Kishkindha Kaandam (2024) Movie Script
1
Let's use this opportunity wisely to
silence everyone with just a fingertip
and remind those who forgot our
land and people after gaining power,
ensuring that Advocate Sri Anil Baby, who
is deeply connected to his birthplace,
wins by a large majority.
Hey... What's up?
I'm here to deposit the gun.
You show up only when
elections are declared.
You can head over to the
officer on the right.
- Number?
- 1624/MPM.
License?
- It's a revolver?
- Yes.
- You haven't used it recently, right?
- No, no.
Rounds...
- Okay, then.
- Okay.
Has everyone turned
in their guns?
No.
- One Mr. Appu Pillai is left.
- Okay.
Please show your IDs.
Mom, my ID.
- There are two witnesses, right?
- Yes, yes.
Show the ID proof.
Aparna...
Groom's ID?
Here it is.
Full name?
Ajayachandran K. V.
Ajayachandran.
Father's name?
K. Appu Pillai.
You've come from quite far, huh?
How did you end up here?
Where's he from?
Nedunchal.
Nedunchal...
Oh! That's the place with many
eco-tourism attractions, isn't it?
- Yes.
- Okay.
Ajayetta,
it's from the police station.
- Sir...
- Okay.
Just a minute.
- Are you Ajayan?
- Yes.
Appu Pillai?
He is my father.
Not that. Is Appu
Pillai with you now?
Sir, I'm not home at the moment.
What about your dad?
Dad is at home.
But he didn't answer
when we called your home.
Dad doesn't really use
the landline much, Sir.
That's for outgoing
calls, right?
He can still answer
incoming calls, can't he?
It's not that, Sir. He
isn't comfortable using it.
What's the matter, Sir?
Appu Pillai is a gun
license holder, right?
Yes.
Did you see the notice asking for
licensed firearms to be surrendered?
- No.
- But there is such a notice.
It is mandatory.
Today's the last date.
Oh! Due to the elections, right?
I had read it in the newspaper.
It must be brought to
the station before noon.
I'll reach home
by around 4.30 PM.
Will it be late if I
come after that, Sir?
My dad doesn't go out much.
That will be late.
Where is your house?
Nedunchal.
Where in Nedunchal?
On the way to Thirunelli.
Is it near the forest office?
- It is before the forest office.
- Okay.
The house is known as
Kodaykkal Veedu, Sir.
Okay. We will go and
collect it ourselves.
- Is it regarding the gun?
- Yes.
Why are you so
stressed about it?
He would have found it by now.
[phone rings]
- Dad...
- Yes.
Did you find it?
No.
I received a call
from the station.
They've asked me to get
it there before noon.
If not, will they
court-martial me?
I have been searching
for it since dawn.
If I don't find it, tell them I'll
carve a wooden gun and hand it over.
Damn circulars and surrender
notices, all for a puny pistol!
I'll call you when I find it!
Hang up now!
That's what I told you...
We should've filed a petition this
morning when he said it was missing.
That's for our safety as well.
If someone has stolen it
and fires it somewhere,
we need to have
solid backing, right?
I'm just talking about
the worst-case scenario.
Isn't it better than
having to say it's missing
when the police come
to the house for it?
I understand, Shivetta.
I'd even told Dad that
we must file a petition.
It's because Dad
objected, right?
Okay.
Anyway, let him
continue searching.
Finish what you
came here for. Come.
Okay.
- Happy married life!
- Thank you, Sir.
- Okay, then.
- Okay.
Okay, then.
- Okay.
- See you.
Aparna...
Why didn't you come inside?
I just got here.
He is Praveena's brother.
- Prashobh.
- Hi.
Come home once you're settled.
Okay.
How long are you on leave for?
I haven't received the call yet.
I'll be here for
two months anyway.
Okay.
You guys carry on.
It's getting late, right?
All the best.
Shall we go?
[Kishkindha Kaandam]
Smith & Wesson, 9mm.
It is a pistol, right?
Yes.
It's been three years since
the license was renewed, right?
Yes.
- That's the one.
- K. Appu Pillai.
Okay.
- Sir...
- Yes.
Everything's good in
the station records.
In February 2021,
he had surrendered the
pistol to renew the license.
So, after completing the renewal,
we returned it as well, right?
Yes, Sir.
As a former army officer,
you must be aware of the
hassles behind this, right?
How can people like you be
so careless in handling it?
You are?
- I am his son.
- What do you do?
I work in the Forest
Department, Sir.
Shivadasettan's...
Yes.
He had mentioned your wedding
when he requested two days off.
Congrats.
The notice to deposit the gun was
issued well in advance, right?
And you're only saying the gun is
missing now, at the last minute?
- Errr...
- What is this, Shivadasetta?
How did this even
happen with you around?
Well, Sir... I just got
to know from Ajayan.
Fine. But they could have at
least informed the station
right away when they realized
it was missing, right?
If this election hadn't come up,
would they have even
realized it was missing?
What if someone misuses it?
Have you thought about it?
Have YOU thought about it?
I'm not someone who
thinks too much!
If it's acceptable, we can write
the petition from here and sign it.
Hey, just write it
and give it to them.
Or... if your ego
doesn't allow that,
I'll come to the station
tomorrow morning.
They totally ruined the
day the newly-weds arrived.
I don't think he gets
how serious this is.
- You got it, right?
- Yes.
Anyway, give a
written complaint.
- And search the house thoroughly.
- Sir.
Attach a copy of the
gun license as well.
- Okay.
- Okay, then.
- I'll be on duty tomorrow.
- Okay, fine.
No, this isn't
exactly Thirunelli.
This place is before that,
along the Thirunelli route.
You said the license was
renewed three years ago, right?
Hasn't Dad taken
it out since then?
It's not a daily-use item
to take out and use
every day, is it?
So, people like him, who
can't even keep a gun safe,
were the ones guarding
our country's borders?
Aparna must be quite
impressed, right?
Where is she?
She is talking on the phone.
She is okay, right?
She is.
I could sense that she
is quite chilled out.
What is it, dude?
Nothing...
Come on. Cheer up.
Don't make her anxious
with your overthinking.
Okay, just keep
one thing in mind.
Everyone is okay with it.
It's just your feeling
that it is not okay.
And it's not right to live
your life in solitude.
There must be some
happenings in life, right?
This isn't just about you.
You must think about
Dad too, right?
You get what I'm saying, right?
Yes.
She is coming.
It's my elder brother.
Hi!
Hello.
How is our place?
It's awesome!
I left home a long time ago.
I'm not in contact
with anyone there,
not even with that
'Hitler' in the house.
He told me.
Well, when are you
going back to Bangalore?
Or are you on leave?
I resigned from my
job before I got here.
How come?
I got bored.
So, what's the next plan?
I haven't thought
about any plans yet.
I thought I'll just
go with the flow.
That's cool!
No job can give you the joy of
living without having to work.
Mr. Prasad, please come.
Job calls! I'll call later.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Dude...
- Good night.
- Good night.
Today was a mess, right?
I wonder what your dad felt.
Nothing like that.
My dad is cool with it.
So, there are others who
were not cool with it.
Seems like Prasadettan and
your dad are just so in sync!
You know how old
people are, right?
Moreover, he follows
military discipline.
Don't worry. Dad isn't
all that troublesome.
Ask Maniyan to come
tomorrow with two people.
That... uh...
Or should I climb
trees at the age of 70?
Yes, it's a radio.
Puyinkara Kavu is right
next to this place.
And what you see over there
is the Reserve Forest.
Except for Hanuman and Sugriva,
you can find the entire
army of monkeys here.
Oh!
One fine morning, our
radio went missing.
It was after around a month,
that we found it
hanging on this branch.
It's not at a height where
you can grab it easily, right?
Hearing about this, many
people came to see it.
Seeing the comments from
people and their astonishment,
Dad ordered it to be left on the tree
for everyone's amusement from then on.
And there's no option to appeal
against your dad's order, right?
That order served its
purpose, didn't it?
You were also staring with
your mouth wide open, right?
If you look closely, you will
see many more items up there.
Dolls...
Toys...
Monkeys were Chachu's
enemy number one.
He had even tried to capture
monkeys with a rat trap.
Is it coming from Dad's room?
Yes.
That's his regular playlist.
You will have to bear with it.
It is a North-East
folk song, right?
Yes. Have you heard it before?
I had been part of a volunteer
camp while I was in Delhi.
We went to Nagaland,
Mizoram... and so on.
Dad was in Arunachal
Pradesh for many years.
Hey, shall I share
a thought with you?
It could be silly.
Can't you approach the missing
gun case from this angle?
Well... a gun isn't exactly something
too heavy for a monkey to pick up, is it?
So, didn't you hear the
order Dad gave last night?
- Maniyan?
- Yes.
Maniyan chetta... Wooh!
This side... This side!
Look in every nook
and corner, okay?
- Shashiyetta!
- Check that mango tree branch!
Can you see a black object?
No!
That's a sandal or
something like that!
Hey, tighten the knot!
Check that tree as well!
Where all should we search?
Ah!
Now, if a branch snaps
and someone falls,
we will have to
deal with that too!
- Right?
- Come on!
What if we find the gun?
You always take his side!
Whether it's a
thief or a monkey,
if the gun gets fired,
we will be in a soup.
Throw it!
If that happens, no one will be interested
in climbing or shaking the tree anymore.
So, shall I leave?
My duty is outside
the station today.
[North East folk song playing]
Huh?
Building only the flyover pillars
won't lead to development.
Have someone explain this
to my election opponent.
Isn't it true?
The locals have started growing
veggies under the flyover,
which has only had its pillars
built in the last 10 years.
Beans and what not! So...
Don't try to fool
the people with that.
Park your vehicle
to the side, bro!
Just a minute. Let that
busy person pass through.
Why are you trying to
squeeze through this traffic?
Wait! I have much more to say!
Sir, you can move forward.
Allow them to pass through.
We needn't achieve anything
by obstructing people.
Move the auto rickshaw!
Let those in a hurry go ahead.
Come!
Go, go!
Creating a fuss during
such a major event!
Didn't you say he's
always at home?
He doesn't go
outside very often.
How long has it been since
he retired from the army?
It must be around 10-16 years.
His elder son and
I were classmates.
He had a very good
reputation back then.
Is it bad now?
Err, that's not what I meant.
- Dasan.
- Yes.
Here you go.
You've added nutmeg, right?
Yes. Shaiju Sir
likes that flavour.
He has set a menu for himself.
Sumadathan Chetta...
Look!
You carry on. I'll come later.
Well... Everyone
is already there.
- I'll be there by the time they start.
- Okay.
Their office is based in Delhi.
I had asked if they have
an office in the South.
So, you've spoken
to them once before.
- They are like a bypass channel.
- Just a minute.
I had sent them Chachu's
photos and details earlier.
Oh!
- So, they are just mediators.
- Yes.
Another NGO is
dealing with this.
Only after verifying the
details we've submitted
and confirming the
parents in person
will they connect us to them.
Okay.
- It's okay now.
- That is their policy.
Prashobh, we got connected.
Okay. So, you talk to them.
I'll send the link.
- Okay.
- This is the window.
- Ajayetta...
- Yes.
Well... Aparna Chechi
is with you, right?
Huh?
- I mean, she must be...
- okay with this, right?
Of course.
I had told her before
the wedding, right?
I was just asking... Okay.
Anyway, call me
after the meeting.
- Okay, then.
- Okay.
Hi, good evening.
Good evening.
[in Hindi] Sorry, I got
held up with some work.
So, I couldn't schedule
the meeting earlier.
- That's okay.
- Okay.
Then, we'll start?
Sure.
Since when do you know Gaurav?
Actually, I don't
know him in person.
He is a colleague of Prashobh.
Oh, your in-law.
So, you have never met him?
No. Actually, it's like...
they had a chat
and put me through.
Chinmay, called as...
Chachu.
Yes.
You are...
Ajayachandran K. V.
Yes.
And...
Mother's name...
Praveena Ajayachandran.
Yes.
Umm... where's Praveena?
She is...
She can join if she wants to.
- No, I mean...
- She passed, actually.
It's been two years now.
Oh, sorry.
So, how old was Chachu
at the time of missing?
Seven.
And date of missing?
3 years back.
March 20th,
So how long did you follow up
initially with the classifieds?
- It went on for like...
- seven days, initially.
Can you tell me the languages
he was familiar with?
Only Malayalam.
But he could understand
English to an extent.
Okay.
Alright, Ajay.
I'll forward these
to the higher desk.
They will reach you once
the paperwork is complete.
- Thank you.
- Nice talking to you.
Pleasure.
Ajayetta, these also need
to be sent out today.
- To Thirunelli, right?
- Yes.
This time, I have
changed the ingredients.
Keep it inside.
Baby Sir got lucky today, huh?
Does he pay anything
to Sumadathan Chettan?
Since it's for booze, he won't
be his usual stingy self.
I'm telling you, the first question
will be if he has Google Pay.
No, no. He has paid for it.
I thought you'd be on
leave this whole week.
A new person has arrived, right?
Not going on a
honeymoon trip, Ajayan?
No.
Didn't you say she's
a nature freak?
At least take her for
a stroll in the forest.
What was she doing
in Bangalore? IT?
She started off with IT.
- She left it when she lost interest.
- Is it?
Then, she pursued MSW.
And worked with their
syllabus-making team in Bangalore.
Isn't that correct, Ajayetta?
- [phone rings]
- Yes.
And a bit of theatre
and travel in between.
She has come here
leaving all that behind.
She is a perfect
match for Ajayettan.
We get that Ajayan is stuck here
since his father is alone here.
But shouldn't these younger girls have
a clarity about what they want to do?
Isn't it enough to have clarity about
what they shouldn't do, Mohanetta?
Hmm. Okay.
Yes.
11th block, right?
I'll be there soon. Give
me 10 minutes. Okay.
- Please check these too.
- Okay.
Listen, a shot has been
fired in the forest.
Are the Maoists active again?
Let's go visit the place.
It was Shaiju who called.
He is at the spot now.
Where is it?
There's a truck-way that goes up
from Kallepathi, right? Over there.
- 10th block?
- No.
- Hey, Tony.
- Yes.
- Get me the Jeep keys.
- Okay.
I think it's at the
boundary between 11 and 12.
