist them up.
[man] Careful. This way.
[Ansari] They'd weigh 105 kilograms altogether.
-Does that weigh the same? -[man] Yes.
-[Ansari] Now? -Yes, sir!
[Ansari] Go ahead.
Ansari!
The bodies were found at this spot.
Aim for the red float!
Arunagiri!
Your turn!
[birds squawking]
[Sundaram] None of the spots are a match.
Where did those kids fall from?
[Amar] The dummies landed at these three spots.
With a five to six-foot variation at most.
But no link between where they landed and where the bodies were found.
[officer] Could someone have pushed them?
They might've fallen further if so.
[clicks tongue] Maybe, but they fell together.
-Under the water... -[motor rumbling]
I've heard that the government draws water from here, sir.
Look over there.
So that's why...
When the motor was turned on, it pushed the bodies.
Looks like that must've been the spot, then.
The kids fell from up there.
Illusions and deceptions
Wounds many, the vortex reveals
Endless and relentless
Wails many, the vortex rains
Won't life triumph?
Won't grief cease?
O vortex!
Swirling within, shadows
Dark shadows
Riddles within
Will you unravel, O God?
O vortex!
Swirling within shadows,
Dark shadows
Riddles within
will you unravel, O God!
For heaven's sake, I'm fine!
I've just been a little stressed out since Nila's death.
That's all.
And it made you faint so suddenly?
That always happens suddenly.
Dad, let's go home.
I'm all right, Dad. Please.
-[doctor] You can't decide that, Nandini. -No, dear--
I do.
Please wait outside, everyone.
Please step out.
Blood pressure and ECG reports are normal.
Sit up a bit.
Relax. Bring your arms forward.
Let me know if it hurts.
-Feel any pain? -No.
-How about now? -No.
Everything looks normal.
You fainted often in your adolescence, right?
Yes, Doctor.
But I've been living alone in Coimbatore for seven years.
Never had any problems.
Two days, just to be safe...
Doctor,
you know what happened to my sister.
If I stay here, my parents will worry.
They'll feel much better if I stay with them.
I understand.
I'll sign your discharge form,
but you relax and stay safe.
-Okay? -Okay.
Lakshmi, you can let one of them in.
It's all right. I'll wash up and we can leave.
Mm.
[grunts]
-Nandini! -[grunts]
[Shanmugam] Nandini?
What's wrong? Somebody get the doctor.
Doctor!
I don't know what happened. She was doing fine.
[monitor beeping]
Lakshmi.
I don't know what to say.
Some buy their pets from a store
and then shower them with love.
But some bring home wounded strays
and would give their lives to heal them.
That's how you are.
What are you saying?
Maybe because you've taken care of your mom since childhood,
you don't need a life partner.
You need to keep saving someone,
fixing what's broken.
It's not like that.
But you can't save Nandini.
Nor does she expect you to.
She can take care of herself.
Lakshmi.
Aren't you mad at me?
Don't you want to scream at me?
[clicks tongue]
No, but it's difficult for me.
Because you're my first love.
[song playing]
Why did you move away?
The fingers that entwined with mine
The promise of being my beloved
Somehow you forgot
You threw a stone
at the glass house of our love and vanished
I know not what is to be my fate
[song ends]
[horn honking]
Excuse me.
-Sir! -Yes, sir?
Do you have thinner?
How much do you need?
About 20 to 30 liters.
This is a hill station. We don't stock that much.
If you pay in advance, I can get it for you tomorrow.
I need it today.
In that case, there're Rajarajan stores on the Uraiyur bypass road.
7. Uraiyur Rajarajan.
[cell phone ringing]
-[officer] Hello? -Yes, sir?
No updates from you in a while!
I'm at it even now.
Are you just sight-seeing at a hill station or what?
Video call me, if you'd like. I'm investigating at a store even now.
-Really? -Investigating?
-I'll send the update soon. Thank you. -Do something.
So annoying.
Dear.
A temple offering.
What happened to Nandini?
She was doing fine.
All of a sudden...
This way, Doctor.
Um, according to Nandini's results,
Then what caused her to break down like this?
What she's undergoing is a type of nervous breakdown.
