Original subtitles

Listen.

[Man] Don't make the same mistake again.

Don't leave until you've made sure whether he's dead or alive.

[Thud]

[Train approaching]

[Title music]

♪ Slithering with the night... ♪

♪ A shadow-serpent ♪

♪ The world... ♪

♪ An enigma ♪

♪ Upon the tongue ♪

♪ Trembling... ♪

♪ A fleeting moth ♪

♪ Startled ♪

♪ And unaware ♪

♪ Clawing the soul... ♪

♪ Like a ploughing ox ♪

♪ Like a straining, ploughing ox ♪

♪ Through hidden nerves... ♪

♪ We'll carve our way ♪

♪ Through unseen crevices... ♪

♪ Let me seep into your flesh ♪

♪ Into skies of madness ♪

♪ With newfound wings ♪

♪ Like a dinosaur... ♪

♪ We soar! ♪

♪ We manifest and shift... ♪

♪ Through all things Living and dead ♪

♪ We fall and perish... ♪

♪ In the deep trenches of a harsh destiny ♪

♪ Countless restless souls... ♪

♪ In borrowed flesh ♪

♪ Possessing... ♪

♪ Racing in wild anxiety ♪

♪ We'll roam this earth... ♪

♪ Forsaken! ♪

♪ Broken-tailed... ♪

♪ We wander! ♪

♪ Through unseen truths... ♪

♪ We'll crystallise at last ♪

♪ Into skies of madness ♪

♪ Wingless now ♪

♪ Like a dinosaur... ♪

♪ We'll vanish! ♪

"UNMADHAM" (Insanity)

[Man 1] Roll sound...

[Man 2]Sound rolling.

[Man 1] Start camera.

[Man 3] Camera rolling.

[Man 1] Action!

[Man 1] Camera tilt up.

Slowly.

Face entry.

[Footsteps]

Cut.

[Tea splashes]

[Indistinct chatter] - Move the van.

[Footsteps]

Move that land stand.

Kumar, please fix the light soon.

Bring the sand bag.

[On-set chatter]

[Tea splashes]

[Theme music]

[On-set chatter]

[Director] Take okay.

Sir, is this okay?

- How's this? - Which one?

[Indistinct on-set chatter]

It's a good story.

But it's not really what I'm looking for.

Also, it feels a little too influenced by English films.

That said... your writing, the characters,

their arcs and scenes are all really good.

- The shot is ready. - Alright, let's begin.

Sir, you're in the police, right?

If you have a good police story...

- we can discuss it then. - Alright.

What happened?

Let's go.

[Indistinct on-set chatter]

[Energetic music]

[Motorbike starts]

- Go turn on the tap. - Okay.

You go with him too.

[Baby crying]

Don't cry...

It's okay, don't cry...

[Water splashing from a pipe] [Children laughing]

You!

You still don't know how to use that?

Mom, it sprayed all over me!

Yeah, right! Get inside.

Soumya, the tank's empty. Can I turn on the pump?

Rimi, you've been sitting here all day.

It's not like you've got a job.

I just got back from work. You can do it after I'm done.

You're the only one who goes to work.

Someone else was home all day without working.

- Get inside! - Come on, run!

[Running footsteps]

- Dad! - Yes.

A snake got into our school today.

- Dad, today my friend... - Let me say it.

- No, let me... - I wanna say it!

- No, I wanna say it! - Why's your uniform wet?

Don't drip water everywhere. Go change.

Do I have to tell you too?

Go on, act smart.

You'll need me later.

Go on. Do it.

[Kid cooing]

How did the meeting go?

He liked my writing...

the characters too.

But not the story.

He asked me to write another one.

He couldn't say your story was bad, so he made an excuse.

Get it now, at least.

It's been over a year since you stopped going to work

and started chasing cinema without a paycheck.

[Door slams]

[Tense music]

[Soumya] Everyone struggles before making it in films.

My father married me off to a police officer...

not someone from the film industry.

You do your films.

Just let me go my way.

I'll raise my kids somehow.

I've suffered long enough.

My dear Soumya.

At least be kind, like your name.

- The whole block will hear. - Rimi.

[Chatter] I've got other work to do.

Are there any more clothes?

[Rimi] No that's it. [Soumya crying in pain]

I'll hang them out.

Oh, no need. I'll also come.

Let them hear.

I can't face anyone in these quarters anymore.

People already blame me for your foolishness.

If you keep chasing films, I'll kill the kids and kill myself.

Only then will you learn your lesson.

- Give it here! - No, it's mine!

Stop yelling!

If I come there, both of you are in trouble.

[Kids] Go change your uniform. Or she'll never stop nagging.

- Go on. Get changed. [Rimi] -Soumya is on fire.

[Sumesh] Shelly is too nice.

[Dishes clattering]

I have to go to work and do all the housework too.

Don't know what I did to end up with you.

[Sumesh] Rimi, any more clothes?

[Sumesh humming]

[Loudly] Learn from Sumesh sir.

- Huh? - He goes to work...

and still washes Rimi's undergarments when he gets home.

[Clears throat]

[Sumesh] That wasn't politically correct, was it?

Please stop shouting.

I'll stop everything.

I'll rejoin tomorrow.

[Tense music]

[Fridge opens]

[Music continues]

[Gas burner ignites]

If you'd tried acting instead of writing...

you'd have won an Oscar by now.

[Laughing]

[Gentle music]

I'm not asking you to stop writing.

Can't you keep your job and write?

Everyone downstairs is watching.

Are they?

Why are you all standing there?

Is there a problem?

Come on, let's go.

[Laughing]

[Sumesh] Make sure you exercise in the morning.

[Woman] Then you do the housework, sir.

- Were you on night duty, sir? - Aren't you going to office?

[Soumya] Get your bag, let's go.

- Dad... - Ready?

- Bye. - Okay, bye.

If you're coming with me, get ready fast.

I have to report at the unit by eight.

My bike is in the workshop.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered you.

It's not that.

I'm not used to being yelled at like you are.

I have to get to work on time.

[Warm music]

[Motorbike engine]

[Children chattering indistinctly]

That temple was in ruins.

Menon restored it to its former glory.

His smile shines just as bright.

- Got any money on you? - Huh?

If I find out you used it to buy cigarettes...

Alright.

We need more officers this time or it'll be a mess.

So many problems.

Everybody, come out.

Look who decided to show up.

Aha!

What's up?

Heard Mammootty and Mohanlal quit acting

because you didn't cast them in your film.

What a filmmaker!

Why don't you take five years' leave?

At least we can replace you.

He goes on medical leave and we've got twice the work.

Take Sir's bag inside.

He must've forgotten the station limits.

Get in. Let's go for a ride.

Come on.

Shelly sir?

Don't forget what I told you.

About what?

About getting my daughter into films.

She'll get paid more for stage shows too.

That's why I asked him, sir.

He's written quite a few scripts.

He'll surely get her a role.

[Laughing]

Listen, brother...

It's true I chased films for a while.

I really wanted it. I tried hard but it didn't work.

I've given it all up.

I can't do it anymore.

For God's sake, don't come to me with this again.

[Pensive music]

[Protesters chanting]

Down with the land-grabbing government!

Resign! Step down!

We protest! We protest!

[Energetic music]

[Jeep engine]

[Police radio chatter]

Do you know...

Back in college,

I won Best Actor at university.

I tried films too. Didn't work out.