They fired shots at
one of our signboards.
Great!
And you wanted me to take
her on a trip to this forest?
Things were finally
getting calm.
Now, the people will
get talking again!
Don't exaggerate.
They too have needs, don't they?
Yeah, right! As if they need
to fire shots to make a living!
- I'll bring the Jeep.
- Okay.
- Hi...
- Hi.
As we all know,
gunfire is nothing new in
the Kallepathi forest region.
It was in April that the Thunderbolt team
arrested two people for weapons training.
How many times will you
repeat the same thing?
It's not as if I've applied
for a passport, is it?
It is management protocol, Sir.
We can only do it once all the
requirements we listed are met.
I've come after asking
about it over a phone call.
You didn't tell me about
this protocol then!
It's not that. We had a
server update last week.
- So...
- So, you lost it?
It is not lost, Sir.
- When we did the server update...
- So, you can get it.
Sir, I didn't mean that.
Just tell me whether you
can get it for me or not.
That's what I said, Sir. We'll
know only after checking.
- Do you want me to check it?
- No, Sir. Just a minute.
Hey, girl. You only need half the time
you're wasting on excuses to get it done.
Instead of doing
it, you are just...
- Can you quickly check the back-up files?
- What?
- Some sort of confusion, it seems.
- What?
Have you come here earlier
for the same thing, Sir?
Do things get done here
based on prior acquaintance?
Okay.
Is your name Appu Pillai, Sir?
Yes.
Age 70, birth star is Chothi,
Zodiac sign is Libra.
Yes. Err, okay.
Sir, you've been requested to go
to the Lay Secretary's office.
Sir, your umbrella!
The locals informed the police
that they heard continuous
gunfire for just a brief period.
Anyway, there were no
casualties this time as well.
The locals and police believe someone
was involved in weapons training.
Couldn't they choose a better
spot for their shooting practice?
Right at the elephant's
butt? Really?
Didn't you say that
they too have needs?
- We will have to put up a new one.
- Yes.
One game in front and
another through the back!
Everyone is aware
of your nasty past!
Prakashan, save your jabs
for those who'll take it.
Don't try to mess with me.
Let's see how long
you'll keep this going,
by supplying hooch
and hauling jugs!
If you talk nonsense,
I will smack your face!
If I don't get you arrested,
then my name isn't Prakashan.
It's easy to pick
low-hanging fruit, right?
He is the temporary
watcher here.
You must have heard
about him; Sumadathan.
He was involved in some Naxal
activities back in the past,
discreetly.
He used to make home-made bombs.
One day, one blew up in his
hands while he was making it.
That's when everyone found
out about his real profile.
This happened 40 years ago.
He gave it all up back then.
He gave it up. But
you know, right?
Once someone's name
is on the list,
even if they cleanse
themselves in the Ganges,
people will still see
them the same way!
Try getting me arrested!
Your tricks won't work on me!
No cartridges or caps
have been recovered.
And from the bullet impact points,
it's clear they didn't use rifles.
- Are you saying it isn't them?
- I didn't mean that.
I just pointed out that it's
different from their usual pattern.
From the evidence
we have so far,
we can assume it's either
a revolver or a pistol.
Anyway, it's a small gun.
- And did you ask Dad about this?
- Sigh!
What can I ask him?
Don't frame it like a question.
Just make a general statement saying
this is what the ballistic team said.
They just said that
it could be a pistol.
And you already concluded
that it is Dad's gun?
You started seeing our dad
only after I did, kiddo!
Both of them are old buddies.
Does he still visit Dad?
- Who? Suman chettan?
- Yes.
He rarely comes home.
It's true that he carried
us around as kids.
But I've never thought he was
someone we could keep ties with,
whether it was back then or now.
- You do...
- Papa, can we go out?
Where?
- Downstairs.
- Now?
- Yes.
- Let's go after saying goodbye to uncle.
Who is it?
- No!
- Ichu?
- Talk to your uncle.
- Uncle's dear Ichuma?
Hey...
Let me see. Show
me your teeth!
Eeee...
Show your teeth... eeeee...
Bonjour!
What did she say?
She said, 'Bonjour'.
Oh, Bonjour!
Oh, no! Don't pull my hand!
Don't run. Let me see you!
- Come on, Papa! Come!
- Ichu...
Let's go.
Okay, dude. Gotta go.
Otherwise, she won't leave me.
I'll talk to you later. Bye.
Come, come! Let's go!
Okay.
Was it Prasadettan?
Yes.
What is he saying?
Nothing.
His usual talk.
It's 7.30 PM.
Dad isn't back home yet.
Should we try calling him?
No.
He will come.
This time is normal for home.
Must he go on his own if
he wants to buy something?
If he says it, someone will
buy and bring it, right?
Dad is very particular
about certain things.
He has to do it all by himself.
Even if we offer help,
he won't accept it.
Okay. No, no!
I'll start now itself.
Did you check the
petrol level, Dad?
Okay. I'm coming.
Dad's car isn't starting.
Let me go and check.
I will come with you.
- Dad...
- What took you so long?
It maybe due to
the cold weather.
The battery was due
for replacement.
Then you should have
replaced it, right?
What else do you
have to remember?
What if I ended up stranded
somewhere with no phone signal?
No one else owns
land in this area.
All the land up to
the stream is ours.
Would it be the workers
from the nearby plot?
They were there until 7.30 PM.
What work were they
doing at night?
Let me go and check.
Is that enough? It's
dense forest over there.
I'll bring a torchlight.
Err... how often do
you come around here?
Nobody really comes around here.
Oh.
Have you ever seen anything else
burned to ashes like this here before?
No.
And you haven't seen a fire
like this before either?
No.
By looking at the ground here,
it doesn't appear that way.
Look at this.
The forest has grown evenly
across the surroundings,
just like the other
areas in this compound.
But within a two-foot
radius of the burnt spot,
new short grasses have sprouted.
When I removed the topsoil,
I found burnt ashes underneath.
It's clear that things have been
burned here several times before.
Where is your boundary
on the east side?
There are two wild jack trees
10 metres away from that stream.
Okay. And beyond that?
It was my land. I sold it.
Oh, the land purchased by
those folks from Kottayam?
- Yes.
- Okay, okay.
This burned area is still
within your boundary, isn't it?
A resurvey won't be
necessary, right?
Maybe the workers from the nearby
plot burned some waste there.
When someone goes
out to burn waste,
will they count the
number of wild jack trees?
- That's what I also said.
- Okay.
But she wanted to verify
it the police way.
Ah, that's good.
I rarely get to play
the police around here.
Ah...
Does Sumadathan
Chettan come here?
No.
Why do you ask?
There's talk that your dad
visits Sumadathan Chettan often.
After the Kallepathi
gunshot incident,
there's such a talk going
on at the station as well.
Well...
I know he won't get
involved in such things.
But still, ask him to steer clear
of that company for a while.
Why get into
unnecessary trouble?
Right?
- Shivadasettan!
- Yes.
Belgaum is in Karnataka, right?
Yes.
Sumadathan?
We call him 'Suman Chettan'.
He used to come home
regularly before.
He was very fond of my elder
brother and me when we were kids.
Is it for sure that he has
quit his Naxalite activities?
Hey, even when Dad was involved in
it, he never kept anything secret.
He's straightforward
in every aspect.
That... old... Nilambur case.
I had heard about
it from Dad himself.
Nilambur case?
In the 1970s, Naxalite movements
were strong in this region.
The burning of the Records
Room at the Munsiff Court
was a major case back then.
Dad's name was on
the list of suspects.
And then?
Since my grandfather
was quite influential,
he managed to get
my dad off the case.
However, he didn't let
Dad stay here any longer.
He was banished immediately.
It was only after that event
that he joined the military.
Your grandpa was
really something, huh?
Of course!
He was my dad's
father, after all!
I called you several times.
You know how the signal
is out here, right?
What happened?
We've received a mail
regarding Chachu's matter.
It is from Karnataka.
It's not as if we didn't
make an effort to find him.
On the day he went
missing and the day after,
there were reports of people spotting
Chachu in Pollachi and Tirupur.
Back then, all of us did
everything we could, to find him.
Praveena Chechi was lucky.
She was spared from enduring
this prolonged stress
and witnessing all of this now.
I...
There's a game
that Chachu loved.
I was trying to
remember its name.
He'll start playing it
as soon as he wakes up.
He was crazy about it.
He'd say that he'll find the treasure
after completing six more levels.
To be honest,
I couldn't give him
any attention at all,
especially after
Pravi's treatment began.
Then, how will I remember
the name of the game?
[Missing]
[School student
missing] [(Sumadathan)]
[Nilambur Court burning case
- Police investigation over]
[Sumadathan (20),
Appu Pillai (17)]
[indistinct
conversation in Kannada]
[speaking in Kannada]
Kamal!
[speaking in Kannada]
[speaking in Kannada]
Ajay Chandra! Come.
Let's go.
Well, this receipt won't do.
That's why I asked you to
come when everyone is here.
Okay, I'll come
later and collect it.
Please tell me these
details for now, Chetta.
Full name?
It's in the paper I gave you.
House name?
That's also in it, right?
Wife?
I'm asking your wife's name.
She is no more.
She passed away.
Children?
Ajayan.
Is it just 'Ajayan'?
Ajayachandran K.V.
Don't you have one more son?
If you know everything,
why are you asking me?
I'm asking his name.
Prasad Chandran K.V.
Chetta, I need a
few more details.
I don't want to trouble
you any further.
If there's anyone else
here, please call them.
He didn't use my name
when he called for me.
He addressed me as
'Hey, ' 'You, ' etc.
And he was really angry as well.
But later when he saw me,
he didn't ask me anything.
He wasn't angry at all
and acted as if
nothing had happened.
Then?
Then, it was only when
I checked his phone,
that it really struck me.
He had only less
than 10 contacts.
But their identities and
details were saved in brackets.
There are some things...
They are just my doubts.
But I feel hesitant to share
it until I know for sure.
Did you call that
carpenter after that?
What, Dad?
I asked if you called
the carpenter after that!
Yes, I had called him.
Calling and talking
alone won't suffice.
The work should get done!
We didn't ask him to build
a snake boat, did we?
It's just to fix a
door lock, right?
I will call him once again, Dad.
Otherwise, I'll ask
someone else to come.
I want my door
repaired today itself,
even if it takes calling in
Perumthachan, the master carpenter.
Did you enter Dad's room?
He can instantly tell if someone
else has been in his room.
That's what I don't understand.
Why must he react this way if a
family member has entered his room?
Dad doesn't like it.
He will react.
Have you ever wondered
why he acts that way?
I found this in Dad's room.
You said Dad takes only
insulin tablets, right?
This is not an insulin strip.
These are anti-depressants,
and Google says they're mainly
prescribed to neuro patients.
Actually, it's not just
this particular incident.
His manner of speaking and dealing
with people often feels strange.
And... the day Dad's friend
from the army visited,
that man was very talkative,
but Dad seemed
overwhelmed by panic,
almost as if he was confused.
He had a small
notepad in his hand,
and seemed to be reading from it
for all his questions and responses.
And after his friend left, I saw Dad
scribbling something on it, as well.
Remember the day he called us
saying the car wouldn't start?
Now I have a doubt about
that incident as well.
What if he had stopped after getting
confused about the way back to our house?
I think we must consult
a doctor, Ajayetta.
Sorry, I didn't mean to...
Dad's having a bit of
trouble remembering things.
Just like you
pointed it out now,
the first person to notice
it and inform me was...
Chachu.
We brought it up with Dad once.
Like you said now,
we suggested consulting
a doctor too.
Mom!
I had never seen
my dad like that.
Our plan was to sit down with Dad,
speak calmly, and convince him somehow.
That was when...
Uncle Jacob, who was in the
army with Dad, paid us a visit.
Don't you know that Dad doesn't
really talk much, Uncle?
Ever since mom passed away, he
has been silent most of the time.
So, nothing seemed
unusual to us.
I had assumed he was probably
undergoing some neurological therapy.
But when you say that
none of you had any clue
about this medical condition
of his for all these years...
Phew!
That's incredible, man!
He must be doing
something extraordinary.
He doesn't want even you
to know about it, Ajayan.
Not talking much to anyone...
and avoiding socializing
outside his house
must be his strategy.
He's scared his actions
will give him away.
He is a proud man.
He would have
recognized you, right?
Since he has his old army
pictures framed on his wall,
he would definitely
get the connection.
Beyond that,
what he remembers and
what he doesn't...
God knows!
When did you notice
it first, Uncle?
So, you have no idea about
the whole picture, Ajayan?
You know why he was fired
from the army service?
Fired?
Pillai's was a kind of
obsessive perfectionism.
Uncompromising attitude.
He was extremely strict
in ensuring that neither he nor his
battalion made even the smallest mistake.
Initially, his forgetfulness was a
running joke in our friend circle.
I have witnessed some issues
caused by his forgetfulness.
Without letting many
people know about it,
he was able to manage
it brilliantly.
But such minor forgetfulness
eventually led to
major complications.
He misplaced a service pistol.
It escalated into an issue that
Pillai couldn't cover up in any way.
In fact, he had been
aware for quite some time
that something was
not right with him.
Not only did he evade
medical check-ups,
but he also tried to keep his
condition hidden from everyone.
Perhaps he was reluctant
to deal with the controversy and
embarrassment if everyone found out.
Eventually, one of our team members
found the gun by coincidence
from the washing machine
in the army quarters.
It was only because Pillai's
service records were good,
and out of the concern that this might
damage the force's goodwill if exposed,
that the top authorities
kept the news confidential.
He was terminated
with immediate effect.
It's not for any other reason
that I didn't tell you.
It's been 16 years since
Dad came back from the army,
and in these 16 years,
he's only been trying
to do one thing;
making sure no one
discovers his memory issues,
and facing it all by himself.
Just imagine the struggle
he's been enduring for it.
That's the kind
of man my dad is.
Both in this town and
during his service,
that's the kind of
reputation he had.
Regardless of what he loses,
he cannot afford to let
his dignity be affected.
It might be because of his ego.
If that is what Dad wants,
we should stand by him, right?
Where is Mumma's Chachu?
Look at what Papa is doing.
Look, dear!
Do you see Papa's new camera?
Look at the new camera.