She's been consulting with me for two years in Coimbatore.
She has involuntarily locked away many of these feelings.
They tend to come out in stressful situations like this one.
Is she a psychiatrist?
Yes, the doctor asked to arrange therapy sessions for her.
With whose permission?
I'm here, aren't I?
No psychiatrists without my permission.
How else do we treat her?
Doctor, weren't you already treating her?
Please continue. I'll convince him.
Okay.
Has this ever happened to Nandini before...
Back when she was 12 or 13,
she used to sleepwalk.
At times, she'd walk to the old cemetery in the middle of the night.
The doctors here
didn't know how to treat her.
People suggested taking her to the godman at the ashram.
Your husband didn't agree?
Well, he's an atheist.
He's always been this way.
He's stubborn.
If you don't mind me asking,
is this why you two separated?
It's the same with Regina.
There's been a gap between us since Adhisayam died.
She's gotten very stubborn.
Shanmugam!
What's wrong?
When Nandini had a similar attack in her childhood, we saw a psychiatrist.
The entire town started looking at her as if she was mentally ill.
Poor kid. She was fine by herself in Coimbatore for seven years.
I'll just take her back there.
If she has a problem,
she can see a psychiatrist there.
No need to do it here.
What happened with Nila's DNA report?
I haven't asked Sakkarai yet.
They told me.
But I haven't told Devi yet.
If she finds out, it'll destroy her.
Nila would've turned 15 in August.
She was just a child and she'd been...
It wasn't Adhisayam's child.
She'd been abused for a long time.
Such a young girl...
Psychopaths!
If I ever catch him,
I'm not just going to report him.
I found it in that exact spot, sir.
Is it the murder weapon, Amar?
It perfectly matches the marks on their necks.
And it has bloodstains that match the blood of the victims.
I'll need to check if there're any finger prints.
Begin the forensic process right away.
All right, sir, thank you.
-Sundaram. Hold on. -Sir?
[Sakkarai] Why were those kids here in the middle of the night?
And why behind the factory?
I've been asking myself that same question.
That was the night of the factory fire.
Exactly.
Nila had been sexually abused for some time.
The kids planned to kill the offender and skip town.
So, he must've killed them.
Who in our town is so perverted to have abused a young girl?
[clicks tongue]
[exhales]
I see now why Adhisayam made up such a tragic love story in his messages.
He was trying to keep Nila's secret from everyone.
Sir!
Slow down, man!
What is it?
You asked me to check out everyone who liked the "Poochi" account.
This is Adhisayam's account.
This is Malar's.
These four are her schoolmates. Same age as her.
But, this one, "Doktar Devil,"
I can't trace him.
He masked his identity.
I couldn't trace him by his IP address. It's hidden by a VPN.
Not only that,
he does seem like a pervert.
He's following some other girls from Nila's kho-kho team.
Her kho-kho team?
[whistle blowing]
[indistinct chatter]
Does Nila have any other friends here?
I'm her only friend here.
Do boys come by here?
To hang out and talk to girls, that is.
See her? That's our PE teacher.
She's very strict. She'd flay any guys who'd dare and come by here.
But, didn't Adhisayam meet Nila here?
That was at our annual meet, the only time when boys are allowed.
You mean Mr. Trilok?
The rules don't apply to him.
He owns our kho-kho club.
[Trilok] Play like this,
and you won't even make it to the district level.
Notice what you did wrong?
Huh? Didn't you step that way?
Don't you know that counts as a foul?
Hey. Why are you crying, Neeraja?
Don't cry, dear. Why are you crying?
[inaudible]
He's always like that.
He drops in unannounced during practice.
He treats us to soft drinks, ice cream, and stuff.
He seems way too friendly.
Have no girls complained?
Why?
Do you know something?
Many of the girls have a crush on him.
How did he act with Nila?
Many girls want to talk to him, but he liked Nila the most.
She was a good kho-kho player. She was special to him.
And how was Nila around Trilok?
She was reserved, so she'd shy away and run off any time he talked to her.
But Mr. Trilok never stopped encouraging her.
All right.
Malar, just a minute.
Could you do me a favor?
Send the bottle to forensics for fingerprint analysis.