There's one thing I envy about you.

At least you're still chasing your dream.

[Police radio chatter continues]

Sir.

He loves doing all this.

It's just to show off in front of you. sir.

[Tense music]

Hello.

Where are you?

[Call disconnects]

Look, I'm at the unit itself.

Happy now?

I was just by the roadside.

Thought I'd call you.

I understood.

Which affair did you bust today?

Why'd you let them off, sir?

What do we gain by breaking up two families?

Get in.

Shelly, we've got a complaint.

Neighbour dispute. Go check it out.

- Okay, sir. - Let's go.

[Jeep drives away]

[Motorbike engine]

Dakshayiniamma?

I'm Dakshayiniamma, sir.

- There was a complaint? - Yes, I gave the complaint.

It's just me and my marriageable-age daughters here.

My husband passed away years ago.

The old man in that house,

comes up to this fence...

pees here and lifts his clothes.

My eyes can't take it anymore.

How are my kids and I supposed to sit here?

Sir, please go and check.

Who else is there?

He's got kids.

But they are all away.

With behaviour like that, no wonder.

- I'll go take a look. - Yes please do.

- Sir... - Hm?

Remove that metal sheet. You can get through there.

- That way? - There's a path through the trees.

You can cross.

[Metal sheet scraping]

[Mysterious music]

[Footsteps]

[Doorbell rings]

Press it, sir. He's inside.

He's definitely inside.

[Doorbell rings]

[Door opens]

Why are you going near that fence to pee?

Only women live there.

Sir, do I look capable of that?

[Laboured breathing, coughing]

They keep stealing coconuts from my yard.

So I filed a complaint against them.

This is payback for that.

[Gasping for air]

Oh, no...

Brother... What happened?

Somebody help!

Brother...

Hey, Sister...

Brother...

Sister!

- Brother, open your eyes. - Oh, dear...

Oh, no... He killed him!

[Mysterious music]

[Man] Just because he had no one,

you think you can do anything?

Don't think we'll let this go.

Sir, don't argue.

He died because that policeman tortured him.

The inquest is done. There are no injuries on his body.

You all saw that yourselves.

Mental torture can cause a heart attack.

You must investigate.

Calm down. Wait for the postmortem report.

Then we'll see.

[News reporter] A massive protest is underway.

The senior officers are trying to prevent a clash.

What really happened, sister?

We thought he was a community police officer

and that he'd be polite.

The way he questioned him...

would've scared even a healthy man to death.

And that poor man, what can I say...

Soumya...

Mm?

[Fan whirring]

Don't get angry.

I need to tell you something.

If it's about films, don't.

I will get angry.

I might get suspended tomorrow.

What happened?

[Sighs]

I went to check a complaint.

An old man saw me, collapsed and died.

But why suspend you?

You didn't do anything wrong.

They're calling it police harassment.

The locals have formed an action council.

Didn't you say only policemen

who work get suspended?

[Gentle music]

Anyway, it's only six months.

You can write another story.

[Phone ringing]

Who's it?

It's CI Sir.

Yes, sir?

Sir.

Sir.

Thank you, sir.

Sir.

The postmortem report came.

The cause of death was kidney failure.

So I'm cleared.

But I got a punishment transfer.

The SP did it to pacify the action council.

Anyway, that's good.

At least I won't have to hear “scriptwriter” thrown at me anymore.

[Laughing]

[Sighs]

Since we're awake anyway,

shall we go to the other room?

[Warm music]

Yes.

Which station did you get transferred to?

Kongad.

That's where your Joshy sir is, right?

Yes.

Listen... if you team up with him

take out a loan and make a short film...

I swear I'll kill you.

Oh, please don't ruin the mood.

[Upbeat music]

[Traffic noise]

[Indistinct chatter]

[Motorbike stops]

Why weren't you answering your phone?

[Laughing]

I was riding my bike.

Come.

Hold this for a second.

Are your father's funeral rites over?

No.

Who takes signed cheque leaves

from a friend before lending money?

Tell Sir the truth. Don't act smart.

Sir, they handed them over themselves, saying it was only for security.

Let me see.

Sir, the cheque, it's in the lady's name.

Satheesh and his family have been missing for a week.

I know all about the stunt you pulled at their house with those goons.

If anything has happened to Satheesh or his family...

you'll pay for it.

- You may leave. - Move. Walk.

[Police radio transmission]

Sir, I've come to join duty.

- What's with the beard? - Shaving rest, sir.

Sir, we're from the same batch.

Shelly has written screenplays too.

That road safety short film I acted in,

Shelly directed it.

[Police radio transmission]

I don't want cinema people in this station.

I need policemen who do their job.

We're already short-staffed here.

Don't come asking for leave to work in films and all that.

- Give this to the writer. - Sir...

[Indistinct chatter] [Footsteps]

For God's sake, stop advertising my miserable film career.

Come on, man...

I only said it so he'd respect you.

Yeah, I got plenty of respect.

Give me that.

Sir...

Why a punishment transfer?

A man saw me and dropped dead, sir.

By seeing you? Really?

Which batch are you from?

2005 Palakkad batch.

And you didn't write the HC test?

No, sir.

If you want to survive in this station, you'd better take the next test.

None of your tricks will work here.

We're so short-staffed, we can't even do the GD entries.

Go get the bio-data register from that cupboard.

[Cupboard opens]

[Pages turning]

Sir, this one?

[Traffic noise outside]

Didn't I ask for that damn book?

Then why the hell did you touch that one?!

Just to drive me crazy?

Are you an idiot?

Can't you recognize a book?

We'd only just found some peace.

Do you know what happened to everyone who touched that file?

We got rid of its curse only after countless rituals.

Do you have any idea what's going to happen now

- because of your stupidity? - Sir,

there's been a terrible accident outside.

Looks like the victim is dead. My shift is already over.

You caused this mess. Now deal with it.

Go!

[Tense music]

What are you waiting for?

[Mysterious music builds]

[Indistinct chatter]

Stop crowding around here!

Happy now?

What a pain!

What are you staring at? Lift him!

He touched that file, and now he's frozen.

[Tense music]

[Ambulance siren]

[Crying in pain]

Why did you touch that file?

What did I even do?

How was I supposed to know what was inside it?

Ever since I touched it, everyone's been yelling at me.

Six years ago, a girl was found dead on the railway tracks.

Since the investigation found no signs of murder,

the case was closed under Section 174.

Ever since then, anyone who touches that file lands in trouble.

Either policemen get suspended,

or a wave of unnatural deaths follows,

and if not that...

some cop's uniform in the station ends up stained with blood.

[Vomiting]

[Ominous music]

[Laboured breathing]

[Music stops]

Rajesh, I'm leaving.

Okay, sir

[Water dripping]

Hey, Writer Anil sir is looking for you.

What is it, sir?

Another 174 case has come in.

A four-day-old corpse.

Shelly, there's body-watch duty.

Take the Home Guard and relieve the GD there.

Someone will relieve you by morning.

Sir, I joined only today. I didn't even bring spare clothes.

You're the reason for all this. Now go stand there.

[Ominous music]

[Footsteps approaching]

[Door bursts open]

Hold tightly.

Tie him up! [Scuffling]

[Struggling]

Sir...

The relatives and locals have all left.

The smell here is unbearable.

Shall we sit over there instead? Come.

[Shelly gasps]

[Ominous music]

Sir...