Smile!
It's okay. I'll go with him.
- Hey... Look over there!
- Chachu!
Chachu, you must not cry!
Look at the monkey jumping!
Don't cry, Chachu!
See... it jumped.
- Did you see him jump over there?
- Okay.
Is this Sumadathan?
Yes.
Papa, come!
- Mummy!
- Hey, you will fall down!
Chachu!
Hey, no! Don't
shoot water at me!
Hey, hey!
- Jack fruit! I want jack fruit!
- He wouldn't climb unless you agreed!
- I want it!
- Get him down, Ajayetta!
No! No!
Yes!
Oh!
Enough, Chachu!
- Your intestine will flip!
- Okay.
- Superman!
- Superman!
- Superman!
- Come on, fly!
Bring him down! He will fall!
Won't you listen?
- How many times should I tell you?
- He is fine.
Come down, I say!
Are you happy now that
you got it from Grandpa?
How was Dad with Chachu?
Huh?
How was Dad's behaviour
towards Chachu?
Chachu was about two
and a half years old
when Praveena was
first diagnosed.
After that,
both of us were fully occupied
with tests and treatment.
Chachu was mostly with Dad.
A friction has always existed
due to Dad's strict
military discipline.
It was way more intense
with my elder brother.
No, Chachu!
Your Papa has come!
Hey, watch your step!
Papa!
What he remembers and
what he doesn't...
God knows!
Why did you ask that?
Could there be anything else
that he might have forgotten?
Anything related to
Chachu's missing?
Hello.
Yes.
Where is this exact location?
Who are you?
Okay.
Make sure nobody
gets close to it.
Okay, okay.
The day he went missing...
Was it the day you went to the hospital
with Praveena Chechi for her check-up?
Yes.
It was when you
returned home at night,
that you realized that
Chachu was missing.
That means...
it occurred when only
Dad and Chachu were here.
What if Dad knew...
what happened to
Chachu that day?
What if he has
forgotten what he knew?
- How many workers are there?
- Eight of my workers.
Did he answer when you called?
Joy Sir is at Mundakkayam, Sir.
Even if he's in Antarctica, tell
him to be here by dawn tomorrow.
- What?
- Okay. I'll call him.
Go and call him then!
Whom are you waiting for?
Okay.
It's been only two years
since Joy bought this land.
From whom did he buy it?
The land belonged to the
person living next door.
One Mr. Appu Pillai.
When will they reach?
They've crossed Nedunchal.
- Dig over there too.
- That area.
One of you come here.
Take care of things
here. I'll be right back.
Didn't I tell you I'd come
home when this is over?
Why did you come here?
It was the workers who saw it
while digging for the foundation.
Take him home with you.
I'll come there before I leave.
- Go.
- Shivetta...
Do you have any idea
whose it might be?
The forensic team
hasn't reached yet.
Further procedures will be
conducted after they arrive.
Come.
It doesn't seem that
big in size, right?
- Start from the middle.
- Okay.
Though it's from
the primate family,
the skeleton isn't
that of a human.
Huh?
The Reserve Forest
is nearby, isn't it?
Once I realized it was
a monkey's remains,
I thought it would be a case
that's limited to our usual set-up.
Wildlife Department, right?
Since it's a non-bailable case,
the one who did it
must have buried it.
Let's wait for the report
from the veterinary centre.
The report is out already.
I came by to talk
about that as well.
As of now, even the
police will get involved,
since it comes
under the Arms Act.
Arms Act?
What's the status of your
father's gun missing case?
Pillai Chettan sold the property
to Joy, two years back, right?
Yes.
Did he mention
anything about this?
What happened?
The monkey's postmortem
report is out.
Okay.
The cause of death
is bullet injury.
Bullet?
Yes.
What's the owner of
the property saying?
He is out of the picture.
He purchased the property
from us, two years back.
The monkey's remains they
found are three years old.
Sorry! Have you been
waiting for long?
That veterinary officer just left after
going on and on with the whole story!
He says that there's
an exit wound,
and based on the patch
on the monkey's bone,
it could be from a
0.32 calibre bullet,
or perhaps a larger calibre.
What's the latest on Appu Pillai's missing
firearm case that you mentioned to me?
The calibre of Appu
Pillai's gun is 0.35.
So, it could be that too.
It was during my time as
the SHO at this station
that Appu Pillai applied
for his gun license.
I had met him back then as part
of the verification process.
He is quite grumpy.
Wasn't it from his family
that a boy went missing?
Yes, it's been almost
three years now.
Even before that, he had gone missing
from school a couple of times.
The kid just takes
off on his own!
Both times, his family and the school
authorities managed to find him at night.
Where was he then?
The kid was making up
stories like it was a movie.
Yet the story he told had no
connection to where he was found.
When he went missing
for the third time,
or rather the last time,
upon hearing that he
went missing again,
everyone thought, The crazy
boy has taken off yet again.
Are you saying nobody even
tried to look for him?
- No, I didn't mean that.
- We tried our maximum, Sir.
There were people who had
spotted a boy of Chachu's age
at Palakkad railway
station that night.
And on the same night, around
2:00 a.m., at Pollachi too.
It's been a couple of years
since the boy's mother died.
She was frequently sick
and often in the hospital.
I guess the boy got frustrated since
no one was giving him enough attention.
Chachu, stop! Chachu...
Chachu! Stop there, boy!
Son!
Chachu!
Stop there, son!
Chachu, stop! Son!
Just stop there!
Chachu!
Stop there, son!
Chachu!
Chachu!
Wake up, Sir.
School's dispersed. Don't
you want to go home?
Walk.
Walk, elephant.
Dad, why didn't
you take the car?
The car's out of petrol.
But I filled it
up just yesterday!
Get in, Dad.
I'm heading home too.
The case of the monkey's
remains found in the field
is now being investigated by
the Forest Vigilance department.
Did you know about it?
Nobody informed me.
It wasn't found
from my property!
What did the owner say?
The property owner?
Who else could be
the owner here?
Well...
Joy Sir bought the land from us
only two years back, right?
The remains found are
about three years old.
It was killed by a gunshot.
Apparently, a small gun, possibly
a pistol, was used to kill it.
Who said so?
I mean...
The test results say so.
Just because of that,
it can't be assumed
that the gun is mine.
You...
You needn't worry about it.
They will keep on
asking such questions.
Is the question theirs or yours?
Shall we go to bed?
Do you have a policy against
making things easy for people?
Sir, this is beyond our...
Listen! Please consider
my age, the time...
Why are you making
things difficult for me?
I want it right now.
Since there has been a server
update, we need to check it.
If it's available, we have
no problem in giving it, Sir.
Can you please wait
for five minutes?
I will wait.
Okay.
Hello.
[THIRUNELLI - NEDUNCHAL]
Finally!
[in Tamil] I thought you must
be away on a family tour.
Please come.
I waited for a long time, and when
you didn't turn up, I called your son.
He said he's gone
out with his wife.
Oh! This photo came here?
It was there, no?
But this is the
perfect spot for it.
This picture brings back all the
wild memories from that crazy night!
It was crazy, buddy.
I'll come in a moment.
How's the work at the
cardamom estate coming along?
It's hard to manage
with just cardamom.
Planting something else alongside
it would help balance things out.
The workers' attitude
is different now.
I need to be around all the time
to make sure they do their work.
How is Aravind?
Aravind is doing very good.
He just got a new
job last month.
He is going to Australia.
He is planning to settle there.
But once he goes, he
won't be coming back.
He isn't answering.
Anything wrong?
Nope.
Sometimes, he doesn't answer
calls if he's with someone.
Living there is
supposedly safer.
He claims we're
all backward here.
Today's youth are moving to the UK,
Australia, and Canada and settling down.
The youth are over there,
while the elders remain here.
By the way,
how is your knee after surgery?
Many people hesitate to
acknowledge their memory problems,
and we should approach
them with greater care.
Arguing with them
will only cause panic.
They might become paranoid,
their blood pressure could rise,
and they could even
lose touch with reality.
It depends.
How about recovery?
It cannot be guaranteed.
Long-time acquaintances,
languages,
and the surroundings of their
house, which they engage with daily,
could become ingrained
in their habitual memory.
So, they may or may
not forget all of this.
It varies from person to person.
If he became willing to
depend on someone else,
he wouldn't have to deal
with so much stress, right?
People with this condition usually have
trouble trusting the people around them.
They can't tell who'd take
advantage of them or how, right?
They will always
have that insecurity.
If my memory is correct,
Me, you, Charan and Jacob...
All of us went in a Jeep, right?
You remember Jacob, right?
He downed a full bottle!
And he drove the Jeep
recklessly at full speed.
I honestly thought he'd crash,
and that would be the end of us!
He finally stopped the car
at 7th Lane, near Lal Chowk,
and right in front of the Major's
quarters, he urinated on the road.
The guard came running and
started shouting at us.
You were the one who pleaded
with him and said sorry.
He only let Jacob go after that.
Jacob...
How do you know Jacob?
What a question!
Weren't we all
together in Kashmir?
But Jacob has never
been to Kashmir.
Oh, yeah.
True, true, true, man.
Sometimes, I lose it completely.
My memory isn't
as sharp as yours.
I'm turning 73 in
the coming June.
You must give me some
memory tips, mate.
No fan?
No wonder I'm sweating
like this. Phew!
[sings an old Tamil song]
You still haven't told
me how you know Jacob.
When was it?
I know him from our time
at the Itanagar camp.
Arunachal Pradesh.
Yeah.
Yeah, man.
Yeah, same.
I met him there, too.
But...
that was in 1986.
When you came last time,
you had told me that in 1986,
you were in IPKF, right?
Did I say so?
Yes, yes. Of course!
Peace Keeping Force.
Rajiv Gandhi.
I was in IPKF.
If you were with IPKF,
you must have been in Jaffna.
In Sri Lanka.
Yeah.
If you were in Sri Lanka,
how did you come to
know Jacob in Arunachal?
Why are you lying?
What?
Why are you lying to me?
Lying?
Me?
Why should I lie to you?
If so,
everything I just
said was a lie.
I was just bluffing.
You were okay with all
the lies I told you.
What is this adjustment for?
Who are you?
Who are you?
Actually...
One second. I'll
be right back.
Hi, Son.
Good that you came now.
I was about to leave.
- Hello, Aparna.
- Hi.
Why are you leaving in a hurry?
Coming here wasn't in my plans.
I had to head to the estate
but thought I'd pay a
quick visit to Pillai.
All okay here?
Yeah, yeah.
We are just...
See! We were talking
about this photo.
Right, Appu Sir?
Look at it!
This picture brings back all the
wild memories from that crazy night!
Crazy!
Good old days, right?
Okay, then.
I'm leaving.
I need to take care of
some work on my way there.
Shall I leave, Ji?
I plan to come to the
estate again next month.
If time permits,
we'll definitely meet.
See you that time.
Take care.
Bye.
- See you.
- I'll just see him out.
So what happened, Prakashetta?
- Is he the photographer?
- Hi, I am Mukundan.
Show me the photo quickly.
Show it to him.
Shouldn't we inform
the police immediately?
Let me see it
first, Prakashetta.
Sir...
The tribal colony boundary
starts from the 13th block.
The news coming from
Kallepathi Reserve Forest
evokes surprise and an
increased sense of fear.
The picture of a monkey
holding a pistol...
If it has fallen down,
it can be retrieved.
Rapid Response Team is
searching the entire area.
Neither the Thunderbolt team
nor the police found any clues
about the suspected weapons training
incident that happened months ago.
Do you have any idea
which direction they went?
It's a forest, right, Sir?
We couldn't tell which
direction they went.
Naxal movements have
previously been reported
in the tribal colonies
beyond the 13th block.
What if the monkeys got it
from one of their camps?
Isn't it Axle wood tree?
Look! Isn't it an
Axle wood tree?
In the Kallepathi area,
Axle wood trees are found only
beyond the 20th and 21st blocks.
Your request for photography
and the permission we granted
was limited to visiting only
the 18th and 19th blocks.
You can't just roam around
the forest however you want!
Easy, Aravindetta.
We got to know this because
they roamed around, right?
Issue Section 144 in
Kallepathi Subdivision.
It's been decided to close
the tribal school for a week.
- Okay, Sir.
- And tourist permission is a definite no.
You should go and inform
the colonies directly.
- Take Prakashettan along with you.
- Okay.
Shouldn't we cross-check this with
Appu Pillai's fire-arm missing case?
If it's proved that
it is Dad's gun,
we are in for
double the trouble.
They might file a case for
failing to secure the possession.
And if there are any
casualties due to the gun,
it will be a tough
knot to untie.
But we can just say that
it's not ours, can't we?
Dad must be aware of
the legal side, right?
Sir.
Appu Pillai has
confirmed the pistol.
But...
he can confirm only the
model description, right?
How can he be sure
that it is his gun?
Among all the license
holders in Revenue records,
only Appu Pillai has
a gun with this spec.
Which is this gun?
Shield EZ series.
- Smith & Wesson?
- Yes.
Is it available here?
He had qualified for the National
Shooting Meet in the past.
So, he has the
privilege to import it.
Like I said before, I feel
this could be a fake gun.
It could even be a toy gun.
It could be.
But the issue here
is public threat,
either until we
recover that gun,
or until we get a
closer look at it.
So, we can't take a chance
based on that assumption.
We can give a petition to suspend
Appu Pillai's gun licence.
Notify the Collector's office
and the Superintendent.
Sir.
Start the follow-up inquiry.
Okay, Sir.
Dad...
Dad!
Let go of me, Dad!
Let go of my hand, Dad!
- What are you doing?
- Hey!
Dad!
Move away, Dad!
Hey! What are you... Dad!
What the hell are you doing?
- Leave me, Dad!
- Move!
Dad!
Dad... Get up.
Get up.
What is this?
What happened?
- Ajayetta.. that...
- Hey!
What are you doing?
It's Dad who's burning
stuff here. I saw it!
What did you see?
Why should he do that here?
- It's not me, Ajayetta!
- Then?
Ajayan...
If there is a problem
between you two,
resolve it in your room.
Don't give the townsfolk
any reason to gossip.
Huh?
Oh...
Have you had enough?
Dad is planning
something, Ajayetta.
Okay... Say it.
There are already a hundred
stories about him in town.
