Nandini!
Hey, Nandini!
Get going! It's time!
Hey, what's with the zombie act every time you go before the judge?
Today is your final hearing.
Behave!
If not, you'll stay here forever.
SPECIAL PRISON FOR WOMEN - SATAIYUR
As a child, I was so fond of you!
I trusted you so much!
Now, I cannot even be normal around anyone!
I cannot bring myself to trust any man!
All because of you!
The counsel for the accused argues that Nandini acted in self-defense.
Even if that's true, how did that gun come into Nandini's possession?
Was it just lying there?
She took Chakravarthy's service revolver
and lured Guna with the intent to kill him.
How can it be an act of self-defense?
Your Honor,
there is premeditation in this.
She had planned it and then carried it out.
It's a clean case of revenge murder!
So, per Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code,
I humbly ask that Nandini, the accused, be sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment.
That's all, Your Honor. Thank you.
Defense Counsel Chellappa, your closing statement?
Crime.
It's not just about what happened and how.
The reasons and circumstances behind the crime matter just as much.
When someone attacks, and we react in response,
that's self-defense.
You are correct.
But that's not all.
What if the man had been hurting her repeatedly for ten years?
If she comes prepared to protect herself from him
and happens to shoot him,
that is self-defense, too!
Your Honor,
in this case, what I want to say is
we must consider not only the circumstances of the murder
but also the preceding ten years that led to these circumstances.
Even if Guna is the victim in this murder,
the real victim
is Nandini.
You make a fair point.
But does the law allow it?
Your Honor,
the Reasonableness Clause of the Self-Defense Act.
It tells us to consider the behavior of both the victim and the aggressor.
Nandini called Guna to that place to question him.
For her own safety, she took Sakkarai's service revolver with her.
When Guna showed his true colors,
Nandini was forced into a position where she had to use the revolver.
So, Nandini used the revolver in self-defense.
Therefore, per Section 100 of the Indian Penal Code,
I humbly request that my client, Nandini,
be acquitted of all charges.
SUZHAL- THE VORTEV
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?
No matter what you say, what I committed was murder.
Revenge against the man who killed my sister.
Revenge is a selfish act.
If revenge was all you wanted,
you could have dumped the gun, like Sakkarai told you to.
But you did not.
Even at the risk of imprisonment,
you wanted to bring this issue out into the open.
You wanted to bring about some change by going public with it.
That's good enough.
It's a good fight.
I'll wait near the car.
Sir?
Sub-Inspector Chakravarthy's case?
Negligence of duty revolver.
- Its verdict has been postponed too. - Alright.
Alright then.
Come along!
Her name is "S. Nandini," sir. Note down her number.
Your mother said she'd come.
Thought we'd have the judgment today. I even brought sweets.
Take them back with you to jail.
It might do your tongue good.
I've gotten used to not having all this for the last eight months.
Two more days tops.
The judgment will be out.
I don't even check the date or the time anymore.
When I don't have a purpose, there's no use in noting all this.
Take one, at least.
Nandini!
Come on!
Get on!
- Dhamu! - Hello, brother!
What's with the beads and holy ash?
It's the Ashtakaali Festival, brother!
I'm doing penance for 90 days!
Ma'am was right to have you over! Today's the flag hoisting!
Sir will be hoisting it this year to kick off the festival!
- Where is he? - Waiting for you!
Let's go!
Come.
- No, I'm on my way home. - Sir, brother's here.
Come tomorrow…
No, not tomorrow. The day after that.
What, Sakkarai?
Malathy said you'll stay for ten days until the festival ends.
But you've brought only a small bag.
Malathy maa is always like that. She will tie me down with her affection.
I haven't seen her or Sundar in a long time.
So, I'll be staying for a couple of days.
The department has me on a compulsory wait because of the mishap with the revolver.
They might transfer me to a dummy posting at any time.
I understand.
But you'll have to convince Malathy yourself.
I will not get involved!
- Dhamu? - Sir?
Drive faster.
If the crowd gets bigger, we'll be stuck in traffic at the bridge.
Sir, we'll make it in time! I'm here, aren't I?
Since when did you become the religious type?
When Malathy wanted me to join in, I refused, as I had no belief.
But then, I realized this is not all about my own belief system.
If not about your belief, what then?
Without faith, why would you go to the temple?
Faith is beyond everything.
First, you have to believe your faith is good for you.