What's that sound?

The kind of duty we get in the middle of the night!

Sir...

There's a loud noise inside.

Probably a toddy cat, sir.

Really?

Sir...

The smell is unbearable.

We've run out of incense sticks.

There are some by the porch.

What? You want me to go to the porch?

[Yawns]

Sir, don't go alone, sir.

Where did you serve in the army?

Mostly Kashmir.

You're scared of a dead body,

yet you guarded the border?

Sir, ghosts and spirits aren't like human beings.

Oh, come on! Ghosts, my foot!

If there's nothing to fear,

why are the policemen at the station so terrified of that file?

There was a DYSP who talked just like you.

Do you know what happened to him, sir?

[Police drill commands]

How many LP warrants are pending?

Nineteen, sir.

Does anyone have any duty-related grievances?

The entire force feels

we should conduct a puja at the station.

A puja? At the station?

Sir, there's an old 174 case file here from three years ago.

Whenever anyone touches it,

something unfortunate happens at the station.

What do you think will happen?

Sir, officers get suspended.

And that's not all. The station gets flooded with 174 cases.

At the very least, someone's uniform ends up stained with blood.

Aren't you ashamed?

Dragging superstition into the 21st century?

People like you don't deserve to wear that uniform.

This isn't just my experience, sir.

You can ask anyone here.

Bring me that file.

Sir, I don't think that's a good idea.

Just bring me the file.

[Ominous music]

Go.

I can't touch that file today, sir.

Daksha...

Go get that file.

[Tense music]

Sir...

[Crowd chanting anti-police slogans] Long Live IFPA! Long Live IFPA!

Beware! Beware! Beware!

[Foreboding music]

That's the opening scene.

The opening scene is okay.

But where does the story go from there?

A policeman who dreams of becoming a screenwriter

starts investigating this file

and tries to turn it into a story.

That's interesting.

Here's what you do.

Prepare a one-line synopsis.

We'll build it from there.

- Okay. - Okay. Thank you.

[Warm music]

♪ Far... far beyond... ♪

♪ Could it be the fabled golden deer? ♪

♪ Through forests no one dared to roam ♪

♪ Along forbidden roads untrod ♪

♪ Yet when I finally draw near ♪

♪ Is she a helpless orphan... Or a formless apparition? ♪

♪ Yet when I finally draw near ♪

♪ Is she a helpless orphan... Or a formless apparition? ♪

♪ A tale no soul has ever spoken ♪

♪ A legend no realm has ever known ♪

♪ A whisper no ear has ever heard ♪

♪ A phantom veiled in the folds of night ♪

♪ Who knows where its roots begin Or where its ending lies? ♪

♪ Is it nothing more than a tangled riddle? ♪

♪ Far... far beyond... ♪

♪ Could it be the fabled golden deer? ♪

♪ Through forests no one dared to roam ♪

♪ Along forbidden roads untrod ♪

The cook is waiting outside for the payment.

Tell him we'll pay tomorrow.

You go tell him yourself.

The cook doesn't know if the society bought our paddy or not.

After all, no one else helps with the expenses.

♪ The season of storms Draws its veil across every eye ♪

♪ Smoke shrouds the earth As fate quietly casts its nets ♪

♪ Somewhere, Serpents keep their timeless watch ♪

♪ Is everything before us Merely an illusion of the eye? ♪

♪ Yet when I finally draw near ♪

♪ Is she a helpless orphan... Or a formless apparition? ♪

♪ A tale no soul has ever spoken ♪

♪ A legend no realm has ever known ♪

♪ A whisper no ear has ever heard ♪

♪ A phantom veiled in the folds of night ♪

♪ Who knows where its roots begin Or where its ending lies? ♪

♪ Is it nothing more than a tangled riddle? ♪

♪ Far... far beyond... ♪

♪ Could it be the fabled golden deer? ♪

♪ Through forests no one dared to roam ♪

♪ Along forbidden roads untrod ♪

Spin the swing!

Enough?

No, not enough. Spin it faster!

Hey, you're in the inquest photos.

Isn't this the suicide case you were guarding the other day?

It wasn't a suicide.

Three or four people killed him over a property dispute

and staged it as a hanging.

Come on! The post-mortem report says he had cancer.

He even left a suicide note saying that's why he ended his life.

No wonder none of the directors accept your stories.

You keep writing stories with no logic at all.

Come on, let's go.

Sir isn't here. He's stepped out.

Hey...

I met Ratheesh Kumar

and told him about our station's 174 case file.

Hey...

Let me finish!

He liked the story.

He asked me to come back with a one-line as soon as possible.

Hey, that's a cursed case. Don't get involved with it.

Everyone who went after that file ended up paying the price.

- Isn't that just superstition? - Oh, really?

First, we need to get our hands on that file.

As if that'll ever happen.

Writer Anil locks it up

and hides the key before he leaves.

If he finds out we touched that file,

we're finished in this station.

- Hey, I-- - Shelly sir,

two people are here to see you.

Sir, we'll have only three months.

[Director] So let's begin pre-production within a month.

[Producer] That's fine. Sort everything out before I leave.

Will do, sir.

This is Isaac sir, the producer.

- Hello. - Hello.

We've got good news.

Sir loved your story.

He wants the shooting to begin within four months.

Sir has Soubin Shahir's dates.

I narrated our story to him,

and he loved it too.

Sir is flying back to Canada today.

I may live in Canada, but I'm a Kochi man at heart.

So before I leave, I thought I'd hand over the advance.

Shall we?

Face east.

It's more auspicious.

Here.

- Shelly... - Sir.

Come here for a moment.

All the best.

[Police radio chatter]

I'll call you.

What did you say happens when someone touches that file?

Count the zeroes.

One lakh?!

Hey...

Sir.

Make a GD entry for this. Mini still isn't here.

Okay, sir.

[Ominous music]

[Music intensifies]

[Indistinct chatter]

[Coughing]

[Music swells]

Sir, your tea.

[Music continues]

[Startling sting]

[Lizard chirping]

[Foreboding music]

[Water dripping]

[Footsteps]

- Sir, can I get you another cup of tea? - No.

I'll take care of the rest, sir.

[Motorbike approaching]

[Chopping vegetables]

[Playful music]

Don't you have anything to study?

Put that phone away.

I'm teaching you today.

Soumya, I bought some fruits.

What's that?

Gone, gone!

- Be quiet! - Not gone!

- Give me that phone. - Dad!

Go study.

Bring your books.

What a mess you've made!

Do you know how hard your mother works

to keep this place clean?

Go sit at the table.

[Playful music]

Sit and study. I'll be right back.

K for key. [Grating coconut]

K for king.

K for kite.

K for kitten.

H for hat.

- H for hen. - Sit and study.

H for house.

H for heart.

Soumya.

Got any more clothes to wash?

[Playful music]

I for igloo.

I for ink.

J...

T for table.

T for tiger.

T for tree.

T for train. T for turtle.

So dusty.

Dad, I need to go potty.

Go.

Don't flush till I come see it.

[Playful music]

[Reciting continues]

[Chair scraping]

Our kids are such tricksters, aren't they?

Not as bad as you.

If you've got something to say, say it.

Drop the act.

Teaching the kids, cleaning up...

Hey...

The director liked one of my stories.

He wants me to write it.

[Indistinct chatter outside]

Is this where you burn your trash?

[Rimi] Where else should we burn it?

