Thalavan” is a 2024 film written and directed by Jis Joy. The film features the likes of Biju Menon, Asif Ali, Miya George, Anusree, Dileesh Pothan, Shankar Ramakrishnan, and more. The movie begins with Uday, a retired police officer who’s become a regular face on a popular news channel, sharing real-life crime stories from his long career. The show’s been a hit, pulling in millions of viewers daily. But things take a turn when one of the reporters asks him to cover the infamous “Cheppanamthotta Case.”
The moment she brings it up, the officer’s face drops. He flat-out refuses to say a word about it. Not one to give up, the reporter keeps pushing, and eventually, the officer agrees—under one condition. Uday makes her swear that he’ll be the first to watch the tapes and that if he asks for any parts to be cut, there’ll be no questions or objections.
Thalavan (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Who are Kartik & Jaishankar?
According to Udaybhanu, the case centers around two police officers serving at the same station but in different ranks. Udaybhanu himself was also involved, and this very case pushed him to take early retirement from the force. The story begins with Kartik, a young, no-nonsense officer who, after his fifth transfer, lands in the small village of Cheppanamthotta, Kerala, as the senior inspector. Kartik is known for his uncompromising principles, which often ruffle feathers, hence the constant transfers.
His boss, Chief Inspector Jaishankar, is cut from the same cloth. He is an officer who never strays from his moral compass. However, things go south when Kartik releases Manu Das, a man arrested for attempted murder. Manu insists he only acted in self-defense. Kartik, believing him, sets him free. But soon enough, Manu is rearrested, which lands him in hot water. His fiancée’s family cancels the wedding. The fallout from this also causes a serious rift between Kartik and Jaishanka.
Why is Jaishankar arrested?
Things take a dark turn for Jaishankar when he discovers Ramya’s body on his terrace. If you’re not in the loop, Ramya is the wife of Joshi—the man Jaishankar put behind bars for running over his wife. Ramya had tried everything to get her husband out of prison, even attempting to bribe Jaishankar, but it never worked.
Now, with Ramya’s body on his property, Jaishankar’s house is crawling with cops, from the dog squad to forensics, all searching for any clue that could lead them to the killer. But despite their best efforts, they can’t find a single drop of blood. This points to the theory that maybe the murder happened elsewhere, and Ramya’s body was later planted at Jaishankar’s house to frame him.
A week after discovering Ramya’s body, Jaishankar is put behind bars and charged with her murder. In court, the prosecution accuses him of having an affair with Ramya and suggests that he killed her to cover it up. To make matters worse, they claim he’s also behind the disappearance of Ramya’s daughter, who’s been missing for months. After spending a couple of weeks in jail, Jaishankar is granted an 18-day bail, but with strict conditions: he can’t leave the district or meddle with the investigation. Instead of laying low, Jaishankar plans to use every second of those 18 days to hunt down the real killer and clear his name.
Who is the real culprit behind Ramya’s murder: A jealous wife or a manipulated accomplice?
Kartik gets promoted to SHO and takes charge of the investigation. He wastes no time and kicks things off by questioning Ramya’s neighbor, who tells him that Ramya was in contact with another police officer besides Jaishankar. Kartik also crosses paths with a novelist who has a wild theory of his own that the killer could be Sunita, Jaishankar’s wife. According to the novelist, someone manipulated Sunita into thinking Ramya was trying to seduce Jaishankar, pushing her to commit the murder out of jealousy.
Kartik then visits Joshi, Ramya’s husband, who had once tried to kill Jaishankar in prison. Joshi reveals that the day before her death, Ramya had gone to Jaishankar’s house for a second time, claiming that Jaishankar had sent a rickshaw driver named Sintu to fetch her. Turns out, Sintu is the same guy who attacked Jaishankar years ago when he was stationed at Pattadi. The killer strikes again. He sets Jaishankar’s bike on fire and leaves a wedding card as a clue on his doorstep. The card sends Kartik on the trail of Vinayakan, the same man Manu Das was accused of attempting to murder, but that lead quickly fizzles out. Then, Sintu, out of nowhere, releases Ramya’s daughter.
Is the killer someone inside Jaishankar’s inner circle
As for Jaishankar, he starts feeling that the killer might be someone close, someone who could move around his house without raising any red flags. Trusting his theory, Jaishankar decides to pay a visit to Sanjivan, the plumber who showed up at his home the day Ramya’s body was discovered. Sanjivan admits that he purposely left the door open so Sintu could sneak into Jaishankar’s house unnoticed.
Meanwhile, Kartik, with Benny’s help, manages to track down Sintu, who’s now hiding in Pattadi. But when Kartik gets there, he discovers that someone has already taken Sintu away. Not long after, Sintu’s body turns up at Kartik’s home, part of the killer’s plan to eliminate both Jaishankar and Sintu as they’re getting dangerously close to uncovering the truth. Kartik and Jaishankar team up to hunt down the killer and save themselves. They know it’s someone close, which explains why the killer is always one step ahead of them.
Thalavan (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Who is trying to frame Jaishankar & why?
To crack the mystery behind the killer’s identity and why he framed Jaishankar, we need to rewind to an old event from Jaishankar’s days at the Pattadi police station. Many years ago, one day, while on patrol, Jaishankar caught Arun (Shivdasan’s son) and his friend Sintu beating a cop because the officer had made some provocative comment about Arun’s girlfriend. Jaishankar arrested Arun and his friends on the spot and made Shivdasan, who was a constable at the same station, give his son a public beating in front of everyone, including Arun’s girlfriend. That humiliation hit Arun hard, so hard that he couldn’t handle the shame and ended up taking his own life.
Since that day, Shivdasan blamed Jaishankar for Arun’s death and was looking for an opportunity to wreak Jaishankar’s life just like his got wrecked. Also, Shivdasan was the one who told Joshi to attack Jaishankar’s wife. However, Joshi started using this little secret to blackmail Shivdasan for cash. He even told Ramya this, thinking she could use it to help get him out. Since Shivdasan couldn’t let his secret surface, he killed Ramya and kidnapped her daughter.
Then, he dumped Ramya’s body at Jaishankar’s house to frame him for the murder. But why was Sintu killed? It turns out that Sintu was also blackmailing Shivdasan for money. So, Shivdasan murdered him too and stashed his body at Kartik’s place, trying to drag him down in the sinking ship as well. When Shivdasan’s secret is finally out, he and his men try to kill Jaishankar and Kartik but are eventually caught and arrested.
Thalavan (2024): Will there be a sequel?
As the film reaches its climax, the story flashes forward to the present day. Uday wraps up the news segment but not before claiming that he will reveal the names of others deeply involved in Ramya’s case. Just days later, Uday is found dead in his home, a clear sign that those who can’t risk being exposed have silenced him. Kartik and Jaishankar show up at the crime scene, and it’s clear they’ll lead the investigation. All signs point to a possible sequel, where the duo teams up to solve Uday’s murder and uncover the hidden players behind the case.