Now you can start one
from home as well.
Like all of you, I can't think
rationally all of a sudden.
For everyone else, Appu Pillai
is just a curious character.
But to me, he is my father!
Okay. Let me see.
If you want tea or coffee,
we can provide it. Okay?
This may take some time.
We spoke to Sumadathan, the
watcher, in the morning.
There are certain things that
only the two of you know, right?
You are old friends, aren't you?
Hey, this is going
beyond what we thought.
Since morning, they've been digging
into Pillai Chettan's history
to connect it with
the current issue.
If we had clarity on what
Suman Chettan told them,
it would have been easier
for us to deal with it.
Third week of March, 2021.
During that time, a monkey
was shot and killed...
on your property.
Evidence from the monkey's
remains found in Joy's property
matches the specifications
of your pistol.
In the witness statement given
by Sumadathan, the watcher,
there is an explanation
for this incident.
But he doesn't know what happened
to the pistol after that.
That is missing in
his story as well.
That day, I decided
to meet Pillai
on my way back from the
Range Officer's quarters.
- Mumma!
- I'll show you today!
- Mumma!
- I'll whack you!
Grandpa!
I'll peel your skin off!
Grandpa!
I'll show you who I am!
- Please don't beat me!
- Move this way!
- I will show you...
- Stop it! Please stop it!
If we keep giving him a pass
just because he's a kid,
this brat will burn the
house down in the future!
- Look at the way he stares!
- Hey, hey!
Isn't he just a child?
Yeah, right! Just a child!
He took this gun out
from my locked box
So, this imp knows
how to steal, right?
And he took the cartridge
that was stored away,
disabled the trigger
lock and fired!
Now, can we really
call him a child?
If any mishap happens with this
gun, I'm the one who's answerable!
What is this, son?
Let his parents come!
Aren't they here?
Oh! They can leave him here
and go anywhere, right?
Why even have kids if you
can't take care of them?
Let them come back!
Or they could send him
to a boarding school
until his mom's
treatment is complete.
We will look into it.
Calm down now.
If word gets out, this will
be a serious police case.
You are not diabetic, right?
Today is Chachu's birthday.
Do you want dessert, Chachu?
No.
When he behaved like
nothing had happened,
I found it strange at first.
Then I felt that it must be his
way of dealing with such things.
And later, when did you
realize it wasn't like that?
He came to me when he
realized the gun was missing.
That is what he told me.
He asked me to tell him everything
I remember from that evening.
Then he started
visiting me often.
He also asked me
about past events.
The comrades from the Nilambur
incident and the police case
would all come up
in the discussion.
He went and met some
of them as well.
Every time he comes here,
he asks the same questions,
and I give the same answers.
He listens to them like he's hearing them
for the first time, every single time.
And you've never asked
him anything about it?
I asked him once.
He got angry and stormed out.
If he isn't telling
me something,
it means he doesn't want
me to know about it.
This...
gunfire at Kallepathi...
The gun found in
the monkey's hand...
Does Dad have any
connection to those?
This shows how little knowledge
sons have about their fathers!
You know what I think?
It wasn't during
this election season,
that you noticed
your gun was missing.
But you didn't inform anyone.
When you didn't inform
anyone, it means...
there is something you
don't want anyone to know.
Right?
Hello?
Ajayan, what is the
current situation?
They're saying that they
just want to talk to him.
What does 'just' talking mean?
There is a limit for
everything, right?
Just like your dad, if you insist
on keeping his illness a secret...
You know his routines, right?
If he encounters a block,
he will panic.
No doubt about it.
How can you detain an
elderly person like this?
It's a department
matter, Ajayan.
I'm also working in the
same department, right?
Don't just settle for this. Check
if there is scope for UAPA as well.
I guess the mighty CBI would come
to investigate a dead monkey!
Ajayan!
You just want to connect that
monkey to Dad's pistol somehow.
Only then can you link that gunfire
case to the Naxal activity, right?
Let me explain! Come!
Hey, it's okay. They just want
to get your dad's statement.
Yeah, right! What statement?
If you behave like this,
it will hurt their ego.
You tell me then.
Who is so hell-bent on forcing
a Naxal connection upon Dad?
Don't react without
knowing the facts.
Why shouldn't I react?
You can react, but not
like however you please.
Chetta, the person sitting inside
isn't normal like you or me.
You're aware of Dad's health
issues to some extent, right?
Can we tell how they will
treat such a person, Chetta?
[Same day? March 19-3-2021... Should
find out Chachu's missing... ]
[Believe what
Sumadathan said...]
[Retr... Re... ]
Pistol...
There is no point in
sitting mute like this.
I'll have to talk to his family.
Okay.
I will take care of it.
Sir.
Can't really call
it a treatment.
A kind of reminiscence therapy.
We must encourage the patient,
to talk or to think.
A casual conversation, like the
ones friends have, would be enough.
That will stimulate
their brain activity.
Socializing skills,
self-esteem, attention,
and confidence.
It can help boost everything.
Also, it's a way to know if
his condition is getting worse.
Has it been a long time
since you began this therapy?
It's been going
on for some time.
Once every two months, right?
Yes.
Does Appu Pillai know...
that your visits are actually
therapy sessions, Doctor?
No. I haven't told him.
If he finds out, we can't say how
far he'd be willing to cooperate.
Even I go there disguised
as an old friend,
obviously, with his
help and consent.
We act like we don't
know anything either.
I tried hinting it to
Dad a couple of times.
But every time, he got upset.
Then he starts to panic.
If he panics,
he may lose hold of reality.
For remembering things,
Dad has his own set of
habits and routines.
The longer he's held here,
the more those routines
are being broken, Sir.
This is a copy of Dad's certificate from
the Termination Medical Examination.
If the situation here
continues to drag on,
we will have to file
these papers in court.
This is enough to show that my dad's
not in any condition to deal with this.
If possible, we would prefer
to avoid such a scene.
Dad wouldn't want the world
to know about his condition
and the past events
from his army service.
Excuse me.
Ah!
Any progress?
This will come back and
screw us in a big way!
- Huh?
- Not just the Police,
Revenue, Forest - all
will have a hard time.
What happened?
Weren't you the Station
House Officer here
when Appu Pillai's gun
license verification was done?
Yes.
How long ago was that?
Around eight years ago.
Appu Pillai was
terminated from the Army
because he was
mentally unstable,
16 years ago!
We will be answerable for this!
The court will only ask
how we allowed someone mentally
unstable to pass the verification
and be granted a gun license!
Furthermore, since
we're trying to say
that the pistol found in the
monkey's hand belongs to him,
it is bonus-risk for us.
It's a public threat issue.
They will release
Dad right away.
Oh!
As per the medical
certificate we provided,
Dad was not eligible for a gun license
during the time of verification.
So, if his memory
problem gets revealed...
They all suck!
So, they've got more at stake
in hiding it than we do, right?
Yes.
Good God!
[School student missing]
Come, Dad.
Huh!
Who is it?
Who entered my room?
I'm asking you, who
entered my room?
- Take your hands off me!
- Dad...
Who entered my room?
Huh!
Who entered my room?
- Come, Dad.
- All of you, get out of my room!
You...
It's you. I know it!
Get out! Get out, I say!
You must call the carpenter.
I will call him.
You will forget.
Call him right away.
I will call him, Dad.
You should call him now itself!
My room isn't for random
people to rummage through.
Dad...
You lie down, Dad.
He relies the most on...
the notes he's written
and stored safely, right??
He must have panicked seeing
them scattered everywhere.
Would someone who writes
everything down to remember
really try to burn
all of it themselves?
Those might be things he
prefers not to remember.
Don't we sometimes delete
WhatsApp messages
that we don't like?
It's like an escape
from the actual reality.
Appu Pillai's condition
is a headache for others.
But for him,
it's a blessing.
What all does he remember...
What all has he forgotten...
He's the only one who knows!
Check out what's written here.
Do you remember what
Sumadathan mentioned today?
The question Dad asked
him repeatedly was,
How many times did Chachu
fire at the monkey?
That was just once.
Did you enter Dad's room today?
Err...
You started playing Sherlock Holmes
from the day you arrived here!
You too want to portray
my dad as a culprit.
For that, you keep coming up
with findings and theories.
If you haven't had enough, go ahead
and do a postmortem on him too!
I found this from Dad's room.
Identifying the gun in the monkey's
hands from the photo as his
could be viewed as him taking
advantage of the situation.
That way, the gun missing
case will have a conclusion.
But why should he deliberately hide
it and then lie that it's missing?
I haven't come here on
a vacation, Ajayetta.
I'm not really sure how
you feel about it either.
But I believe I belong here.
The people here and their
problems belong to me as well.
That includes Chachu too.
I've never seen
him. That's true.
If you ask me, I have no apparent
connection with him either.
But he's someone who should
have been here with you, right?
Though I've only been here a
short while, even I have felt...
that he should be here.
At least, we need to know
what happened to him.
Sorry.
When I saw Dad in such a
condition all of a sudden...
Your doubts...
What do you want me to ask him?
It's my father
we're talking about!
I'm not asking you to
view anyone as a villain.
But at least for some time,
think about it only
as Chachu's father.
In a way, Dad's current condition
is rather convenient for him, right?
He's the only one who knows what
he remembers or has forgotten.
He can pretend however
he likes, right?
He could claim not to know
things he actually does,
and act like he's forgotten
things he's hiding.
No one would ever find
out or ask him about it.
As written here,
Dad's pistol is
missing two bullets.
He must have started
this "gun missing" drama
to dodge questions about
where the bullets went.
He must be burning these papers
to cover something up, right?
I'm just asking if they hold the
answer to what happened to Chachu.
Enough!
Even Dad has got the
same questions as you.
He's also trying to figure
out what happened to Chachu.
But...
Without knowing where
to begin or whom to ask,
he keeps going to
Chachu's school,
and places where
Chachu had been to...
And...
to know...
if it's because of
something from his past,
he's been digging into that too.
[Boy wasn't found from
Coimbatore either]
What he's been asking and
trying to understand from others
is actually about himself.
Even he is suspecting himself.
Trying to figure out if
he made any mistakes,
if he's forgotten
those mistakes,
or if he's the reason behind
Chachu's disappearance.
He's been making all these notes
as part of his investigation.
And he's burning them,
to cover it up,
not from us,
but to make himself forget.
But...
once he forgets what he's done,
he starts the investigation
all over again.
Again and again...
Every single time...
As if he's doing it
for the first time...
Every time he comes here,
he asks the same questions,
and I give the same answers.
He listens to them like he's hearing them
for the first time, every single time.
Those might be things he
prefers not to remember,
like an escape from
the actual reality.
I'll whack you!
Grandpa...
So, would he have
solved it already?
When did Chachu
actually go missing?
You had told me that it was on the day
you took Praveena Chechi to the hospital.
It was Chachu's birthday.
That was on March 19th.
I'll be right back.
If I fill the form now, I can go
to the site directly tomorrow.
Leave the phone to charge.
But as per the news
and police records,
the complaint about
him going missing...
was filed a day later,
on the night of 20th.
Is there anything you
haven't told me yet?
Pravi...
Chachu...
Cha...
Chachu...
Chachu..
My son...
Chachu...
Chachu...
Chachu...
Chachu...
My son!
What...
What happened?
Huh?
He... He...
He...
was hiding it...
from me.
He didn't give it to me.
I was trying to grab
it back from him,
Ajayetta!!
He...
Don't act so stubborn.
Let go of it!
He was throwing tantrums...
He didn't give it to me.
- Give it to me.
- No, I want it!
I...
I unknowingly...
I...
I want my son!
I want my son back, Ajayetta!
Dad...
If this is about seeing a
doctor, don't start again.
I've made it clear
several times.
I'm perfectly alright.
I can take care of myself.
Pravi... Pravi...
Pravi...
Please wait outside.
What happened to her?
It's a painkiller
overdose, Doctor.
Taking one or two more tablets than
necessary is called an overdose,
not feasting on them like rice.
Ma'am...
I'm going to report this
to the police anyway.
It's clear that it's
a suicide attempt.
Doctor...
Doctor...
She did it by mistake.
Do you know what
medicine she took?
They are just
normal pain killers.
I need to see the prescription.
I have the prescription with me.
She is undergoing Chemotherapy.
At which hospital is she
undergoing Chemotherapy?
VMC Hospital.
Shouldn't you be handling
such patients more carefully?
Doctor...
You need to bring
Praveena's medical records,
including the
chemo certificates.
Hello, Ajayetta.
Yes, Prashobh.
Where's Pravi?
She isn't answering my calls.
- Hey...
- Hello?
Are you outside, Ajayetta?
Yes, I am.
I'm driving.
Oh, okay. It's alright then.
Just tell her that I called.
I'll call her tomorrow.
Okay, Chetta. Bye.
Okay.
I didn't see you at
all the entire day.
You should ask Maniyan to come.
The branch of the mango tree is
pressing against the roof tiles.
I just wanted to know if something
happened to him because of me.
You shouldn't lie about
things that can't be fixed.
The two of you went to the Medical
College Hospital on March 19th.
The details of the chemo session
are on record at the hospital.
My pistol is missing
two bullets now.
I found out from Sumadathan
how one of them went missing.
Second bullet?
I don't know whose hands it
happened by, between the two of you,
and I'm not going to ask either.
Even if it was an accident,
they will still
charge it as murder.
She doesn't have the strength
to endure another tragedy,
and I can't go on living,
seeing you as the culprit.
Truths that do no
good for anyone...
Let them be reduced
to ashes, like this.
I know...
my illness is beyond recovery.
But now, I feel
truly happy about it.
It's a kind of
freedom, isn't it?
The freedom to live only
in the reality we choose.
There's a question that has
haunted me since that night...
"Where is Chachu now?"
But I don't think I can
ever ask that to Dad.
Even if I ask him,
would he remember the answer?
I don't know.
In case he doesn't remember,
wouldn't it just serve
as a painful reminder?
As Dad said;
Truths that do no
good for anyone...
I've found myself with a few people who
are deeply concerned about each other.
It's not morality,
but concern that
keeps them together.
Today, I'm one of them too.
This journey is to Nagpur.
Both Ajayettan and I know...
it's not Chachu
we're going to see.
That's just how some things are.