If the smoke bothers you, just shut the window.

[Dishes clattering]

If you take leave for films again,

I'm leaving with the kids.

Argh!

What's this, Soumya?

You splashed dirty water all over me!

Where else should I throw it?

If it splashes on you, just step aside.

[Rimi] Soumya, don't be so cheap.

I'm coming up there!

Why are you just standing there? Say something!

I'm sick of living in these quarters.

Every time I try to get us out, you hold me back.

These struggles will never end.

Our life is about to change.

I wasn't lying.

Look at this.

My advance cheque.

[Upbeat music]

Now don't go spending it.

If we have to repay this too,

we've got nothing left to mortgage.

I'll keep it.

I called you so many times. Why didn't you answer?

[Playful music]

[Traffic noise]

What's the duty today?

To the DPO.

Need to collect some supplies for the station store.

This could be useful to you too.

How?

Rajeev is there, a guy I trained at the DCRB.

He promised to get us a copy of the 174 case file.

- How's that? - Seriously?

If this works out,

you'll land yourself a killer role in my movie.

- Promise? - Yes.

[Officer] We're dealing with the biggest land scam Kerala has ever seen.

Similar cases have been reported in several other districts as well.

At present, six such cases have been reported in Palakkad district.

A detailed investigation is underway.

[Reporter] Where are the complainants from, sir?

[Officer] The first complaint came from farmers in Chettur village.

Since receiving the complaint six months ago,

a special police team has been...

Why isn't he answering his phone?

What if he is unable to get us the file?

Then he could've said so earlier.

Should we go check on him?

Open the door.

Watch the head. Careful.

That's Rajeev.

Get in.

Move in.

- Let's move. - Sir!

What happened?

He fell down the staircase. He's got a head injury.

Get going.

Listen...

You got the cheque, that's true.

But I think the writer was right after all.

You're better off staying away from this file.

[Music intensifies]

[Phone video] In the film, 'Manichitrathazhu',

where you were the second unit director,

Sunny, played by Mohanlal,

is portrayed as a world-renowned psychiatrist,

a leading expert in his field.

But in the same film,

Ganga's mental illness is treated and cured

not through scientific methods,

but through black magic, pujas,

chants and tantric rituals.

Why did you choose that approach?

If we'd used psychiatric techniques

and portrayed mental health realistically,

it would've been very difficult

for the average audience to understand.

[Sibi Malayil] In their minds, the spirit had to get justice.

So our focus was on creating a visual experience for the viewers.

So, visually...

- Let's go? - Yes.

The invocation of the spirit,

the colourful, mystical setting, the chants...

It was about bringing the spirit out and...

Listen, Delta One's on night duty.

Don't lose your job watching that all night.

No, sir.

Here you go, sir.

[Rain pattering]

[Jeep engine]

[Loud thunder]

[Police radio] Begin your night patrols.

Carry out your duties diligently. Over.

[Heavy rain]

13... 13 Control.

13... 13 Control... 13.

Kongad PS Control.

13... 13 Control.

13 answering. Over.

Kerala Legislative Assembly query.

Send Sierra details of every land fraud case

reported under your station limits

since this government came to power.

Over.

Message received, sir.

Will check and revert. Over.

[Thunder crashes]

Sir, there's a KLA enquiry.

They need the details right away.

That file is in the cupboard.

The key is under my cushion.

Okay, sir.

[Thunder crashes]

Attention all night patrol units.

Check all financial institutions, places of worship and ATM kiosks.

Also check all locked houses.

Be thorough.

Check all suspicious vehicles.

Challenge any strangers.

All officers must sign the Station Diary.

Over.

Sierra 13 calling. Over.

Sierra answering.

Sir, regarding the KLA enquiry, two cases were reported.

Roger. All clear.

[Thunder crashes]

[Heroic music]

[Loud thunder]

[Rain falling]

[Lighter clicks]

[Foreboding music]

[Music intensifies]

[Ominous music]

[Police radio] 13 Mobile. 13 Mobile Control.

P13 Mobile One answering.

The loco pilot has reported a run-over at Adichira.

The location is railway marker 29/14. Over.

Message is clear, sir.

Over.

Sir, there's been a run-over.

[Jeep drives away]

What happened, sir?

Tonight's Panchami.

[Ominous music]

They say if someone dies on Panchami, five more deaths will follow.

How many more untimely deaths will we have to see?

And there have been all these bad omens.

Sir, this is marker 29/14.

[Music intensifies]

[Train passing]

[Tense music]

Control P13 Mobile One calling.

Control answering.

Sir, the girl found on the railway track is still alive.

She's bleeding badly.

We're taking her to the hospital. Over.

Message is clear. Over.

Come on, hurry!

Okay, sir.

[Jeep pulls up]

Take that bag.

Did you check for a phone?

Sir, I only found this card.

It has a phone number.

Sir, what happened?

She was hit by a train.

We need to stabilise her first

and shift her for a CT scan.

Sir, any relatives?

We haven't identified her yet.

Sister, start Lorazepam 4 mg IV.

[Ominous music]

[Music intensifies]

Hello?

Is this Karthika's house?

Yes, this is Karthika speaking.

Hello?

Hello?

[Music continues]

[Jeep pulls up]

[Police radio chatter]

Sir, why is there no power?

Lightning took the power out, sir.

Sir, he's the Ponnani IP.

- Sir. - Where's GD?

He's out on night patrol, sir. Staff shortage.

We brought someone in for questioning. Bring him.

Why are you pulling away?

Go on!

- Walk! - Stand over there.

Sir! I don't know anything.

I know you know.

- Sir, I don't know. - You'll talk.

[Blows landing]

Tell us where he is. Save yourself the trouble.

This is a POCSO case.

You won't be seeing daylight again.

I told you... I don't know, sir.

Let's see how long you hold out.

[Hit] [Crying]

[Screaming]

Hey, you.

Bring him here. I'll make him talk.

- What, huh? - I don't know, sir.

Come on...

She's just a schoolgirl and you...

[Tense music]

His last call was to your number.

Both his phone and hers

last switched off on the same tower location.

You better tell the truth.

- Drop the act. - I don't know, sir.

[Crying]

Sir...

- Come on, say it. - I will tell, sir...

I'll tell you, sir...

I'll tell you...

They're in Nenmara...

At Star Lodge...

Keep an eye on him.

We'll go get the other one.

[Suspect breathing heavily, coughing]

[Metal grille shuts]

[Police jeep drives away]

Sir...

I need to use the toilet.

Do you want to go to the hospital?

Get up.

[Foreboding music]

[Music intensifies]

[Fire crackling]

[Music fills the air]

[Machines whirring]

Hello.

[Shelly] Can you take a day off today?

I need to talk to you about something.

No, I can't take the day off today. A truck is coming.

I have to load and dispatch 2,000 boxes.

What is it about?

Well...

I really need to see you.

[Ominous music]

[Knocking on the metal grille]

Stop stomping around and open that door!

[Metal grille opens]

Are you sleeping with the station locked up?

Sir, I had just gone to the toilet.

What's this blood?

Sir, it got stained when I took the man in the cell to the bathroom.

Give that to me.

What's the case?

Has he been medically examined?

Sir, a squad from Ponnani brought him here.

Did you enter it in the sentry register?

Did anyone inform the SHO or GD that he's here?

[Tense music]

Did you inform them?

No, sir.