Never mind accusing Mr. Trilok.
Detaining and questioning him won't be easy.
I'm aware.
We need rock solid evidence.
[cell phone ringing]
-Hello? -Hello, sir.
[chuckles] Mr. Sakkarai.
Did you mean to call me or did you misdial?
You've discovered sarcasm, I see.
I called to check on your investigation.
It's coming along just fine.
Do you need anything?
Nothing, sir, truly.
I was in a good mood, and thought I could help you.
I can hang up if not.
Hold on! You offer to help and want to hang up so soon?
I do have some questions for you.
Just a minute.
-Hello? -Hello, hello!
The night of the fire, who reached the factory first?
Shanmugam.
Who told him?
The fire would've been visible from the workers' quarters.
The factory's everything to Shanmugam.
To be frank, Shanmugam was arrested only on Mr. Trilok's word.
Mr. Trilok?
Please don't take this the wrong way,
but there's something wrong with him.
Did you know he tried to bribe me?
He wanted to pay me off to close this case!
He's always been like that.
I have some doubts, sir.
His actions on the night of the fire seem a bit suspicious.
Is that so?
We didn't check his whereabouts?
No, but I did, as part of my own inquiry.
He was initially a bit cagey,
but he eventually admitted he was at his guesthouse in Uraiyur.
He has a guesthouse there?
What about it?
I hoped to double-check with you on this,
but you're not even aware of this house?
Some investigation you're running!
You can hang up now.
Go to the station, Sundaram. I'll come later.
[inaudible conversation]
[birds chirping]
Are you insane?
You broke into an unoccupied house without a warrant!
Any evidence there will now be inadmissible!
-But those kho-kho girls... -What bloody kho-kho?
He supports young underprivileged girls!
All right, but where was he on the night of the fire?
He turns up sloshed after the fire was put out.
What does that say?
That he drinks in the evenings.
You seem to hold a grudge against Trilok.
Sir, why would I hold a grudge?
He's a friend of mine too, of the whole station even.
Is it because there are no more kickbacks from him?
Huh?
[sighs]
Listen, Sakkarai.
Regina claimed it was human sacrifice and stirred things up.
Now, you do this.
I understand you're all emotional.
[Sundaram] I knew the DSP would react this way if we took it to him.
It'd be easier to explain it to a foreigner
than to these pompous bureaucrats.
The two of them are close friends.
Besides that, the DSP was the chief guest at the kho-kho match.
For all we know,
they might be accomplices.
[grunts in frustration]
Once the fingerprint analysis confirms Trilok's involvement
I'll go to the judge with solid proof.
Best course of action.
The chain of events is clear.
Kothandaraman also suspects Trilok to have set the factory ablaze.
So, after Trilok set the factory on fire that night,
he escaped by the gate on the quarry side.
Adhisayam and Nila were waiting there, ready to attack him
in retaliation for Trilok sexually abusing Nila.
The kids attack him,
but he cuts them with their own knife and pushes them off the cliff.
But how'd the kids know Trilok would be there at that hour?
I haven't figured that out yet.
Sir, their expensive criminal lawyers could sink the case with that point alone.
[clicks tongue]
[birds chirping]
[horn honks]
All work completed.
That's it? I nearly broke my back hauling those loads all day.
And you pay just ₹100? How is this enough?
Quit arguing! Take it or leave it.
A hundred bucks.
Oh.
So, you've got a new slave and now you talk tough.
Goodbye.
-Sir? -Sir.
You're still here?
How often do I need to tell you? We don't sell it. No one bought it.
It's business hours! Leave!
Sir!
Please come over here.
Rs. 4500.
How much will you pay if I tell you what you want to know?
Amar.
-Sir! -Did you find a match?
Sir, it's not so simple.
The prints on the knife have completely degraded.
I found a small sample on this edge,
but it's neither Nila's nor Adhisayam's.
-Does it match with Trilok's? -Also a problem.
Not a full match either.
There's three types of fingerprints.
Around 65% of people have loop patterns.
About 30% have whorl patterns.
Only five percent have arc patterns.
It's very rare.
There's an arc pattern on the knife, same as Trilok's,
but it's only a slight match, so it's inconclusive.