We have to keep up the
act until the very end.
Let's use this opportunity wisely to
silence everyone with just a fingertip
and remind those who forgot our
land and people after gaining power,
ensuring that Advocate Sri Anil Baby, who
is deeply connected to his birthplace,
wins by a large majority.
Hey... What's up?
I'm here to deposit the gun.
You show up only when
elections are declared.
You can head over to the
officer on the right.
- Number?
- 1624/MPM.
License?
- It's a revolver?
- Yes.
- You haven't used it recently, right?
- No, no.
Rounds...
- Okay, then.
- Okay.
Has everyone turned
in their guns?
No.
- One Mr. Appu Pillai is left.
- Okay.
Please show your IDs.
Mom, my ID.
- There are two witnesses, right?
- Yes, yes.
Show the ID proof.
Aparna...
Groom's ID?
Here it is.
Full name?
Ajayachandran K. V.
Ajayachandran.
Father's name?
K. Appu Pillai.
You've come from quite far, huh?
How did you end up here?
Where's he from?
Nedunchal.
Nedunchal...
Oh! That's the place with many
eco-tourism attractions, isn't it?
- Yes.
- Okay.
Ajayetta,
it's from the police station.
- Sir...
- Okay.
Just a minute.
- Are you Ajayan?
- Yes.
Appu Pillai?
He is my father.
Not that. Is Appu
Pillai with you now?
Sir, I'm not home at the moment.
What about your dad?
Dad is at home.
But he didn't answer
when we called your home.
Dad doesn't really use
the landline much, Sir.
That's for outgoing
calls, right?
He can still answer
incoming calls, can't he?
It's not that, Sir. He
isn't comfortable using it.
What's the matter, Sir?
Appu Pillai is a gun
license holder, right?
Yes.
Did you see the notice asking for
licensed firearms to be surrendered?
- No.
- But there is such a notice.
It is mandatory.
Today's the last date.
Oh! Due to the elections, right?
I had read it in the newspaper.
It must be brought to
the station before noon.
I'll reach home
by around 4.30 PM.
Will it be late if I
come after that, Sir?
My dad doesn't go out much.
That will be late.
Where is your house?
Nedunchal.
Where in Nedunchal?
On the way to Thirunelli.
Is it near the forest office?
- It is before the forest office.
- Okay.
The house is known as
Kodaykkal Veedu, Sir.
Okay. We will go and
collect it ourselves.
- Is it regarding the gun?
- Yes.
Why are you so
stressed about it?
He would have found it by now.
[phone rings]
- Dad...
- Yes.
Did you find it?
No.
I received a call
from the station.
They've asked me to get
it there before noon.
If not, will they
court-martial me?
I have been searching
for it since dawn.
If I don't find it, tell them I'll
carve a wooden gun and hand it over.
Damn circulars and surrender
notices, all for a puny pistol!
I'll call you when I find it!
Hang up now!
That's what I told you...
We should've filed a petition this
morning when he said it was missing.
That's for our safety as well.
If someone has stolen it
and fires it somewhere,
we need to have
solid backing, right?
I'm just talking about
the worst-case scenario.
Isn't it better than
having to say it's missing
when the police come
to the house for it?
I understand, Shivetta.
I'd even told Dad that
we must file a petition.
It's because Dad
objected, right?
Okay.
Anyway, let him
continue searching.
Finish what you
came here for. Come.
Okay.
- Happy married life!
- Thank you, Sir.
- Okay, then.
- Okay.
Okay, then.
- Okay.
- See you.
Aparna...
Why didn't you come inside?
I just got here.
He is Praveena's brother.
- Prashobh.
- Hi.
Come home once you're settled.
Okay.
How long are you on leave for?
I haven't received the call yet.
I'll be here for
two months anyway.
Okay.
You guys carry on.
It's getting late, right?
All the best.
Shall we go?
[Kishkindha Kaandam]
Smith & Wesson, 9mm.
It is a pistol, right?
Yes.
It's been three years since
the license was renewed, right?
Yes.
- That's the one.
- K. Appu Pillai.
Okay.
- Sir...
- Yes.
Everything's good in
the station records.
In February 2021,
he had surrendered the
pistol to renew the license.
So, after completing the renewal,
we returned it as well, right?
Yes, Sir.
As a former army officer,
you must be aware of the
hassles behind this, right?
How can people like you be
so careless in handling it?
You are?
- I am his son.
- What do you do?
I work in the Forest
Department, Sir.
Shivadasettan's...
Yes.
He had mentioned your wedding
when he requested two days off.
Congrats.
The notice to deposit the gun was
issued well in advance, right?
And you're only saying the gun is
missing now, at the last minute?
- Errr...
- What is this, Shivadasetta?
How did this even
happen with you around?
Well, Sir... I just got
to know from Ajayan.
Fine. But they could have at
least informed the station
right away when they realized
it was missing, right?
If this election hadn't come up,
would they have even
realized it was missing?
What if someone misuses it?
Have you thought about it?
Have YOU thought about it?
I'm not someone who
thinks too much!
If it's acceptable, we can write
the petition from here and sign it.
Hey, just write it
and give it to them.
Or... if your ego
doesn't allow that,
I'll come to the station
tomorrow morning.
They totally ruined the
day the newly-weds arrived.
I don't think he gets
how serious this is.
- You got it, right?
- Yes.
Anyway, give a
written complaint.
- And search the house thoroughly.
- Sir.
Attach a copy of the
gun license as well.
- Okay.
- Okay, then.
- I'll be on duty tomorrow.
- Okay, fine.
No, this isn't
exactly Thirunelli.
This place is before that,
along the Thirunelli route.
You said the license was
renewed three years ago, right?
Hasn't Dad taken
it out since then?
It's not a daily-use item
to take out and use
every day, is it?
So, people like him, who
can't even keep a gun safe,
were the ones guarding
our country's borders?
Aparna must be quite
impressed, right?
Where is she?
She is talking on the phone.
She is okay, right?
She is.
I could sense that she
is quite chilled out.
What is it, dude?
Nothing...
Come on. Cheer up.
Don't make her anxious
with your overthinking.
Okay, just keep
one thing in mind.
Everyone is okay with it.
It's just your feeling
that it is not okay.
And it's not right to live
your life in solitude.
There must be some
happenings in life, right?
This isn't just about you.
You must think about
Dad too, right?
You get what I'm saying, right?
Yes.
She is coming.
It's my elder brother.
Hi!
Hello.
How is our place?
It's awesome!
I left home a long time ago.
I'm not in contact
with anyone there,
not even with that
'Hitler' in the house.
He told me.
Well, when are you
going back to Bangalore?
Or are you on leave?
I resigned from my
job before I got here.
How come?
I got bored.
So, what's the next plan?
I haven't thought
about any plans yet.
I thought I'll just
go with the flow.
That's cool!
No job can give you the joy of
living without having to work.
Mr. Prasad, please come.
Job calls! I'll call later.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Dude...
- Good night.
- Good night.
Today was a mess, right?
I wonder what your dad felt.
Nothing like that.
My dad is cool with it.
So, there are others who
were not cool with it.
Seems like Prasadettan and
your dad are just so in sync!
You know how old
people are, right?
Moreover, he follows
military discipline.
Don't worry. Dad isn't
all that troublesome.
Ask Maniyan to come
tomorrow with two people.
That... uh...
Or should I climb
trees at the age of 70?
Yes, it's a radio.
Puyinkara Kavu is right
next to this place.
And what you see over there
is the Reserve Forest.
Except for Hanuman and Sugriva,
you can find the entire
army of monkeys here.
Oh!
One fine morning, our
radio went missing.
It was after around a month,
that we found it
hanging on this branch.
It's not at a height where
you can grab it easily, right?
Hearing about this, many
people came to see it.
Seeing the comments from
people and their astonishment,
Dad ordered it to be left on the tree
for everyone's amusement from then on.
And there's no option to appeal
against your dad's order, right?
That order served its
purpose, didn't it?
You were also staring with
your mouth wide open, right?
If you look closely, you will
see many more items up there.
Dolls...
Toys...
Monkeys were Chachu's
enemy number one.
He had even tried to capture
monkeys with a rat trap.
Is it coming from Dad's room?
Yes.
That's his regular playlist.
You will have to bear with it.
It is a North-East
folk song, right?
Yes. Have you heard it before?
I had been part of a volunteer
camp while I was in Delhi.
We went to Nagaland,
Mizoram... and so on.
Dad was in Arunachal
Pradesh for many years.
Hey, shall I share
a thought with you?
It could be silly.
Can't you approach the missing
gun case from this angle?
Well... a gun isn't exactly something
too heavy for a monkey to pick up, is it?
So, didn't you hear the
order Dad gave last night?
- Maniyan?
- Yes.
Maniyan chetta... Wooh!
This side... This side!
Look in every nook
and corner, okay?
- Shashiyetta!
- Check that mango tree branch!
Can you see a black object?
No!
That's a sandal or
something like that!
Hey, tighten the knot!
Check that tree as well!
Where all should we search?
Ah!
Now, if a branch snaps
and someone falls,
we will have to
deal with that too!
- Right?
- Come on!
What if we find the gun?
You always take his side!
Whether it's a
thief or a monkey,
if the gun gets fired,
we will be in a soup.
Throw it!
If that happens, no one will be interested
in climbing or shaking the tree anymore.
So, shall I leave?
My duty is outside
the station today.
[North East folk song playing]
Huh?
Building only the flyover pillars
won't lead to development.
Have someone explain this
to my election opponent.
Isn't it true?
The locals have started growing
veggies under the flyover,
which has only had its pillars
built in the last 10 years.
Beans and what not! So...
Don't try to fool
the people with that.
Park your vehicle
to the side, bro!
Just a minute. Let that
busy person pass through.
Why are you trying to
squeeze through this traffic?
Wait! I have much more to say!
Sir, you can move forward.
Allow them to pass through.
We needn't achieve anything
by obstructing people.
Move the auto rickshaw!
Let those in a hurry go ahead.
Come!
Go, go!
Creating a fuss during
such a major event!
Didn't you say he's
always at home?
He doesn't go
outside very often.
How long has it been since
he retired from the army?
It must be around 10-16 years.
His elder son and
I were classmates.
He had a very good
reputation back then.
Is it bad now?
Err, that's not what I meant.
- Dasan.
- Yes.
Here you go.
You've added nutmeg, right?
Yes. Shaiju Sir
likes that flavour.
He has set a menu for himself.
Sumadathan Chetta...
Look!
You carry on. I'll come later.
Well... Everyone
is already there.
- I'll be there by the time they start.
- Okay.
Their office is based in Delhi.
I had asked if they have
an office in the South.
So, you've spoken
to them once before.
- They are like a bypass channel.
- Just a minute.
I had sent them Chachu's
photos and details earlier.
Oh!
- So, they are just mediators.
- Yes.
Another NGO is
dealing with this.
Only after verifying the
details we've submitted
and confirming the
parents in person
will they connect us to them.
Okay.
- It's okay now.
- That is their policy.
Prashobh, we got connected.
Okay. So, you talk to them.
I'll send the link.
- Okay.
- This is the window.
- Ajayetta...
- Yes.
Well... Aparna Chechi
is with you, right?
Huh?
- I mean, she must be...
- okay with this, right?
Of course.
I had told her before
the wedding, right?
I was just asking... Okay.
Anyway, call me
after the meeting.
- Okay, then.
- Okay.
Hi, good evening.
Good evening.
[in Hindi] Sorry, I got
held up with some work.
So, I couldn't schedule
the meeting earlier.
- That's okay.
- Okay.
Then, we'll start?
Sure.
Since when do you know Gaurav?
Actually, I don't
know him in person.
He is a colleague of Prashobh.
Oh, your in-law.
So, you have never met him?
No. Actually, it's like...
they had a chat
and put me through.
Chinmay, called as...
Chachu.
Yes.
You are...
Ajayachandran K. V.
Yes.
And...
Mother's name...
Praveena Ajayachandran.
Yes.
Umm... where's Praveena?
She is...
She can join if she wants to.
- No, I mean...
- She passed, actually.
It's been two years now.
Oh, sorry.
So, how old was Chachu
at the time of missing?
Seven.
And date of missing?
3 years back.
March 20th,
So how long did you follow up
initially with the classifieds?
- It went on for like...
- seven days, initially.
Can you tell me the languages
he was familiar with?
Only Malayalam.
But he could understand
English to an extent.
Okay.
Alright, Ajay.
I'll forward these
to the higher desk.
They will reach you once
the paperwork is complete.
- Thank you.
- Nice talking to you.
Pleasure.
Ajayetta, these also need
to be sent out today.
- To Thirunelli, right?
- Yes.
This time, I have
changed the ingredients.
Keep it inside.
Baby Sir got lucky today, huh?
Does he pay anything
to Sumadathan Chettan?
Since it's for booze, he won't
be his usual stingy self.
I'm telling you, the first question
will be if he has Google Pay.
No, no. He has paid for it.
I thought you'd be on
leave this whole week.
A new person has arrived, right?
Not going on a
honeymoon trip, Ajayan?
No.
Didn't you say she's
a nature freak?
At least take her for
a stroll in the forest.
What was she doing
in Bangalore? IT?
She started off with IT.
- She left it when she lost interest.
- Is it?
Then, she pursued MSW.
And worked with their
syllabus-making team in Bangalore.
Isn't that correct, Ajayetta?
- [phone rings]
- Yes.
And a bit of theatre
and travel in between.
She has come here
leaving all that behind.
She is a perfect
match for Ajayettan.
We get that Ajayan is stuck here
since his father is alone here.
But shouldn't these younger girls have
a clarity about what they want to do?
Isn't it enough to have clarity about
what they shouldn't do, Mohanetta?
Hmm. Okay.
Yes.
11th block, right?
I'll be there soon. Give
me 10 minutes. Okay.
- Please check these too.
- Okay.
Listen, a shot has been
fired in the forest.
Are the Maoists active again?
Let's go visit the place.
It was Shaiju who called.
He is at the spot now.
Where is it?
There's a truck-way that goes up
from Kallepathi, right? Over there.
- 10th block?
- No.
- Hey, Tony.
- Yes.
- Get me the Jeep keys.
- Okay.
I think it's at the
boundary between 11 and 12.