Are you a fool, or are you pretending to be one?

Do you know how many people could lose their jobs

if something happens to him?

Bloody useless!

You're not fit for this job.

[Music stops]

You have no sense of responsibility, right, Shelley?

How long have I been working like a dog?

You and your damn cinema!

The only reason I'm still chasing cinema

is to somehow get you and the kids out from this hell.

I don't have any other way out.

I went back to this job only for you.

I didn't get suspended on purpose.

[Pensive music]

What if something had happened to that boy?

What would've become of us?

If it were up to me, I'd have dismissed you.

The producer has rented a flat in Kochi.

He wants me to stay there.

[Motorbike starts]

[Energetic music]

Can't you write from the quarters?

Isn't that enough?

[Soumya knocks] Come out already. I'm getting late.

There you are.

I've kept food for you and for the kids this evening.

Pick both of them up when the school bus arrives.

And give them food before sending them to tuition.

Don't forget while you're busy smoking and daydreaming.

- Don't you need the key? - Oh no!

Soumya, I moved your scooter because I'm washing the car.

[Baby crying]

Shelley sir is under suspension, right?

Well, unlike Sumesh sir,

his job isn't carrying the SP's briefcase around.

He works in a local station.

Besides, aren't you the ones who always say

suspension is part of a policeman's life, sir?

That was so unnecessary!

[Scooter engine]

[Mysterious music]

Hello.

Hey, I found the address of Narayanan Sharma,

who investigated the 174 case.

That's great.

I've been digging through old newspapers.

- Didn't find a thing. - I'll WhatsApp you the address.

- Take a look. - Okay.

[Car engine]

[Truck horn blares] [Car brakes screech]

[Ominous music]

Name and birth star?

Shelley. I'm a policeman.

Birth star?

Sir, I didn't come here for an astrology reading.

Back when you were at Kongad Station, didn't you investigate

the case of a woman found dead on the railway tracks?

I came to learn more about that case.

That station is still plagued by trouble, isn't it?

Yes, sir.

The soul of the deceased hasn't found peace.

The death happened under the Pooruruttathi star.

And on a Panchami day.

Ordinary funeral rites won't be enough.

Special rituals are required.

[Lizard chirping]

See, it's true.

Do you believe all this?

Sir, what made you so sure it was murder?

[Train passing]

[Ominous music]

Listen, I was the one who carried that girl.

The only injury she had was a wound on her head,

as though someone had struck her with an iron rod.

If she had jumped from a moving train,

shouldn't her body be covered in abrasions?

There were no other injuries.

Someone deliberately struck her on the head with an iron rod

and dumped her on the tracks.

She must've still had a faint bit of consciousness left,

so she rolled aside before the train hit her.

[Mysterious music]

Sir, you once said the deceased herself

answered your call that day.

[Music continues]

Hey, my dad is calling you inside.

[Cupboard slams shut]

The girls were twins.

Karthika and Keerthana.

They worked at the same place.

It was Keerthana who died.

That day, she'd accidentally taken her sister's ID card.

That's why I ended up calling Karthika.

[Mysterious music]

Since the deceased girl's phone was missing,

I pulled its cell tower records.

Comparing them with her previous locations,

I found she usually boarded trains

from a station near Coimbatore.

But that day, she never boarded a train.

Instead,

she boarded a bus somewhere between Coimbatore and Walayar.

[Stinger]

Her phone was switched off

at the Palakkad bus stand.

When I checked the CCTV footage from the bus stand,

I became suspicious

and began investigating what happened there that night.

Yes, sir. I took that girl from here to the station.

What happened, sir?

Didn't you hear she was found dead on the railway tracks?

No, sir.

Wasn't it you who dumped her on the tracks?

No, sir. I didn't.

The last place her phone was switched off was right here.

And the phone is missing.

Tell me the truth.

You were the last person seen with her.

Sir, there's a wretched woman named Swapna.

I saw her bump into that girl yesterday.

She must be the one who stole the phone.

Where can I find her?

I don't know where she lives, sir.

But she'll be there by 8:00 or 8:30 p.m.

[Mysterious music]

[Bus engine]

[Tense music]

- Get in. - How many of you are in the car?!

- Sit still. - Let go of my hand!

- Hey! Let go! - Don't move. Sit still!

Let go of my hand! Let go of me!

Didn't I tell you to not move?

Stop the vehicle!

Sir, it was an accidental death.

No doubt about it.

The forensic and post-mortem reports confirm it.

Close the case immediately.

Sir...

[Police jeep pulls up]

- Let go of me! - Don't make a sound.

- Let go of my hand. I'll get down myself. - Don't create a scene in here.

Let go of my hand, you!

What's going on here?

Sir, last night I suspected

the girl's death might've been a murder.

So I brought her in for questioning.

Who told you it was murder?

Did I assign you that case?

No, right?

After reading a few detective novels,

you think you're Sherlock Holmes?

Even if it was murder,

you can't bring a woman to the station at night without a woman officer.

The government doesn't pay you

to solve cases with horoscopes and fortune-telling.

Send her away immediately.

Or you'll lose your job.

[Mysterious music]

So you never investigated after that?

Then the woman filed a complaint.

All four of us were suspended.

By the time I was reinstated, I'd already retired.

Who investigated it then?

CI Sathyajith closed the case.

Sir, I'm writing a story based on this file.

If I could get your case diary, it'd really help.

What's your birth star and age?

Vishakham.

I'm forty-one.

You're going through a bad phase.

Be careful pursuing this.

[Typing]

[Mysterious music]

[Phone ringing]

Hello.

[Tense music]

When?! Where?!

[Music intensifies]

- No, no, no! It's over! - I've got you!

- It's over. - It's over. It's over.

It's over. You're alright.

[Tense music]

[Door opens]

Where the hell have you been all this time?

I...

went to meet someone about the story.

You and your damn movie!

Didn't I tell you a hundred times

to bring the kids home on time?

Didn't I?!

Hey, lower your voice.

If anything had happened to my child...

People are listening!

Let everyone hear!

Instead of going to work,

- he runs around chasing cinema like a clown - Dear...

- I've kept this bottled up for years. - Dear...

Do you know how much debt he's piled up?

Dear... enough.

Aren't you the ones who saddled me with him?

Hey, this is a hospital. Don't create a scene.

Sir...

Dad...

I was watching her.

But she slipped away and ran off.

It's okay.

Go sit with Mom.

I'll be outside.

Go on.

Don't take what she said personally. Let it go.

How's the pain?

You'll be fine soon.

Dad...

Soumya, I've brought the car.

Soumya...

Please.

I'm falling apart.

I just want some peace of mind.

Please don't make this harder for me.

[Melancholic music]

Seeing the hanging body's feet touching the floor,

a police officer,

said aloud in front of the locals that it was murder.

Even after it was scientifically proven to be suicide...

people still believe it was murder.

And that the police buried the case.

What I want to tell you is this.

When you're at a crime scene

during an investigation,

don't say careless things in front of the public.

Class over.

Class rise.

Attention.

Sir, I'm Shelly.

Your producer had called me.

It's about the 174 case from Kongad station, right?

Yes, sir.

You could just pull the file and check.

Sir, no one dares touch that file.

They believe that if you touch it

the girl's spirit gets officers suspended,

stains their uniforms with blood

and brings more unnatural deaths.