It's not enough to hold up in court.
So, the fingerprints are the same,
but you won't report it to the court, right?
Sir, it's not out of concern for my career.
Consider our district.
A population of around 500,000 people.
Five percent of that is 25,000 people.
Those kids deserved to live. Now they lie dead,
and no one wants to risk anything for them.
I didn't mean it that way, sir.
-Sir... -Shame on you.
[inaudible conversation]
It didn't just last a couple of days.
It had been going on for months.
I didn't suspect a thing.
I don't have to be a vigilante, but...
Every time that happened,
how much Nila would have been in pain and cried at home?
How many times did I fail to notice? [clicks tongue]
I know who's responsible for what happened.
Trilok Vadde.
Based on what?
Trilok has a weakness for women.
That's probably why he started the club.
Ma'am, you've seen how he acts tough around us,
but over there, he does nothing but flirt with those girls.
That was how he met Nila.
He secretly followed her on social media
under the name of Doktar Devil.
Not just that,
in his Uraiyur guesthouse,
he has pictures of insects taken by Nila.
He'd been obsessed with her.
[inaudible]
More importantly,
where was Trilok that night?
The factory was burning down,
but where was he?
You haven't arrested him?
-Have you informed the DSP? -[clicks tongue]
There's no point, he won't lift a finger against Trilok.
I thought I'd go to the judge with the weapon's fingerprint match,
but the size of the print isn't large enough.
We know everything,
but can't do a damn thing.
Can they sweep anything under the rug with enough money and power?
Meanwhile he strolls around with his head held high.
Where is Trilok Vadde right now?
[suspenseful music playing]
[car engine starts]
[bike engine starts]
[call phone ringing]
Hello?
Ma'am.
Looks like a prostitute, but I'm not sure who she is.
Left her at Mayana Kollai and got back on the highway.
All right, thanks.
I'll follow him.
No need for that, Sakkarai.
-I got this. -Ma'am?
Ma'am.
[drums beating]
Please step out.
-What's wrong, Regina? -Step out.
Shanmugam...
Hey. What's going on here?
Hey. Hey. [grunting, straining]
[Trilok whimpers]
[groans]
Why are you hitting me, Regina?
[Shanmugam] Get up!
[groans in pain]
Hey!
[drums beating]
[vocalizing]
Today is the 8th day of Mayana Kollai.
The fire walking ceremony.
For the fiery goddess who simmers with rage,
devotees walk on fire to make their wishes come true.
-[drums beating] -[vocalizing]
[chicken clucking]
[Trilok screaming in pain]
[shrieking]
Please stop, Shanmugam.
What were you two doing in the guesthouse?
That pervert,
does he often call for you or...
You seem to have everything figured out. Why ask me?
You think all transgender people are in the trade, right?
What, then? Are the two of you lovers?
Why? Can't we be friends?
If you're friends, meet in public or meet during the day.
Why meet in private at a guesthouse? And why at night?
"Why"? The entire town is full of people like you.
That's how you all think.
Why'd you come to this town?
For Mayana Kollai.
Our goddess Angalamman only sees devotion.
She doesn't care about gender.
[Trilok whimpering]
[Shanmugam grunts]
[grunts]
[laughs]
Quit laughing.
I'm not joking.
This is a child sex abuse case.
You're accusing Mr. Trilok of all people of raping a girl?
Don't you even know he's only attracted to men?
Please don't do this.
I didn't...
Please don't.
[groans, coughs]
What? "Men"?
Yes, but who in this town will ever understand that?
But the flirty behavior with those kho-kho girls...
He can be free and bravely socialize only with young girls.
He hangs out with me for the same reason.
How can someone like you ever understand that?
A gentle person like Mr. Trilok...
[scoffs]
That perverted mind you spoke of?
Mr. Trilok doesn't have it.
It's only in your gaze.
[Regina grunts]
You know what?
I came to town on the day of the factory fire.
We hadn't seen each other in a while
so we drank a bunch at his guesthouse.
We talked all night about what goes on in town...
[intense music playing]
[Trilok groans]
[groans, coughs]
[intense music playing]
No! Stop!
He didn't do it.
[suspenseful music playing]
[opening theme music playing]