They fired shots at
one of our signboards.
Great!
And you wanted me to take
her on a trip to this forest?
Things were finally
getting calm.
Now, the people will
get talking again!
Don't exaggerate.
They too have needs, don't they?
Yeah, right! As if they need
to fire shots to make a living!
- I'll bring the Jeep.
- Okay.
- Hi...
- Hi.
As we all know,
gunfire is nothing new in
the Kallepathi forest region.
It was in April that the Thunderbolt team
arrested two people for weapons training.
How many times will you
repeat the same thing?
It's not as if I've applied
for a passport, is it?
It is management protocol, Sir.
We can only do it once all the
requirements we listed are met.
I've come after asking
about it over a phone call.
You didn't tell me about
this protocol then!
It's not that. We had a
server update last week.
- So...
- So, you lost it?
It is not lost, Sir.
- When we did the server update...
- So, you can get it.
Sir, I didn't mean that.
Just tell me whether you
can get it for me or not.
That's what I said, Sir. We'll
know only after checking.
- Do you want me to check it?
- No, Sir. Just a minute.
Hey, girl. You only need half the time
you're wasting on excuses to get it done.
Instead of doing
it, you are just...
- Can you quickly check the back-up files?
- What?
- Some sort of confusion, it seems.
- What?
Have you come here earlier
for the same thing, Sir?
Do things get done here
based on prior acquaintance?
Okay.
Is your name Appu Pillai, Sir?
Yes.
Age 70, birth star is Chothi,
Zodiac sign is Libra.
Yes. Err, okay.
Sir, you've been requested to go
to the Lay Secretary's office.
Sir, your umbrella!
The locals informed the police
that they heard continuous
gunfire for just a brief period.
Anyway, there were no
casualties this time as well.
The locals and police believe someone
was involved in weapons training.
Couldn't they choose a better
spot for their shooting practice?
Right at the elephant's
butt? Really?
Didn't you say that
they too have needs?
- We will have to put up a new one.
- Yes.
One game in front and
another through the back!
Everyone is aware
of your nasty past!
Prakashan, save your jabs
for those who'll take it.
Don't try to mess with me.
Let's see how long
you'll keep this going,
by supplying hooch
and hauling jugs!
If you talk nonsense,
I will smack your face!
If I don't get you arrested,
then my name isn't Prakashan.
It's easy to pick
low-hanging fruit, right?
He is the temporary
watcher here.
You must have heard
about him; Sumadathan.
He was involved in some Naxal
activities back in the past,
discreetly.
He used to make home-made bombs.
One day, one blew up in his
hands while he was making it.
That's when everyone found
out about his real profile.
This happened 40 years ago.
He gave it all up back then.
He gave it up. But
you know, right?
Once someone's name
is on the list,
even if they cleanse
themselves in the Ganges,
people will still see
them the same way!
Try getting me arrested!
Your tricks won't work on me!
No cartridges or caps
have been recovered.
And from the bullet impact points,
it's clear they didn't use rifles.
- Are you saying it isn't them?
- I didn't mean that.
I just pointed out that it's
different from their usual pattern.
From the evidence
we have so far,
we can assume it's either
a revolver or a pistol.
Anyway, it's a small gun.
- And did you ask Dad about this?
- Sigh!
What can I ask him?
Don't frame it like a question.
Just make a general statement saying
this is what the ballistic team said.
They just said that
it could be a pistol.
And you already concluded
that it is Dad's gun?
You started seeing our dad
only after I did, kiddo!
Both of them are old buddies.
Does he still visit Dad?
- Who? Suman chettan?
- Yes.
He rarely comes home.
It's true that he carried
us around as kids.
But I've never thought he was
someone we could keep ties with,
whether it was back then or now.
- You do...
- Papa, can we go out?
Where?
- Downstairs.
- Now?
- Yes.
- Let's go after saying goodbye to uncle.
Who is it?
- No!
- Ichu?
- Talk to your uncle.
- Uncle's dear Ichuma?
Hey...
Let me see. Show
me your teeth!
Eeee...
Show your teeth... eeeee...
Bonjour!
What did she say?
She said, 'Bonjour'.
Oh, Bonjour!
Oh, no! Don't pull my hand!
Don't run. Let me see you!
- Come on, Papa! Come!
- Ichu...
Let's go.
Okay, dude. Gotta go.
Otherwise, she won't leave me.
I'll talk to you later. Bye.
Come, come! Let's go!
Okay.
Was it Prasadettan?
Yes.
What is he saying?
Nothing.
His usual talk.
It's 7.30 PM.
Dad isn't back home yet.
Should we try calling him?
No.
He will come.
This time is normal for home.
Must he go on his own if
he wants to buy something?
If he says it, someone will
buy and bring it, right?
Dad is very particular
about certain things.
He has to do it all by himself.
Even if we offer help,
he won't accept it.
Okay. No, no!
I'll start now itself.
Did you check the
petrol level, Dad?
Okay. I'm coming.
Dad's car isn't starting.
Let me go and check.
I will come with you.
- Dad...
- What took you so long?
It maybe due to
the cold weather.
The battery was due
for replacement.
Then you should have
replaced it, right?
What else do you
have to remember?
What if I ended up stranded
somewhere with no phone signal?
No one else owns
land in this area.
All the land up to
the stream is ours.
Would it be the workers
from the nearby plot?
They were there until 7.30 PM.
What work were they
doing at night?
Let me go and check.
Is that enough? It's
dense forest over there.
I'll bring a torchlight.
Err... how often do
you come around here?
Nobody really comes around here.
Oh.
Have you ever seen anything else
burned to ashes like this here before?
No.
And you haven't seen a fire
like this before either?
No.
By looking at the ground here,
it doesn't appear that way.
Look at this.
The forest has grown evenly
across the surroundings,
just like the other
areas in this compound.
But within a two-foot
radius of the burnt spot,
new short grasses have sprouted.
When I removed the topsoil,
I found burnt ashes underneath.
It's clear that things have been
burned here several times before.
Where is your boundary
on the east side?
There are two wild jack trees
10 metres away from that stream.
Okay. And beyond that?
It was my land. I sold it.
Oh, the land purchased by
those folks from Kottayam?
- Yes.
- Okay, okay.
This burned area is still
within your boundary, isn't it?
A resurvey won't be
necessary, right?
Maybe the workers from the nearby
plot burned some waste there.
When someone goes
out to burn waste,
will they count the
number of wild jack trees?
- That's what I also said.
- Okay.
But she wanted to verify
it the police way.
Ah, that's good.
I rarely get to play
the police around here.
Ah...
Does Sumadathan
Chettan come here?
No.
Why do you ask?
There's talk that your dad
visits Sumadathan Chettan often.
After the Kallepathi
gunshot incident,
there's such a talk going
on at the station as well.
Well...
I know he won't get
involved in such things.
But still, ask him to steer clear
of that company for a while.
Why get into
unnecessary trouble?
Right?
- Shivadasettan!
- Yes.
Belgaum is in Karnataka, right?
Yes.
Sumadathan?
We call him 'Suman Chettan'.
He used to come home
regularly before.
He was very fond of my elder
brother and me when we were kids.
Is it for sure that he has
quit his Naxalite activities?
Hey, even when Dad was involved in
it, he never kept anything secret.
He's straightforward
in every aspect.
That... old... Nilambur case.
I had heard about
it from Dad himself.
Nilambur case?
In the 1970s, Naxalite movements
were strong in this region.
The burning of the Records
Room at the Munsiff Court
was a major case back then.
Dad's name was on
the list of suspects.
And then?
Since my grandfather
was quite influential,
he managed to get
my dad off the case.
However, he didn't let
Dad stay here any longer.
He was banished immediately.
It was only after that event
that he joined the military.
Your grandpa was
really something, huh?
Of course!
He was my dad's
father, after all!
I called you several times.
You know how the signal
is out here, right?
What happened?
We've received a mail
regarding Chachu's matter.
It is from Karnataka.
It's not as if we didn't
make an effort to find him.
On the day he went
missing and the day after,
there were reports of people spotting
Chachu in Pollachi and Tirupur.
Back then, all of us did
everything we could, to find him.
Praveena Chechi was lucky.
She was spared from enduring
this prolonged stress
and witnessing all of this now.
I...
There's a game
that Chachu loved.
I was trying to
remember its name.
He'll start playing it
as soon as he wakes up.
He was crazy about it.
He'd say that he'll find the treasure
after completing six more levels.
To be honest,
I couldn't give him
any attention at all,
especially after
Pravi's treatment began.
Then, how will I remember
the name of the game?
[Missing]
[School student
missing] [(Sumadathan)]
[Nilambur Court burning case
- Police investigation over]
[Sumadathan (20),
Appu Pillai (17)]
[indistinct
conversation in Kannada]
[speaking in Kannada]
Kamal!
[speaking in Kannada]
[speaking in Kannada]
Ajay Chandra! Come.
Let's go.
Well, this receipt won't do.
That's why I asked you to
come when everyone is here.
Okay, I'll come
later and collect it.
Please tell me these
details for now, Chetta.
Full name?
It's in the paper I gave you.
House name?
That's also in it, right?
Wife?
I'm asking your wife's name.
She is no more.
She passed away.
Children?
Ajayan.
Is it just 'Ajayan'?
Ajayachandran K.V.
Don't you have one more son?
If you know everything,
why are you asking me?
I'm asking his name.
Prasad Chandran K.V.
Chetta, I need a
few more details.
I don't want to trouble
you any further.
If there's anyone else
here, please call them.
He didn't use my name
when he called for me.
He addressed me as
'Hey, ' 'You, ' etc.
And he was really angry as well.
But later when he saw me,
he didn't ask me anything.
He wasn't angry at all
and acted as if
nothing had happened.
Then?
Then, it was only when
I checked his phone,
that it really struck me.
He had only less
than 10 contacts.
But their identities and
details were saved in brackets.
There are some things...
They are just my doubts.
But I feel hesitant to share
it until I know for sure.
Did you call that
carpenter after that?
What, Dad?
I asked if you called
the carpenter after that!
Yes, I had called him.
Calling and talking
alone won't suffice.
The work should get done!
We didn't ask him to build
a snake boat, did we?
It's just to fix a
door lock, right?
I will call him once again, Dad.
Otherwise, I'll ask
someone else to come.
I want my door
repaired today itself,
even if it takes calling in
Perumthachan, the master carpenter.
Did you enter Dad's room?
He can instantly tell if someone
else has been in his room.
That's what I don't understand.
Why must he react this way if a
family member has entered his room?
Dad doesn't like it.
He will react.
Have you ever wondered
why he acts that way?
I found this in Dad's room.
You said Dad takes only
insulin tablets, right?
This is not an insulin strip.
These are anti-depressants,
and Google says they're mainly
prescribed to neuro patients.
Actually, it's not just
this particular incident.
His manner of speaking and dealing
with people often feels strange.
And... the day Dad's friend
from the army visited,
that man was very talkative,
but Dad seemed
overwhelmed by panic,
almost as if he was confused.
He had a small
notepad in his hand,
and seemed to be reading from it
for all his questions and responses.
And after his friend left, I saw Dad
scribbling something on it, as well.
Remember the day he called us
saying the car wouldn't start?
Now I have a doubt about
that incident as well.
What if he had stopped after getting
confused about the way back to our house?
I think we must consult
a doctor, Ajayetta.
Sorry, I didn't mean to...
Dad's having a bit of
trouble remembering things.
Just like you
pointed it out now,
the first person to notice
it and inform me was...
Chachu.
We brought it up with Dad once.
Like you said now,
we suggested consulting
a doctor too.
Mom!
I had never seen
my dad like that.
Our plan was to sit down with Dad,
speak calmly, and convince him somehow.
That was when...
Uncle Jacob, who was in the
army with Dad, paid us a visit.
Don't you know that Dad doesn't
really talk much, Uncle?
Ever since mom passed away, he
has been silent most of the time.
So, nothing seemed
unusual to us.
I had assumed he was probably
undergoing some neurological therapy.
But when you say that
none of you had any clue
about this medical condition
of his for all these years...
Phew!
That's incredible, man!
He must be doing
something extraordinary.
He doesn't want even you
to know about it, Ajayan.
Not talking much to anyone...
and avoiding socializing
outside his house
must be his strategy.
He's scared his actions
will give him away.
He is a proud man.
He would have
recognized you, right?
Since he has his old army
pictures framed on his wall,
he would definitely
get the connection.
Beyond that,
what he remembers and
what he doesn't...
God knows!
When did you notice
it first, Uncle?
So, you have no idea about
the whole picture, Ajayan?
You know why he was fired
from the army service?
Fired?
Pillai's was a kind of
obsessive perfectionism.
Uncompromising attitude.
He was extremely strict
in ensuring that neither he nor his
battalion made even the smallest mistake.
Initially, his forgetfulness was a
running joke in our friend circle.
I have witnessed some issues
caused by his forgetfulness.
Without letting many
people know about it,
he was able to manage
it brilliantly.
But such minor forgetfulness
eventually led to
major complications.
He misplaced a service pistol.
It escalated into an issue that
Pillai couldn't cover up in any way.
In fact, he had been
aware for quite some time
that something was
not right with him.
Not only did he evade
medical check-ups,
but he also tried to keep his
condition hidden from everyone.
Perhaps he was reluctant
to deal with the controversy and
embarrassment if everyone found out.
Eventually, one of our team members
found the gun by coincidence
from the washing machine
in the army quarters.
It was only because Pillai's
service records were good,
and out of the concern that this might
damage the force's goodwill if exposed,
that the top authorities
kept the news confidential.
He was terminated
with immediate effect.
It's not for any other reason
that I didn't tell you.
It's been 16 years since
Dad came back from the army,
and in these 16 years,
he's only been trying
to do one thing;
making sure no one
discovers his memory issues,
and facing it all by himself.
Just imagine the struggle
he's been enduring for it.
That's the kind
of man my dad is.
Both in this town and
during his service,
that's the kind of
reputation he had.
Regardless of what he loses,
he cannot afford to let
his dignity be affected.
It might be because of his ego.
If that is what Dad wants,
we should stand by him, right?
Where is Mumma's Chachu?
Look at what Papa is doing.
Look, dear!
Do you see Papa's new camera?
Look at the new camera.
Smile!