Tell me...

which station is free of unnatural deaths,

suspensions,

or blood on uniforms?

If that were true, I should've been the first to suffer.

I investigated and closed that case.

Sir, I've a doubt.

If she fell from a moving train,

shouldn't there be

more injuries on her body?

But in this case,

there was only one wound,

as if struck by an iron rod.

[Ominous music]

The dead girl's house

was just a hundred metres from the scene.

The train had stopped there waiting for the signal

when she tried to get off.

Just as she reached the door,

the train suddenly started moving...

the door hit her and she fell.

[Body thuds to the ground]

She died after hitting her head

on the concrete block near the track.

The forensic evidence supported that.

Sir, I met Narayana Sharma,

the officer who first handled the case.

He said she had a fight

with a woman at the bus stand.

He says it may be connected to her death.

That woman was a local prostitute.

When they bumped into each other...

the girl's phone ended up with her.

She handed it over immediately to a policeman there.

Sir, she usually takes the train from Coimbatore after work.

But that day,

she came by bus to Palakkad stand.

Doesn't that seem unusual?

She went shopping after work,

got late and missed the train.

So she took a bus.

What's unusual about that?

The first questions you ask in a case are

who, when, where, how and why.

None of those raised any suspicion in this case.

It was that astrologer and his nonsense about spirits

that turned it into a mess.

[Tense music]

[Jeep drives away]

[Police Chief] The first questions you ask in a case are

who, when, where, how and why.

[Typing]

[Narayana Sharma] If she jumped off a train,

shouldn't her body be covered in abrasions?

But there were no other injuries.

Someone deliberately struck her on the head with an iron rod

and dumped her on the tracks.

[Police Chief] She died after hitting her head

on the concrete block near the track.

The forensic evidence supported that.

[Music continues]

Want one?

No.

[Fireworks crackle]

Those of us in the film industry...

our lives aren't what people think.

The funny thing is,

you'd think at least your family would understand.

But no.

Whatever people think of those in films...

our families think the same.

Once you get into cinema,

don't expect peace at home.

All we can do

is support them financially

whenever we can.

That's about all we can do.

If you carry all this inside...

you'll never make a film.

It's already been three weeks.

Don't take this the wrong way.

The producer's putting money into this because he trusts me.

Sir...

That's not the reason...

I'm just confused about one part of the story.

Then why don't we bring in someone experienced to write with you?

Sir, please give me a little more time.

Let me try once more.

Three days max.

After that, I don't want any excuses.

Or I'm out.

[Pensive music]

[Police Chief] She died after hitting her head on the concrete block near the track.

The forensic evidence supported that.

Three days max.

After that, I don't want any excuses.

[Indistinct chatter]

[Suspenseful music]

[Eerie music]

[Crying]

[Laboured breathing]

[Gasping]

[Mysterious music]

[Gasps in fear]

[Glass rattles loudly]

[Foreboding music]

[Phone ringing]

Dad, look, my wounds have healed.

Dad, where are you?

I...

...am in Ernakulam.

Dad, is your work over?

Is your work over, Dad?

Give me the phone!

- Let me talk. - I will ask.

Let go of the phone.

- Where's Mom? - She's here.

Soumya...

Soumya...

I can't live without you all.

Can I come back?

[Pensive music]

Come home.

[Water dripping from the tap]

What happened?

You didn't even finish your dinner.

You can deposit that cheque.

Did you finish the story?

No.

I don't think I can do it...

The director is very worried.

They're bringing in another writer...

to finish it.

I'll still get story credit.

It's okay.

At least you got your break in films.

So many people don't get even that.

I need to get back on duty soon.

I'll speak to Sumesh sir...

and meet the SP.

[Melancholic music]

You were right.

Maybe I'm just not good enough.

[Crying]

[Wind blowing]

[Phone ringing]

[Police radio] P13... P13 Control.

Kongad PS... Kongad PS Control.

Answering. Over.

Kongad PS answering. Over.

P13 Control.

Control P13 Mobile calling.

Control answering.

The girl found on the railway track is still alive.

She's bleeding badly.

We're taking her to the hospital. Over.

Message is clear. Over.

[Ominous music]

Control P13 Mobile calling.

Control answering.

Sir, the girl who was hit by the train was taken to the hospital.

But she passed away.

She's been identified.

Her name is Keerthana.

[Music intensifies]

[Eerie music]

[Crying loudly]

Shelly...

What's wrong?

Shelly!

What happened?

Go away...

Shelly... It's me...

Don't touch me!

Go!

[Objects clatter to the floor]

Go!

[Crying]

Shelly...

[Laboured breathing]

[Gasping]

- Mom... - Shelly...

Mom...

- Dad... - Mom!

Mom...

- It's nothing... - Mom...

- Mom... - Soumya.

[Knocking on the door]

[Rimi] Open the door, Soumya.

[Sumesh] Open up...

- What happened? - Mom...

I think he had a bad dream and got scared.

[Light switch clicks]

[Soumya distantly] Shelly...

[Ominous music]

Shelly...

[Closer] Shelly...

[Crying helplessly]

Hold out your hands.

[Mysterious music]

Some things that happen in real life

can leave us deeply stressed.

And the dissonance that comes from unanswered questions...

the mind struggles to accept it.

It won't settle until it finds a solution.

[Music continues]

When you drift away from the real world

and move through dreams,

the mind starts trying to make sense of it all.

This is a state bordering on delusion.

I'll go get the medicine.

Shelly...

- [Doctor] When he wakes from the dream, - Shelly...

the separation between what's real and unreal...

becomes hard to tell apart.

It can feel like the frightening moments from the dream

are happening in real life too.

If we don't control this now,

it could progress further.

I've taken two days off.

Shall we go somewhere with the kids?

[Ominous music]

[Doctor] Take the medicine regularly.

And the relaxation techniques I told you about...

Be sure to practise them regularly.

We can slowly overcome this condition.

[Door closes]

[Chair scrapes]

Here.

[Pensive music]

It's getting late. I'll go get the kids.

[Shelly screams] [Glass shatters]

What happened?

There was a lizard in it.

- Lizard? - Yeah...

There wasn't anything in it when I brought it.

[Ominous music]

Are you saying I imagined it?

That's not what I meant.

Isn't that what the doctor said too?

That's why he prescribed these medicines.

[Shouting angrily] Are you saying I'm crazy?

[Gasps in fear]

There was a lizard in it.

This isn't what the doctor was talking about.

Everyone at that station...

went through the same thing.

That dead girl's spirit...

is trying to tell me something through that lizard.

This won't change with medicine alone.

This isn't about the film.

I need to know what happened to that girl.

Only then will I have peace.

[Crying]

[Melancholic music]

[Heroic music]

[Train rumbles past]

[Metal clangs]

[Indistinct chatter]

I'll call you back, okay?

- What's it? - A girl named Keerthana...

she was found dead on the tracks around six years ago.

Her family lived here, right?

Which house was theirs?

That's the house, sir.

We bought that land from them.

They're in Coimbatore now.

Do you have their details?

[Energetic music]

[In Tamil] Sir, smoking isn't allowed here.

She had a boyfriend.

She'd gone to his birthday party that day.

She'd told us she'd be late.

So we assumed her phone was switched off.