The faith could be in anything.
It could be about God,
or a leader,
or your parents, or your teachers.
You believe in someone, don't you?
We should, in no way, rip apart the beliefs of the people.
I thought the lawyer only believed in courts!
That's still there.
But…
there was an incident that happened ten years ago.
It really got me thinking.
Great at spinning tales, aren't you?
You still have not answered if you believe in God or not!
You sound just like my father!
THE FLAG HOISTING
Devotees, please stay with your group and take care of your belongings…
They're at it already?
Just get lost, acting all cocky!
Of course, he'll hit back!
- Look into that! - After what you said, they'll stomp you!
- We're the ones who drew such a big crowd! - As if!
Sir, I'll handle this.
Head home with ma'am.
- What's wrong? - Get going, dear. I'll handle this.
I'll be right back.
You keep flapping your gums and expect us to stay quiet?
- Move aside! - No can do!
Move aside, I say!
- Get lost! Mind your business! - Hey, stop it!
- We know what to do! Why do you butt in? - Stop it, I say!
Stop it, I say!
Your guys try to strike us mid-sentence!
Let's ask Chellappa sir!
He's well versed with the law, yes?
He'll tell us what is fair!
It's the three of us contesting here, Fernandez!
It's the MLA's job to settle this.
Why drag Chellappa into this?
Chellappa, Schmellappa!
All the contracts have been executed smoothly, Lawyer sir.
The only issue is over the claim on day ten,
the day of the demon-slaying over the last 900 meters of road space.
Your cousin, Thiruvengadam, wants all of it.
How is this fair? You tell me!
Hey, what's there for me to say?
Didn't we resolve this after last year's festival?
Didn't you put it all on your cable TV and show it to the whole town?
The gall to bring this up!
Never mind all that!
We'll talk it out and resolve the issue this year.
Whoever offers the higher bid can claim the road.
That won't cut it!
Thiruvengadam, Maarappan, and the MLA over here
have plundered the town and amassed all the spoils!
But us?
Fishermen who depend on the sea!
What about our plight?
Hold up, Fernandez!
I'll make it clear to everyone!
Not just for this year, but for every year from now!
Fernandez, Maarappan, and Thiruvengadam!
All three of you get an equal share of the contract.
End of story!
That's what is best for the town!
After this, if anyone picks a fight over this issue,
I'll get a stay order from the magistrate court
and stop the festival!
That is all!
Irresponsible!
Move aside!
It's ruined. Everything is ruined.
There goes the cash flow for this year's election!
This guy won't make money and won't let others do so too!
Think their quarrel is over?
Definitely not.
Their fight isn't just about money, Sakkarai.
For Maarappan, it's a matter of pride.
To his men, he's a hero.
The contracts he brings in for the festival have a lot of prestige.
But Fernandez?
Some 150 families from the fishing community depend on him.
He'd want some of this contract money to reach them, won't he?
What about Thiruvengadam?
He's a relative.
My classmate.
He's a real big shot in this town.
He expects everyone to listen to him.
That's all for me.
Eat, Sakkarai. I'll get one more for you.
Come here! Sit down!
Hold on!
I will…
I will make some crispy dosas for you, just the way you like it!
Careful!
There's already one on the stove!
Is that Sundar?
Does he usually return this late?
These days, it's hard to say when he leaves and when he returns.
He passed an exam and got a promotion.
Now, he's very busy.
He's the supervisor for four district lighthouses.
Some sambhar, please.
Why did you skip the flag hoisting?
Sundar!
Sakkarai!
It's been years.
You used to be quite the half-pint, and now you're a hotshot cop!
You're one to talk!
You'd stare at the sea like you wanted to swallow it!
I hear now you're the harbor's big shot!
Alright. Wash up and come for dinner.
I'll eat later.
I'll go shower first.
Dig in.
What about Sundar's marriage?
Anytime we bring it up, he says no. Just like you!
What can I say?
Okay…
Is there someone you love?
Oh well…
Your favorite gravy.
It's your phone!
Tell me, Prayamvatha.
Well,
why did you get so upset when Malathy mentioned the topic of love?
What happened?
Just that I was reminded of Nandini.
If I hadn't left my service revolver at home that day,
she wouldn't have taken it and killed Guna. Do I feel bad about that?
Or do I feel glad knowing she killed the demon? I don't know.
Whatever we do means little.
It never really changes anything.