It's okay. I'll go with him.
- Hey... Look over there!
- Chachu!
Chachu, you must not cry!
Look at the monkey jumping!
Don't cry, Chachu!
See... it jumped.
- Did you see him jump over there?
- Okay.
Is this Sumadathan?
Yes.
Papa, come!
- Mummy!
- Hey, you will fall down!
Chachu!
Hey, no! Don't
shoot water at me!
Hey, hey!
- Jack fruit! I want jack fruit!
- He wouldn't climb unless you agreed!
- I want it!
- Get him down, Ajayetta!
No! No!
Yes!
Oh!
Enough, Chachu!
- Your intestine will flip!
- Okay.
- Superman!
- Superman!
- Superman!
- Come on, fly!
Bring him down! He will fall!
Won't you listen?
- How many times should I tell you?
- He is fine.
Come down, I say!
Are you happy now that
you got it from Grandpa?
How was Dad with Chachu?
Huh?
How was Dad's behaviour
towards Chachu?
Chachu was about two
and a half years old
when Praveena was
first diagnosed.
After that,
both of us were fully occupied
with tests and treatment.
Chachu was mostly with Dad.
A friction has always existed
due to Dad's strict
military discipline.
It was way more intense
with my elder brother.
No, Chachu!
Your Papa has come!
Hey, watch your step!
Papa!
What he remembers and
what he doesn't...
God knows!
Why did you ask that?
Could there be anything else
that he might have forgotten?
Anything related to
Chachu's missing?
Hello.
Yes.
Where is this exact location?
Who are you?
Okay.
Make sure nobody
gets close to it.
Okay, okay.
The day he went missing...
Was it the day you went to the hospital
with Praveena Chechi for her check-up?
Yes.
It was when you
returned home at night,
that you realized that
Chachu was missing.
That means...
it occurred when only
Dad and Chachu were here.
What if Dad knew...
what happened to
Chachu that day?
What if he has
forgotten what he knew?
- How many workers are there?
- Eight of my workers.
Did he answer when you called?
Joy Sir is at Mundakkayam, Sir.
Even if he's in Antarctica, tell
him to be here by dawn tomorrow.
- What?
- Okay. I'll call him.
Go and call him then!
Whom are you waiting for?
Okay.
It's been only two years
since Joy bought this land.
From whom did he buy it?
The land belonged to the
person living next door.
One Mr. Appu Pillai.
When will they reach?
They've crossed Nedunchal.
- Dig over there too.
- That area.
One of you come here.
Take care of things
here. I'll be right back.
Didn't I tell you I'd come
home when this is over?
Why did you come here?
It was the workers who saw it
while digging for the foundation.
Take him home with you.
I'll come there before I leave.
- Go.
- Shivetta...
Do you have any idea
whose it might be?
The forensic team
hasn't reached yet.
Further procedures will be
conducted after they arrive.
Come.
It doesn't seem that
big in size, right?
- Start from the middle.
- Okay.
Though it's from
the primate family,
the skeleton isn't
that of a human.
Huh?
The Reserve Forest
is nearby, isn't it?
Once I realized it was
a monkey's remains,
I thought it would be a case
that's limited to our usual set-up.
Wildlife Department, right?
Since it's a non-bailable case,
the one who did it
must have buried it.
Let's wait for the report
from the veterinary centre.
The report is out already.
I came by to talk
about that as well.
As of now, even the
police will get involved,
since it comes
under the Arms Act.
Arms Act?
What's the status of your
father's gun missing case?
Pillai Chettan sold the property
to Joy, two years back, right?
Yes.
Did he mention
anything about this?
What happened?
The monkey's postmortem
report is out.
Okay.
The cause of death
is bullet injury.
Bullet?
Yes.
What's the owner of
the property saying?
He is out of the picture.
He purchased the property
from us, two years back.
The monkey's remains they
found are three years old.
Sorry! Have you been
waiting for long?
That veterinary officer just left after
going on and on with the whole story!
He says that there's
an exit wound,
and based on the patch
on the monkey's bone,
it could be from a
0.32 calibre bullet,
or perhaps a larger calibre.
What's the latest on Appu Pillai's missing
firearm case that you mentioned to me?
The calibre of Appu
Pillai's gun is 0.35.
So, it could be that too.
It was during my time as
the SHO at this station
that Appu Pillai applied
for his gun license.
I had met him back then as part
of the verification process.
He is quite grumpy.
Wasn't it from his family
that a boy went missing?
Yes, it's been almost
three years now.
Even before that, he had gone missing
from school a couple of times.
The kid just takes
off on his own!
Both times, his family and the school
authorities managed to find him at night.
Where was he then?
The kid was making up
stories like it was a movie.
Yet the story he told had no
connection to where he was found.
When he went missing
for the third time,
or rather the last time,
upon hearing that he
went missing again,
everyone thought, The crazy
boy has taken off yet again.
Are you saying nobody even
tried to look for him?
- No, I didn't mean that.
- We tried our maximum, Sir.
There were people who had
spotted a boy of Chachu's age
at Palakkad railway
station that night.
And on the same night, around
2:00 a.m., at Pollachi too.
It's been a couple of years
since the boy's mother died.
She was frequently sick
and often in the hospital.
I guess the boy got frustrated since
no one was giving him enough attention.
Chachu, stop! Chachu...
Chachu! Stop there, boy!
Son!
Chachu!
Stop there, son!
Chachu, stop! Son!
Just stop there!
Chachu!
Stop there, son!
Chachu!
Chachu!
Wake up, Sir.
School's dispersed. Don't
you want to go home?
Walk.
Walk, elephant.
Dad, why didn't
you take the car?
The car's out of petrol.
But I filled it
up just yesterday!
Get in, Dad.
I'm heading home too.
The case of the monkey's
remains found in the field
is now being investigated by
the Forest Vigilance department.
Did you know about it?
Nobody informed me.
It wasn't found
from my property!
What did the owner say?
The property owner?
Who else could be
the owner here?
Well...
Joy Sir bought the land from us
only two years back, right?
The remains found are
about three years old.
It was killed by a gunshot.
Apparently, a small gun, possibly
a pistol, was used to kill it.
Who said so?
I mean...
The test results say so.
Just because of that,
it can't be assumed
that the gun is mine.
You...
You needn't worry about it.
They will keep on
asking such questions.
Is the question theirs or yours?
Shall we go to bed?
Do you have a policy against
making things easy for people?
Sir, this is beyond our...
Listen! Please consider
my age, the time...
Why are you making
things difficult for me?
I want it right now.
Since there has been a server
update, we need to check it.
If it's available, we have
no problem in giving it, Sir.
Can you please wait
for five minutes?
I will wait.
Okay.
Hello.
[THIRUNELLI - NEDUNCHAL]
Finally!
[in Tamil] I thought you must
be away on a family tour.
Please come.
I waited for a long time, and when
you didn't turn up, I called your son.
He said he's gone
out with his wife.
Oh! This photo came here?
It was there, no?
But this is the
perfect spot for it.
This picture brings back all the
wild memories from that crazy night!
It was crazy, buddy.
I'll come in a moment.
How's the work at the
cardamom estate coming along?
It's hard to manage
with just cardamom.
Planting something else alongside
it would help balance things out.
The workers' attitude
is different now.
I need to be around all the time
to make sure they do their work.
How is Aravind?
Aravind is doing very good.
He just got a new
job last month.
He is going to Australia.
He is planning to settle there.
But once he goes, he
won't be coming back.
He isn't answering.
Anything wrong?
Nope.
Sometimes, he doesn't answer
calls if he's with someone.
Living there is
supposedly safer.
He claims we're
all backward here.
Today's youth are moving to the UK,
Australia, and Canada and settling down.
The youth are over there,
while the elders remain here.
By the way,
how is your knee after surgery?
Many people hesitate to
acknowledge their memory problems,
and we should approach
them with greater care.
Arguing with them
will only cause panic.
They might become paranoid,
their blood pressure could rise,
and they could even
lose touch with reality.
It depends.
How about recovery?
It cannot be guaranteed.
Long-time acquaintances,
languages,
and the surroundings of their
house, which they engage with daily,
could become ingrained
in their habitual memory.
So, they may or may
not forget all of this.
It varies from person to person.
If he became willing to
depend on someone else,
he wouldn't have to deal
with so much stress, right?
People with this condition usually have
trouble trusting the people around them.
They can't tell who'd take
advantage of them or how, right?
They will always
have that insecurity.
If my memory is correct,
Me, you, Charan and Jacob...
All of us went in a Jeep, right?
You remember Jacob, right?
He downed a full bottle!
And he drove the Jeep
recklessly at full speed.
I honestly thought he'd crash,
and that would be the end of us!
He finally stopped the car
at 7th Lane, near Lal Chowk,
and right in front of the Major's
quarters, he urinated on the road.
The guard came running and
started shouting at us.
You were the one who pleaded
with him and said sorry.
He only let Jacob go after that.
Jacob...
How do you know Jacob?
What a question!
Weren't we all
together in Kashmir?
But Jacob has never
been to Kashmir.
Oh, yeah.
True, true, true, man.
Sometimes, I lose it completely.
My memory isn't
as sharp as yours.
I'm turning 73 in
the coming June.
You must give me some
memory tips, mate.
No fan?
No wonder I'm sweating
like this. Phew!
[sings an old Tamil song]
You still haven't told
me how you know Jacob.
When was it?
I know him from our time
at the Itanagar camp.
Arunachal Pradesh.
Yeah.
Yeah, man.
Yeah, same.
I met him there, too.
But...
that was in 1986.
When you came last time,
you had told me that in 1986,
you were in IPKF, right?
Did I say so?
Yes, yes. Of course!
Peace Keeping Force.
Rajiv Gandhi.
I was in IPKF.
If you were with IPKF,
you must have been in Jaffna.
In Sri Lanka.
Yeah.
If you were in Sri Lanka,
how did you come to
know Jacob in Arunachal?
Why are you lying?
What?
Why are you lying to me?
Lying?
Me?
Why should I lie to you?
If so,
everything I just
said was a lie.
I was just bluffing.
You were okay with all
the lies I told you.
What is this adjustment for?
Who are you?
Who are you?
Actually...
One second. I'll
be right back.
Hi, Son.
Good that you came now.
I was about to leave.
- Hello, Aparna.
- Hi.
Why are you leaving in a hurry?
Coming here wasn't in my plans.
I had to head to the estate
but thought I'd pay a
quick visit to Pillai.
All okay here?
Yeah, yeah.
We are just...
See! We were talking
about this photo.
Right, Appu Sir?
Look at it!
This picture brings back all the
wild memories from that crazy night!
Crazy!
Good old days, right?
Okay, then.
I'm leaving.
I need to take care of
some work on my way there.
Shall I leave, Ji?
I plan to come to the
estate again next month.
If time permits,
we'll definitely meet.
See you that time.
Take care.
Bye.
- See you.
- I'll just see him out.
So what happened, Prakashetta?
- Is he the photographer?
- Hi, I am Mukundan.
Show me the photo quickly.
Show it to him.
Shouldn't we inform
the police immediately?
Let me see it
first, Prakashetta.
Sir...
The tribal colony boundary
starts from the 13th block.
The news coming from
Kallepathi Reserve Forest
evokes surprise and an
increased sense of fear.
The picture of a monkey
holding a pistol...
If it has fallen down,
it can be retrieved.
Rapid Response Team is
searching the entire area.
Neither the Thunderbolt team
nor the police found any clues
about the suspected weapons training
incident that happened months ago.
Do you have any idea
which direction they went?
It's a forest, right, Sir?
We couldn't tell which
direction they went.
Naxal movements have
previously been reported
in the tribal colonies
beyond the 13th block.
What if the monkeys got it
from one of their camps?
Isn't it Axle wood tree?
Look! Isn't it an
Axle wood tree?
In the Kallepathi area,
Axle wood trees are found only
beyond the 20th and 21st blocks.
Your request for photography
and the permission we granted
was limited to visiting only
the 18th and 19th blocks.
You can't just roam around
the forest however you want!
Easy, Aravindetta.
We got to know this because
they roamed around, right?
Issue Section 144 in
Kallepathi Subdivision.
It's been decided to close
the tribal school for a week.
- Okay, Sir.
- And tourist permission is a definite no.
You should go and inform
the colonies directly.
- Take Prakashettan along with you.
- Okay.
Shouldn't we cross-check this with
Appu Pillai's fire-arm missing case?
If it's proved that
it is Dad's gun,
we are in for
double the trouble.
They might file a case for
failing to secure the possession.
And if there are any
casualties due to the gun,
it will be a tough
knot to untie.
But we can just say that
it's not ours, can't we?
Dad must be aware of
the legal side, right?
Sir.
Appu Pillai has
confirmed the pistol.
But...
he can confirm only the
model description, right?
How can he be sure
that it is his gun?
Among all the license
holders in Revenue records,
only Appu Pillai has
a gun with this spec.
Which is this gun?
Shield EZ series.
- Smith & Wesson?
- Yes.
Is it available here?
He had qualified for the National
Shooting Meet in the past.
So, he has the
privilege to import it.
Like I said before, I feel
this could be a fake gun.
It could even be a toy gun.
It could be.
But the issue here
is public threat,
either until we
recover that gun,
or until we get a
closer look at it.
So, we can't take a chance
based on that assumption.
We can give a petition to suspend
Appu Pillai's gun licence.
Notify the Collector's office
and the Superintendent.
Sir.
Start the follow-up inquiry.
Okay, Sir.
Dad...
Dad!
Let go of me, Dad!
Let go of my hand, Dad!
- What are you doing?
- Hey!
Dad!
Move away, Dad!
Hey! What are you... Dad!
What the hell are you doing?
- Leave me, Dad!
- Move!
Dad!
Dad... Get up.
Get up.
What is this?
What happened?
- Ajayetta.. that...
- Hey!
What are you doing?
It's Dad who's burning
stuff here. I saw it!
What did you see?
Why should he do that here?
- It's not me, Ajayetta!
- Then?
Ajayan...
If there is a problem
between you two,
resolve it in your room.
Don't give the townsfolk
any reason to gossip.
Huh?
Oh...
Have you had enough?
Dad is planning
something, Ajayetta.
Okay... Say it.
There are already a hundred
stories about him in town.