♪ Do the shadowed forests deepen ♪

♪ Along these lonely woodland trails? ♪

♪ Where twisted trails of lies and countless borders meet ♪

♪ In the heart of the unknown ♪

♪ Are you still searching For the fabled golden deer ♪

♪ That wanders through the forests of dreams?♪

♪ As your gaze reaches into distant horizons ♪

♪ She slips away, that doe-eyed beauty! ♪

Bro, is this the girl?

Where is he?

♪ To weave the verses Of stories still untold ♪

Come on, let's go.

Sir...

♪ Like never before ♪

[In Tamil] He was a member of Kaali's gang.

People say he ran off with the gang leader's money.

Something must've happened to him, sir.

If he were alive, he'd have called me at least once.

♪ Where have your footsteps led? ♪

♪ Where does your spirit dwell? ♪

♪ When truth breaks through All emptiness falls away ♪

♪ White waves of light arise ♪

Where are you? Why aren't you answering your phone?

♪ Is this a dream in motion ♪

♪ Or a mysterious command decreed by nature? ♪

♪ To weave the verses ♪

♪ Of stories still untold ♪

♪ To lose yourself ♪ ♪ In an ecstasy ♪

♪ Like never before ♪

♪ Do the shadowed forests deepen ♪

♪ Along these lonely woodland trails? ♪

♪ Where twisted trails of lies and countless borders meet ♪

Hey, is your dad up?

- Is Dad up? - Dad?

Tomorrow morning at 11 sharp, I'll be at your office.

I want ten lakh rupees.

Otherwise, every piece of evidence I have

will go straight to the media and the court.

[Tense music]

Didn't I tell you?

That girl's spirit was trying to tell me something.

Not just her.

Three more people were murdered.

This isn't just a hunch.

Believe me now, at least.

Haven't you seen the news?

About the land mafia?

They're behind all this.

When I went to Coimbatore to investigate Keerthana's case,

the girl who died,

I found out she had a boyfriend there.

A guy named Mahesh.

When I started looking into him,

his friend told me that on the very day Keerthana was murdered,

Mahesh and his Malayali grandparents went missing.

He's from Palakkad, sir.

But he's lived here all his life, sir.

His grandparents were all he had.

No one knows where they went after he disappeared, sir.

Keerthana would leave work, travel from the textile shop to Coimbatore

and take the train home from there.

But according to Cyber Cell records,

on the day she died,

she and her boyfriend Mahesh went to a Formiq Group construction site.

[Upbeat music]

What happened?

Nothing.

My grandfather owns a small piece of land in Palakkad.

A new party wants to buy it.

Once that's done, Grandpa and I will come to your house

and ask for your hand.

[Romantic music]

They're calling me to sign some papers.

After that, I'll drop you at the station.

[Music continues]

That's where his phone was last switched off.

From there, she took a bus to Palakkad

and later an auto-rickshaw to Palakkad Railway Station.

That day, a few men followed her from Coimbatore

all the way to Palakkad Railway Station.

Later, Keerthana was found

injured near the railway tracks close to her house.

It all began with the three-and-a-half-acre plot in Meenakshipuram

that was in Mahesh's grandfather Padmanabhan Nair's name.

His family had no idea it even existed.

A builders' group that bought the adjoining land

discovered the property and its legal heirs

while processing land records at the village office.

This is the notice the Village Office sent

to inform the legal heirs about it.

[Ominous music]

The adjoining land had been bought by a builders' group.

When we surveyed it,

we found more land than what was listed in the deed.

To regularize the records,

they needed consent from the adjoining landowners.

This is the notice sent to the current heirs

informing them about it.

Did the heirs come here?

No, sir.

Right after sending the notice,

the company bought Padmanabhan Nair's 3.5 acres too

and completed the transfer.

Padmanabhan Nair had no idea about of his ancestral property.

Formiq, a builders' group, seized it using forged documents.

None of the money from the land deal ever reached his bank account.

Four or five days after he got the notice,

the entire family disappeared without a trace.

[Music intensifies]

Cyber Cell phone records showed

that Keerthana was at the same location

where Mahesh's and his grandfather's phones were last switched off.

At Formiq Builders' construction site.

When you connect all the dots,

what happened that day...

[Traffic noise]

[Loud metallic clang]

[Ominous music]

[Automated voice message]

[Unsettling sounds]

[Foreboding music]

[Gasping]

[Hits the ground hard]

[Thud]

[Gasps loudly]

[Music intensifies]

Hey, stop!

Hey...

[Crying]

[Jeep engine]

You two, follow her.

Hey...

- Palakkad. - Where?

Palakkad?

Take the vehicle to the bus stand.

[Ominous music]

Watch where you're going! Are you blind?

- Sorry. - Bloody brat!

To Town Railway Station

[Music intensifies]

Please, hurry!

Faster! Go faster!

[Running, gasping]

[Railway announcement]

[Train passing]

[Crying]

This is the ladies' compartment.

Go sit over there.

Wait till the train stops.

We'll grab her then.

Just wait.

[Train passing]

[Crying]

Drag her over here!

Put her there.

Sit there, you!

Sit.

[Scuffling]

[Hit lands]

[Foreboding music]

But this case was closed six years ago, right?

How are we going to prove it now?

Weren't you the one who said

everyone who looked into this ended up in trouble?

If we present evidence in court that this crime was committed,

the court itself will reopen the case.

Just wait and see.

By 11 tomorrow, the evidence will be in my hands.

[Mysterious music]

[Phone ringing]

- Tell me, Bobby. - John...

Take it up only if you can handle it properly.

Otherwise, I'll handle it myself.

Bobby, don't do anything rash.

Just find out what evidence he has.

That's all we need.

I'm looking into him as well.

Just remember one thing.

Even a suspended cop is still a cop.

[Ominous music]

What evidence do you have?

[Zipper opens]

The originals are safe with me.

If anything happens to me...

all of this will go public.

So, can I take this?

[Mysterious music]

[Zipper closes]

[Footsteps]

Over there... Come...

Sir... please listen to me.

Please cooperate.

I didn't come here to blackmail anyone.

Sir, I came here to collect evidence for a case.

Sir... Please listen to me.

Sir, please don't do this.

I've got evidence against them...

Sir, please listen to me...

Please don't do this, sir...

Sir... please just listen... Let me go.

I didn't do anything wrong.

I came here only to collect evidence...

[News] A suspended police officer has been arrested

by the Vigilance Department in a bribery case.

Shelly, a Civil Police Officer attached to Kongad Police Station,

was taken into custody by the Vigilance team.

These are visuals of Shelly being taken to the Palakkad Vigilance Office

for further questioning.

After being caught in the Vigilance trap,

Shelly was forcibly detained by the team.

Vigilance acted on confidential information that

Shelly had demanded a bribe from builders.

The trap was laid following a complaint

filed by Bobby Kurian, MD of Formiq Group.

[Ominous music]

The footage just shown before this Hon'ble Court

was recorded by my client using a pen camera.

The purpose of this sting operation was

to investigate Keerthana's death that occurred six years ago

and establish before this Court that

it was not an accident, but a murder.

My client sought money from the builders

only to gather evidence for that purpose.

Considering my client's bona fide intentions,

I humbly request that he be acquitted.

Objection, Your Honour.

The accused fabricated a murder case

to blackmail a company and extort money.

That was his sole intention.

In case he ever got caught,

this so-called sting operation was his escape plan.

The accused is no ordinary person.

The Court must bear in mind that he is a police officer

well-versed in the law and its loopholes.

What made you believe

Keerthana's death was a murder?