Despite that, we can't just do nothing, right?
It's my responsibility to ensure Nandini's release.
Okay?
I have an errand to run. I'm heading to the cottage.
Well, why don't you come over there in the morning?
It's a very peaceful place next to the sea.
Your father's letters are there too.
We'll read them together.
- Alright. - Good.
Hey! What the hell is this? Get going!
I've told you a thousand times! You just don't understand!
The cells are open, so you can use the loo,
but you lie out here all night long!
Pick up the mats!
You need to be jailed the way they do in men's prison! Only then will you learn!
Only if you're locked up all day long like them will you reform!
Get back inside!
What happened?
Have some water.
It's only a dream, right? It's not real.
Why worry, then?
Leaving already, Sakkarai?
- Just going to the cottage. - Stay safe!
Give me the bike keys, Dhamu!
Heading to the cottage--
Brother!
What is this? Are you part of the dance show?
I'm in the ritual costume of a king, brother!
At the Ashtakaali Festival.
Get me one, too!
- I'm kind of jobless now! - Sure thing!
- Drop me off on your way! - Fine. Give me the keys.
Take this.
On behalf of the temple staff,
we heartily welcome all the devotees!
- Dhamu! - Brother?
You could've worn the Goddess costume.
That doesn't come so easily!
It'll take years!
You must embody other characters and work your way up for sixteen years!
How many years has it been for you?
Fourteen years!
In another year, I can embody the Goddess too!
Where is Chellappa sir's cottage?
Chellappa sir?
Squad, attention!
Stand at ease!
Attention!
Listen carefully! The festival…
Why don't you get someone to answer the goddamn phone?
What the hell are you all doing?
Constable!
Kaalipattinam Police Station.
Hello?
At the beach… On Fourth Street…
Do you know Advocate Chellappa?
Know his cottage? Sir…
Why? What's the matter?
Tell me what happened!
Chellappa sir is lying dead inside!
I cannot open the door. Can you come over right away?
What?
His cottage?
Hello?
Malathy maa?
Oh no…
What did you say your name was?
Sub-Inspector Chakravarthy.
Which station?
Sambaloor station.
At what time did you find him?
It must have been around 9 a.m. when I got here.
Within ten minutes, I called the local station.
How is he related to you?
He was my father's friend.
He's like a father to me.
Most unfortunate.
Who knows what went wrong
for him to commit suicide?
Push harder, brother!
A little harder!
Go and open the back door, Nazir!
Nobody else goes inside!
Shut the window and head outside!
Nazir! Geetha!
Open up the doors and windows!
Really dark in here!
Careful, sir.
The evidence might get tampered with.
Nazir!
You heard what the officer said!
Sorry, sir. This door is locked from the inside, too.
I'll go up and check.
He shut all the doors and went to work.
What could've made him want to kill himself?
It's not suicide, sir.
It is murder.
A "murder"?
The gun is missing, sir.
If it was suicide, where did the gun go after he shot himself?
Sir.
Sir, he's the one who reported the incident.
He is Chakravarthy. Sub-Inspector at Sambaloor.
When we got here, all the doors were locked from the inside.
We thought it must have been suicide.
When we broke open the door and got in,
there were gunshot wounds.
But there was no gun.
There's a good chance this was murder, sir.
A "murder"?
How did the killer exit?
That's what I don't get, sir.
- Nazir! - Sir?
Is there a way to get out through the roof?
No, sir. All doors upstairs are locked from the inside, too.
If the gun is not at the scene, it's definitely murder.
But how?
It doesn't add up.
How are you?
The guy who solved the double murder at Sambaloor?
Sub-Inspector Sakkarai?
Chakravarthy, yes.
Okay.
Is that so?
No suspension, right?
Still in the service, yes?
Okay. Oh, he's on leave?
Alright then.
Okay.
Thank you, sir.
Alright.
Chakravarthy!
I spoke to your Deputy Superintendent. You take the lead on this case.
Sir, how can I…
This is my area. My jurisdiction.
Please wait outside, Inspector Moorthy. I'll come.
This case seems very complicated.
The gun isn't in Chellappa's hand.
The rooms are locked from the inside.
A closed-door murder.
Chellappa's family doesn't exactly trust Inspector Moorthy,
so they asked if you can handle this.
Chellappa has told me a lot about you.
I know you're under compulsory waiting.
Unofficially, take the lead on this case.
