Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha

Smoking and drinking liquor are hazardous to the health.

In the Paleri village where milk is flowing Paleri Manikyam

...there is a song which is very popular! Music - Sarath, Bijibal.

A girl called Paleri Manikyam...

...who swam across the river in the midnight.

It is the song about her.

Along with the fish in the pond there she grew up swimming and enjoyed life.

Along with the deers in Kalloor jungle grew up playing with them!

Under the Kunjora hill with

...the flashing smile and dimple!

From the house of the moon...

...she got nice eyes and nose as gifts!

Like the breeze under the mango tree

she roamed along plucking the flowers.

I will sing a smashing song about her.

Others will be stunned when hear that.

I was that baby.

1957 March 30 at night. I was born on that day like any other child.

Same night 2 murders happened in the village Paleri where I was born.

The cries follow me from 1/2 a century behind.

That follow me wherever I go.

...the cries of a woman from the heart.

I have not seen her or heard about her.

She will be before me, when I go for sleep...

...raising up from the depth of my mind.

...as cries and in faded forms in my dream...

...and in long shadows.

It is the 4th night since I came to Kerala from Delhi with Sarayu, my girl friend.

The faded mystery of a girl's murder is been probed by me.

But I could not go deep into the mystery...

...as I am in total darkness.

But my mind tells me, that I will find out the mystery.

- Can't you get any sleep? - No.

The steward boy wants to know who you are.

He is not convinced when I said you are a detective.

My profession of a detective doesn't suit me as I hate to poke into one's life.

Do you want any South Indian dishes?

It is Paleri in your head, and in your laptop.

It is Paleri Manikyam, who bothers you in the sleep.

Yes. It is a inquiry I started as a fun!

I collected the data those are available.

...the news paper cuttings the copy of the judgment...

But it is like a village path with faded entry and exit.

I am all alone here.

My subconscious mind which used the materials...

...tortures me, creating strange dreams!

You've started to do what a detective does.

It is the help of a crime analyst which is needed now.

Our holidays are over from today.

Tell me in a order what you know and found out.

I know what to keep and what to delete.

Paleri was like any other village in Malabar in the 50's.

Narrow and rough paths, with no electricity.

People live in the side of them, in the hill sides and river side!

The power and wealth are only for the higher castes, like Namboodiris and Nairs!

Lower caste people are not allowed to stand before them...

1957! The ministry which came to power with the help of the ballot papers!

With the creation of the united Kerala the land was celebrating the festival!

The victim of the first murder of the women molesting case.

That's Paleri Manikyam the 20 year old girl.

In the Paleri village where milk is flowing

...there is a song which is very popular!

A girl called Paleri Manikyam...

...who swam across the river in the midnight.

It is the song about her.

From the house of the moon...

...she got nice eyes and nose as gifts!

I came with you from Delhi, after bidding good bye...

...to Vanaja and children by telling lies.

I wanted to escape from this.

But Paleri is very near now.

Yes. We came to Kerala, not to see the monsoon.

We are here to know more about Manikyam.

That could be the decision of Manikyam.

I didn't have to lie to anybody for this journey.

It is quite a long time since I saw Goutham.

First, on the two sides of the bed...

...then to two rooms and then to two flats...

...and now to 2 continents!

Do you remember, what Goutham told about Elvis Priestly?

A invisible man too dances along with Elvis.

They both complete the steps of the dance!

I remember that.

With me, along with my foot steps...

...Manikyam was there who was brutally raped at the age of 20 and killed.

This is the Meethlachaya! Cheeru's house!

She was once liked by the men of Paleri.

At the end she was hated by all.

Nobody wanted her anymore.

Pokkan is Cheeru's son!

When he was 5 years old, Othenan, father of Pokkan died.

Cheeru believed he died when he had food in which a centipede fell.

The villagers believed that Murikkummel Ahmed Haji stamped him to death.

Whatever it is, Pokkan was a lunatic with a lot of flesh!

He became that, after his dad's death.

After being Pokkan's wife 11 days ago...

...Manikyam reached Paleri after crossing the river.

Walk you goat!

- Tonight...in Kuttiyadi market place, at 3 exactly...- Come fast.

Cheeru! Didn't you go to Kuttiyadi to watch the drama?

Ammini! I have seen enough dramas so far.

Where is your Pokkan's wife?

Call her. We want to see her.

Manikyam! She would be taking a bath.

Pokkan! You have a good-looking girl as wife.

You seem to have locked her in the room.

You guard her well instead of roaming places...

...not allowing others to touch her.

Nobody here is able to make tea for me...

...before rushing to watch the drama!

I will prepare it now, mom.

Keep away! I'll break your leg.

- Mom, tea! - Keep it there.

They ate away the paddy!

It is enough! Bring it.

Will you wait? We are going to a public place.

Where are you going with her, Pokkan?

We are going to watch drama.

How can you go Pokkan?

Today is the rites of the Adukkathe Veettil right?

- Me? - Aren't you coming for help?

I can get people who know mantra and do other help.

I took you as your mom came to me and requested me.

What do you say?

I'll come.

So you have to take care of other things.

Take it. Carry it. Come

I was born on March 30th in the evening!

Paleri people were going to Kuttiyadi market place...

...to watch 'The stitched truths' drama!

The drama troupe came unexpectedly.

Men and women gathered in Kuttiyadi with mattress and torch!

Manikyam was watching the scene with tears!

This night when I am going to give birth...

...a man was leaving the village in the darkness.

Ajourney without a come back.

Lord Muruga!

Come.

Go! Palani Appan is with you!

The life till then, the dog which was with him was sent away.

...became a priest wearing saffron clothes...

...blew the conch and went to Palani...

...the priest Chandaman called Kuniyal Chandaman!

What am I seeing? What scene it is?

Oh God! Is nobody here to see this?

- Sankarettan! Is it true what I heard? -What?

The girl who is Cheeru's daughter!

- What is her name? - Manikyam.

She hanged herself to death.

I heard so.

I don't know what happened.

She got married only recently about 10 days back.

See, how she is lying!

She is so young to hang herself.

Is the police informed?

Police? It has to be informed to the chieftain first.

One has gone to inform him.

Why is the police informed yet?

It is not any violence or anything.

She hanged to death herself, isn't it?

Who told you that?

She had epilepsy which attacked her.

Her head might be injured during her fall.

After her relatives have arrived she has to be buried right away.

The chieftain is been informed.

If it is a suicide, it has to be informed in the police.

Time has changed.

The ministry under the leadership of comrade EMS is to take power.

The work of the chieftain and announcer have to...

...be performed by the police and the court.

Is the comrade KP informed yet?

Who is he?

He is Kesavan, the son of barber Appu kutty who has died.

Is he a communist?

He is the right hand of K.P. Hamsa.

Hamsa is a big communist!

It is them who have to rule the place.

We have to wait and see what happens!

- Dear! -Dad! Look on her neck and face!

Tell, you son of a dog!

You have killed her, isn't it?

You have killed my sister, right?

You dog! Haven't you killed her? Tell the truth.

What are you doing? Leave him.

You keep quiet, Velayudhetta! How brutally he played with her!

She has been strangled to death.

We have to know about the truth.

He knows that.

I will get the truth from him.

What are you doing? Leave him.

The pit is been dug!

Let the mother and relatives of the girl come!

I won't allow to touch her whoever it is.

It is a lie that she has died after a stroke of epilepsy!

I want to know the truth.

I want to know what has happened to my sister.

- Where is she lying? - Inside.

All move to a side.

Who is he?

She is my sister.