Three acres of land belonging to Padmanabhan Nair

were acquired by this company using forged documents.

When Padmanabhan Nair, his wife,

and their grandson Mahesh

started looking into the land scam,

the company had them killed.

Keerthana, who witnessed the crime, was also murdered.

They made her death look like an accident.

Your Honour,

if the Hon'ble Court examines these deeds,

it will be clear that his claims are purely speculative.

The company lawfully purchased the land

after paying the amount stated in these documents.

This is Padmanabhan Nair's bank passbook.

A review of these records will show

that none of the money in question was ever credited to Nair's account.

As Nair was facing bank attachment

after defaulting on a loan,

he received the money through

his grandson Mahesh's account

to prevent it from being seized.

[Mysterious music]

They've fabricated these documents.

If the Court orders an investigation by a central agency,

it will reveal the truth.

It wasn't just one murder.

Including Keerthana,

there were four victims.

Only when everyone responsible

is brought to justice

will that girl's soul find peace.

[Ominous music]

This Court believes the matter should be considered by the Magistrate Court.

So, we shall transfer it.

If this Hon'ble Court transfers the case

based on mere speculation,

the company will suffer huge losses

on its upcoming housing projects,

including crores in investments and its goodwill.

I humbly request

the Court for a little more time.

The company has filed a habeas corpus petition before the Coimbatore Court

to trace the missing Padmanabhan Nair and his family.

I request permission to question the accused.

Please proceed.

How did you investigate

and uncover these alleged murders?

Tell me.

It was Keerthana's soul, still seeking justice,

that led me to these murders.

Oh...

So it was the dead girl's spirit

that guided you?

[Laughs]

That's fascinating.

A former Chief Justice once claimed

he spoke to his late wife's spirit.

Is that so?

Do you doubt that?

No.

A dead girl's spirit

summoned by a tantric,

helped solve a case.

A former DGP said so.

- Oh, really? - Do you doubt that too?

Not at all.

The soul of a girl who was wrongfully killed

is seeking justice here.

The Court must order an investigation.

Okay, okay.

I humbly request permission

to examine one more witness.

Yes, proceed.

[Tense music]

Is he your patient, Doctor?

Yes.

Shelly has been my patient for the past four years.

What condition was he receiving treatment for?

Because of the many extramarital affair cases

he encountered in police work,

he began to suspect his wife was having one too.

That suspicion gradually became a delusion.

The death of his father,

the pressure of writing scripts

and dealing with their failures,

worsened his delusional disorder,

eventually leading to paranoid schizophrenia.

Your Honour...

Please believe me.

They're trying to portray me as mentally ill

so this case won't be reopened.

That's why they've paid this doctor to testify against me.

[Gasping]

What's more important? The company's goodwill

or the lives of four people?

[Tense music]

Those innocent people deserve justice.

Please...

Shelly.

What exactly is paranoid schizophrenia, Doctor?

Can you explain it in detail?

A person suffering from paranoid schizophrenia

may lose touch with reality and become trapped in their delusions.

They begin to live within that imagined reality.

They may also experience auditory hallucinations,

hearing voices that others cannot hear.

They may see things that do not exist

and feel as though those experiences are happening to them.

Their thoughts and actions eventually revolve around those delusions.

That's all, Your Honour.

It is unlawful for a person of unsound mental health

to continue in the police force.

Therefore, the Court directs the District Superintendent of Police

to have the accused medically examined and submit a report.

Thank you, Your Honour.

If you brand me as crazy...

the truth behind four murders will never come out.

- Shelly! - Stop it. This is a courtroom.

- Don't think you can call me crazy... - Shelly...

- and get away with this case! - Silence!

I don't care what the court says or if you lock me up...

The accused is remanded for 14 days for medical examination.

The case is adjourned to the next hearing.

Handcuff him.

- I won't let any of you get away with this. - Lock it.

- I'll make sure all of you go to jail. - Shelly

- Calm down, Shelly. - I have proof...

- Stay still. - I'm not crazy!

I'm not crazy...

Please believe me.

I'm not crazy...

- Shelly, stay still. - Let me go!

Don't fight back.

They can't brand me crazy

and make this case go away.

Shelly... listen to me.

I'll make sure every one of them goes to prison. Let me go.

Soumya...

Tell them I'm not crazy.

Please just tell... I'm not crazy.

Soumya...

Soumya...

Say I'm not crazy...

[Sobbing]

[Crying loudly]

Please don't do this to me.

I...

[Crying]

[Muttering indistinctly]

[Pensive music]

Don't worry, Soumya.

Go back to the quarters.

I'll call you if there's anything.

[Sobbing]

There may be some truth to what he's saying.

It makes no sense to bring in a High Court lawyer

for a simple bribery case.

[Mysterious music]

You can go.

[Mysterious music]

[Car engine]

[Suspenseful music]

[Car skids out of control]

[Music continues]

[Door flies open]

[Mysterious music]

[Suspenseful music]

Hey... Joshy...

Take these off. My hands hurt.

Just lie there, Shelly.

Let the doctor see you tomorrow.

You brought this on yourself.

Do you think I'm crazy too?

Then why did you do that in court?

If everyone was trying to paint you as crazy,

what would you have done in my place?

[Gasps]

They trapped me to stop the case from being reopened.

Just give me a little more time.

I have all the evidence.

Or they'll brand me as crazy,

and I'll lose my job.

I know where those three are buried.

Shelly...

I know this will get you into trouble.

My life is in your hands.

You're the only one who can help me.

[Mysterious music]

It's only a Vigilance case.

At worst, I'll be suspended for six months.

I can live with that.

[Metal clangs]

[Mysterious music]

[Metal strikes]

[Body falls]

[Train passing]

[Attackers shouting]

[Hit lands] [Cries out and falls]

Get up, man!

Stand still!

[Scuffling]

[Foreboding music]

[Wood splintering]

[Crying]

[Gasping]

[Heroic music]

[Intense fighting]

[Glass shatters]

[Fire crackling]

[Fighting intensifies]

[Train passing]

[JCB engine]

[Building collapses]

[Construction machinery]

[In Tamil] Sir, this is a very old case,

and all the victims are from Kerala.

Then suddenly, the Tamil Nadu Police steps in

and cracks the case.

How did that happen, sir?

Did you receive any secret information?

Nothing like that.

It was a lead from an ordinary policeman from Kerala

that helped Tamil Nadu Police solve this case.

[Mysterious music]

Sir, this was ruled an accidental death years ago.

How did you conclude it was linked to multiple murders

and that this is where the bodies were buried?

She brought me here.

The spirit of the girl who died.

[Mysterious music]

Cut.

- Thank you. - If you'd like a place to write,

we have a property in Dubai.

And one in Wayanad as well.

If you'd prefer somewhere else, just let us know.

No, I'll stay here and write.

I'm comfortable here.

Okay.

Let's go?

It'd be great if we could get the first draft in a month.

Sure.

Okay, then.

[Gentle music]

[Mysterious music]

[Gentle music]

Sir.

I'm a new recruit, sir.

Are you into writing stories?

No, sir.

Mm.

Give it to the writer.

Enter your details in that biodata book.

Okay, sir.

And one more thing...

see that box?

For God's sake, please don't touch it.

There's a file inside.

The last person who touched it

lost both his job and his mind.

[Ominous music]

[Door closes]

[Eerie music]