Yes, sir. I'll handle it.
Good.
- Moorthy? - Sir.
Don't look so down.
You are on my team!
If anything goes wrong, you won't be the only one affected.
I'll have to face the heat too. Get it?
At times, we need to make decisions for the sake of our image.
Try to understand.
Chakravarthy!
Put your egos aside and try to work together.
No details about this case should get out.
Even his death must be kept confidential.
Until the town elders find out.
Right? Okay.
Sir.
Where is the forensic team?
Amar!
Sir! Sakkarai sir!
How come you are here?
I knew him.
He put me through school.
He's like a father to me.
I'm sorry, sir.
It's alright.
Begin your sweep.
Make it very detailed.
When I came in, I took a lot of photos and videos.
Good, sir.
I'll send them to you.
D.I.G. sir?
How did he… All of a sudden…
What happened?
Can you tell us how he died?
Mithran?
Ask your brother what happened.
Sir, until the investigation is over, it has to remain confidential!
- Dharman-- - Brother!
That isn't our problem now!
Do we continue with the festival or not?
That's why I called you here.
He was a good man. He's gone now.
It is sorrowful, but we must move forward, yes?
If we stop the festival, we'll incur heavy losses.
How can you speak so heartlessly?
He helped us out all the time!
Yet, your coffers are all that matter now?
What are you saying, brother?
Quit beating around the bush and stay on topic!
We are not debating about his character!
If we stop the festival, won't it cause huge damage?
Not just for us!
This whole town depends on it for ten days' worth of income!
Folks from out of town have set up shops!
Millions of people seek salvation in this festival!
We must consider them, too!
How can we ignore all of them?
Fine.
I won't say anything.
A towering man.
An important death.
Do what you must.
It's not just this problem we must consider.
Would it be a slight against the Goddess if we go ahead with the festival now?
Or would it be better if we don't conduct it?
The wrath of the Goddess must not befall the town.
We must think of that, too!
Do you expect the D.I.G. to take this up with the Goddess?
Spot on, Prayamvatha ma'am!
We need to sort it out ourselves.
Sir!
Hear me out well, everyone!
The townspeople must not be told!
If there is a death, we must remove the amulet!
If we do, the penance will be interrupted, and all is lost!
Therefore, on their way to the funeral,
if they can take another route and avoid coming by the temple,
the festival won't be affected.
The ones who take part in the funeral must not come near the festival.
Then, let them conduct the last rites near the sea outside town.
D.I.G. sir?
We'll take care.
When will you hand over Chellappa's body?
Malathy maa?
Maa?
Sundar?
I tried telling her several times, Sakkarai.
But she insisted on coming.
You can't go in until forensics is done.
Please come here, maa!
I'll explain. Please come!
It's okay. I'll explain. Sit here.
Stay here.
What happened, Sakkarai?
- Can we go in? - I'll let you know.
Hurry! When the ambulance arrives, we'll have to shift the body.
Who did he refer to as the "body"?
Chellappa?
Sir!
Watch your words! The family's here.
Sorry, ma'am.
Sorry, sir.
I have a lot of respect for him.
I was just a bit worked up…
Sorry, son.
Stay with her. I'll be back.
Sundar, look at this!
Do you smell something?
The smell of dosa?
Nothing like that, Mom. Sit down.
Yesterday…
Chellappa…
Mom!
- Please, ma'am! Be patient! - Mom!
- Listen, Mom! Don't go in! - Please listen, ma'am!
- Don't go in now, ma'am! Don't go! - Mom!
Don't go in, ma'am! Please be patient! Don't go!
Don't go in there, ma'am!
Mom!
Hey! What's going on?
Maa!
Please, maa…
Get up, maa!
Maa! Help me lift her up, Sundar!
Don't, maa! Please!
What the hell are you doing?
Why did you let the lady in?
Sorry, sir.
You had one task, and you still couldn't get it right?
She was not…
Call me when you get home, Sundar. Travel safe, maa.
What if the evidence gets destroyed?
- Gloves, please. - My head will roll!
Don't you know the job?
Is this some kind of stage show?
Do you take me for a wimp?
Shitheads!
Wretches!
Who the hell trained you?
Your service record is nothing compared to mine!
Don't wag your tail at me! I'm not the schmuck you think I am!
- I'll chop it off! - Silence!
Save these tricks for your hometown! Got it?
Stop talking!