Now you can start one
from home as well.
Like all of you, I can't think
rationally all of a sudden.
For everyone else, Appu Pillai
is just a curious character.
But to me, he is my father!
Okay. Let me see.
If you want tea or coffee,
we can provide it. Okay?
This may take some time.
We spoke to Sumadathan, the
watcher, in the morning.
There are certain things that
only the two of you know, right?
You are old friends, aren't you?
Hey, this is going
beyond what we thought.
Since morning, they've been digging
into Pillai Chettan's history
to connect it with
the current issue.
If we had clarity on what
Suman Chettan told them,
it would have been easier
for us to deal with it.
Third week of March, 2021.
During that time, a monkey
was shot and killed...
on your property.
Evidence from the monkey's
remains found in Joy's property
matches the specifications
of your pistol.
In the witness statement given
by Sumadathan, the watcher,
there is an explanation
for this incident.
But he doesn't know what happened
to the pistol after that.
That is missing in
his story as well.
That day, I decided
to meet Pillai
on my way back from the
Range Officer's quarters.
- Mumma!
- I'll show you today!
- Mumma!
- I'll whack you!
Grandpa!
I'll peel your skin off!
Grandpa!
I'll show you who I am!
- Please don't beat me!
- Move this way!
- I will show you...
- Stop it! Please stop it!
If we keep giving him a pass
just because he's a kid,
this brat will burn the
house down in the future!
- Look at the way he stares!
- Hey, hey!
Isn't he just a child?
Yeah, right! Just a child!
He took this gun out
from my locked box
So, this imp knows
how to steal, right?
And he took the cartridge
that was stored away,
disabled the trigger
lock and fired!
Now, can we really
call him a child?
If any mishap happens with this
gun, I'm the one who's answerable!
What is this, son?
Let his parents come!
Aren't they here?
Oh! They can leave him here
and go anywhere, right?
Why even have kids if you
can't take care of them?
Let them come back!
Or they could send him
to a boarding school
until his mom's
treatment is complete.
We will look into it.
Calm down now.
If word gets out, this will
be a serious police case.
You are not diabetic, right?
Today is Chachu's birthday.
Do you want dessert, Chachu?
No.
When he behaved like
nothing had happened,
I found it strange at first.
Then I felt that it must be his
way of dealing with such things.
And later, when did you
realize it wasn't like that?
He came to me when he
realized the gun was missing.
That is what he told me.
He asked me to tell him everything
I remember from that evening.
Then he started
visiting me often.
He also asked me
about past events.
The comrades from the Nilambur
incident and the police case
would all come up
in the discussion.
He went and met some
of them as well.
Every time he comes here,
he asks the same questions,
and I give the same answers.
He listens to them like he's hearing them
for the first time, every single time.
And you've never asked
him anything about it?
I asked him once.
He got angry and stormed out.
If he isn't telling
me something,
it means he doesn't want
me to know about it.
This...
gunfire at Kallepathi...
The gun found in
the monkey's hand...
Does Dad have any
connection to those?
This shows how little knowledge
sons have about their fathers!
You know what I think?
It wasn't during
this election season,
that you noticed
your gun was missing.
But you didn't inform anyone.
When you didn't inform
anyone, it means...
there is something you
don't want anyone to know.
Right?
Hello?
Ajayan, what is the
current situation?
They're saying that they
just want to talk to him.
What does 'just' talking mean?
There is a limit for
everything, right?
Just like your dad, if you insist
on keeping his illness a secret...
You know his routines, right?
If he encounters a block,
he will panic.
No doubt about it.
How can you detain an
elderly person like this?
It's a department
matter, Ajayan.
I'm also working in the
same department, right?
Don't just settle for this. Check
if there is scope for UAPA as well.
I guess the mighty CBI would come
to investigate a dead monkey!
Ajayan!
You just want to connect that
monkey to Dad's pistol somehow.
Only then can you link that gunfire
case to the Naxal activity, right?
Let me explain! Come!
Hey, it's okay. They just want
to get your dad's statement.
Yeah, right! What statement?
If you behave like this,
it will hurt their ego.
You tell me then.
Who is so hell-bent on forcing
a Naxal connection upon Dad?
Don't react without
knowing the facts.
Why shouldn't I react?
You can react, but not
like however you please.
Chetta, the person sitting inside
isn't normal like you or me.
You're aware of Dad's health
issues to some extent, right?
Can we tell how they will
treat such a person, Chetta?
[Same day? March 19-3-2021... Should
find out Chachu's missing... ]
[Believe what
Sumadathan said...]
[Retr... Re... ]
Pistol...
There is no point in
sitting mute like this.
I'll have to talk to his family.
Okay.
I will take care of it.
Sir.
Can't really call
it a treatment.
A kind of reminiscence therapy.
We must encourage the patient,
to talk or to think.
A casual conversation, like the
ones friends have, would be enough.
That will stimulate
their brain activity.
Socializing skills,
self-esteem, attention,
and confidence.
It can help boost everything.
Also, it's a way to know if
his condition is getting worse.
Has it been a long time
since you began this therapy?
It's been going
on for some time.
Once every two months, right?
Yes.
Does Appu Pillai know...
that your visits are actually
therapy sessions, Doctor?
No. I haven't told him.
If he finds out, we can't say how
far he'd be willing to cooperate.
Even I go there disguised
as an old friend,
obviously, with his
help and consent.
We act like we don't
know anything either.
I tried hinting it to
Dad a couple of times.
But every time, he got upset.
Then he starts to panic.
If he panics,
he may lose hold of reality.
For remembering things,
Dad has his own set of
habits and routines.
The longer he's held here,
the more those routines
are being broken, Sir.
This is a copy of Dad's certificate from
the Termination Medical Examination.
If the situation here
continues to drag on,
we will have to file
these papers in court.
This is enough to show that my dad's
not in any condition to deal with this.
If possible, we would prefer
to avoid such a scene.
Dad wouldn't want the world
to know about his condition
and the past events
from his army service.
Excuse me.
Ah!
Any progress?
This will come back and
screw us in a big way!
- Huh?
- Not just the Police,
Revenue, Forest - all
will have a hard time.
What happened?
Weren't you the Station
House Officer here
when Appu Pillai's gun
license verification was done?
Yes.
How long ago was that?
Around eight years ago.
Appu Pillai was
terminated from the Army
because he was
mentally unstable,
16 years ago!
We will be answerable for this!
The court will only ask
how we allowed someone mentally
unstable to pass the verification
and be granted a gun license!
Furthermore, since
we're trying to say
that the pistol found in the
monkey's hand belongs to him,
it is bonus-risk for us.
It's a public threat issue.
They will release
Dad right away.
Oh!
As per the medical
certificate we provided,
Dad was not eligible for a gun license
during the time of verification.
So, if his memory
problem gets revealed...
They all suck!
So, they've got more at stake
in hiding it than we do, right?
Yes.
Good God!
[School student missing]
Come, Dad.
Huh!
Who is it?
Who entered my room?
I'm asking you, who
entered my room?
- Take your hands off me!
- Dad...
Who entered my room?
Huh!
Who entered my room?
- Come, Dad.
- All of you, get out of my room!
You...
It's you. I know it!
Get out! Get out, I say!
You must call the carpenter.
I will call him.
You will forget.
Call him right away.
I will call him, Dad.
You should call him now itself!
My room isn't for random
people to rummage through.
Dad...
You lie down, Dad.
He relies the most on...
the notes he's written
and stored safely, right??
He must have panicked seeing
them scattered everywhere.
Would someone who writes
everything down to remember
really try to burn
all of it themselves?
Those might be things he
prefers not to remember.
Don't we sometimes delete
WhatsApp messages
that we don't like?
It's like an escape
from the actual reality.
Appu Pillai's condition
is a headache for others.
But for him,
it's a blessing.
What all does he remember...
What all has he forgotten...
He's the only one who knows!
Check out what's written here.
Do you remember what
Sumadathan mentioned today?
The question Dad asked
him repeatedly was,
How many times did Chachu
fire at the monkey?
That was just once.
Did you enter Dad's room today?
Err...
You started playing Sherlock Holmes
from the day you arrived here!
You too want to portray
my dad as a culprit.
For that, you keep coming up
with findings and theories.
If you haven't had enough, go ahead
and do a postmortem on him too!
I found this from Dad's room.
Identifying the gun in the monkey's
hands from the photo as his
could be viewed as him taking
advantage of the situation.
That way, the gun missing
case will have a conclusion.
But why should he deliberately hide
it and then lie that it's missing?
I haven't come here on
a vacation, Ajayetta.
I'm not really sure how
you feel about it either.
But I believe I belong here.
The people here and their
problems belong to me as well.
That includes Chachu too.
I've never seen
him. That's true.
If you ask me, I have no apparent
connection with him either.
But he's someone who should
have been here with you, right?
Though I've only been here a
short while, even I have felt...
that he should be here.
At least, we need to know
what happened to him.
Sorry.
When I saw Dad in such a
condition all of a sudden...
Your doubts...
What do you want me to ask him?
It's my father
we're talking about!
I'm not asking you to
view anyone as a villain.
But at least for some time,
think about it only
as Chachu's father.
In a way, Dad's current condition
is rather convenient for him, right?
He's the only one who knows what
he remembers or has forgotten.
He can pretend however
he likes, right?
He could claim not to know
things he actually does,
and act like he's forgotten
things he's hiding.
No one would ever find
out or ask him about it.
As written here,
Dad's pistol is
missing two bullets.
He must have started
this "gun missing" drama
to dodge questions about
where the bullets went.
He must be burning these papers
to cover something up, right?
I'm just asking if they hold the
answer to what happened to Chachu.
Enough!
Even Dad has got the
same questions as you.
He's also trying to figure
out what happened to Chachu.
But...
Without knowing where
to begin or whom to ask,
he keeps going to
Chachu's school,
and places where
Chachu had been to...
And...
to know...
if it's because of
something from his past,
he's been digging into that too.
[Boy wasn't found from
Coimbatore either]
What he's been asking and
trying to understand from others
is actually about himself.
Even he is suspecting himself.
Trying to figure out if
he made any mistakes,
if he's forgotten
those mistakes,
or if he's the reason behind
Chachu's disappearance.
He's been making all these notes
as part of his investigation.
And he's burning them,
to cover it up,
not from us,
but to make himself forget.
But...
once he forgets what he's done,
he starts the investigation
all over again.
Again and again...
Every single time...
As if he's doing it
for the first time...
Every time he comes here,
he asks the same questions,
and I give the same answers.
He listens to them like he's hearing them
for the first time, every single time.
Those might be things he
prefers not to remember,
like an escape from
the actual reality.
I'll whack you!
Grandpa...
So, would he have
solved it already?
When did Chachu
actually go missing?
You had told me that it was on the day
you took Praveena Chechi to the hospital.
It was Chachu's birthday.
That was on March 19th.
I'll be right back.
If I fill the form now, I can go
to the site directly tomorrow.
Leave the phone to charge.
But as per the news
and police records,
the complaint about
him going missing...
was filed a day later,
on the night of 20th.
Is there anything you
haven't told me yet?
Pravi...
Chachu...
Cha...
Chachu...
Chachu..
My son...
Chachu...
Chachu...
Chachu...
Chachu...
My son!
What...
What happened?
Huh?
He... He...
He...
was hiding it...
from me.
He didn't give it to me.
I was trying to grab
it back from him,
Ajayetta!!
He...
Don't act so stubborn.
Let go of it!
He was throwing tantrums...
He didn't give it to me.
- Give it to me.
- No, I want it!
I...
I unknowingly...
I...
I want my son!
I want my son back, Ajayetta!
Dad...
If this is about seeing a
doctor, don't start again.
I've made it clear
several times.
I'm perfectly alright.
I can take care of myself.
Pravi... Pravi...
Pravi...
Please wait outside.
What happened to her?
It's a painkiller
overdose, Doctor.
Taking one or two more tablets than
necessary is called an overdose,
not feasting on them like rice.
Ma'am...
I'm going to report this
to the police anyway.
It's clear that it's
a suicide attempt.
Doctor...
Doctor...
She did it by mistake.
Do you know what
medicine she took?
They are just
normal pain killers.
I need to see the prescription.
I have the prescription with me.
She is undergoing Chemotherapy.
At which hospital is she
undergoing Chemotherapy?
VMC Hospital.
Shouldn't you be handling
such patients more carefully?
Doctor...
You need to bring
Praveena's medical records,
including the
chemo certificates.
Hello, Ajayetta.
Yes, Prashobh.
Where's Pravi?
She isn't answering my calls.
- Hey...
- Hello?
Are you outside, Ajayetta?
Yes, I am.
I'm driving.
Oh, okay. It's alright then.
Just tell her that I called.
I'll call her tomorrow.
Okay, Chetta. Bye.
Okay.
I didn't see you at
all the entire day.
You should ask Maniyan to come.
The branch of the mango tree is
pressing against the roof tiles.
I just wanted to know if something
happened to him because of me.
You shouldn't lie about
things that can't be fixed.
The two of you went to the Medical
College Hospital on March 19th.
The details of the chemo session
are on record at the hospital.
My pistol is missing
two bullets now.
I found out from Sumadathan
how one of them went missing.
Second bullet?
I don't know whose hands it
happened by, between the two of you,
and I'm not going to ask either.
Even if it was an accident,
they will still
charge it as murder.
She doesn't have the strength
to endure another tragedy,
and I can't go on living,
seeing you as the culprit.
Truths that do no
good for anyone...
Let them be reduced
to ashes, like this.
I know...
my illness is beyond recovery.
But now, I feel
truly happy about it.
It's a kind of
freedom, isn't it?
The freedom to live only
in the reality we choose.
There's a question that has
haunted me since that night...
"Where is Chachu now?"
But I don't think I can
ever ask that to Dad.
Even if I ask him,
would he remember the answer?
I don't know.
In case he doesn't remember,
wouldn't it just serve
as a painful reminder?
As Dad said;
Truths that do no
good for anyone...
I've found myself with a few people who
are deeply concerned about each other.
It's not morality,
but concern that
keeps them together.
Today, I'm one of them too.
This journey is to Nagpur.
Both Ajayettan and I know...
it's not Chachu
we're going to see.
That's just how some things are.
We have to keep up the
act until the very end.