Karnan

Karnan

In southern Tamil Nadu, two neighbouring villages, Melur and Podiyankulam in Tirunelveli find themselves in constant conflict as the latter is denied a bus stop. Podiyankulam's inhabitants, who belong to the oppressed communities, are forced to use the bus stop in Melur for commuting, which irks the locals who belong to the dominant castes. Despite multiple petitions, Podiyankulam is constantly denied a bus stop thanks to the influence of Melur's local government. Sometime in the late 1990s, Karnan, who is from Podiyankulam, wins the local deity's sword as part of a competition, which had not been won for years. Weeks later, Karnan participates in an open selection camp for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), where his grandfather, Yaema Raja, is worried that Karnan would lose the opportunity to join government service, if his hot-headedness would involve him in any legal trouble with the Melur villagers and is constantly looking out for him. Within Podiyankulam, Karnan and Yaeman are considered unruly by many except its chieftain, Duryodhanan, who befriends them both. This does not sit well with Vadamaalaiyan, one of the village's heads, who desires to marry Karnan's sister Padmini, who is far younger than him. Vadamaalaiyan's sister, Draupadhi, who is in love with Karnan, misunderstands the situation during the latter's brawl with her brother and breaks up with him.

Director

Mari Selvaraj

Release

9 Apr 2021

Run time

168 min

Language

Tamil