Aaraattu 2022

In the village of Muthalakotta, located in Palakkad, the community is gradually rebuilding its economy post the devastating 2018 floods. The residents are striving for self-sufficiency through various agricultural projects. Amidst this recovery, four young individuals and an elderly mentor arrive in the village during the chaos of the flood and extend their helping hand to the villagers. After the floodwaters recede, the group decides to remain in Muthalakotta, taking charge of a significant portion of the farming activities and establishing an ashram aimed at yoga and spiritual practices.

With the state government mandating that all vacant lands be converted to agricultural use, the villagers, alongside RDO officer Anjali (Shraddha Srinath), approach the richest man in the village, Edathala Mathai (Vijayaraghavan), to donate his 18-acre plot to the government. However, to prevent losing his valuable land and to develop it into a township by altering its designation, Mathai decides to lease the property to the cunning Neyyattinkara Gopan (Mohanlal). Gopan, under the pretense of fish farming, plans to level the land, yet his true intentions align with those of the villagers as he aids them in their agricultural pursuits, agitating Mathai in the process.

In retaliation, Mathai dispatches goons to intimidate Gopan. However, Gopan proves his strength by defeating them and subsequently uncovers Mathai’s involvement in money laundering and hawala scams. The plot intensifies as Mathai’s sons confront Sathyasheelan (Saikumar), the individual who introduced them to Gopan, uncovering an astonishing secret that Gopan’s real identity is Colonel Suryachandra Lal, an officer from Military Intelligence. His past is traumatic, having lost his parents in a train incident caused by the Muthalakotta Battalion, comprised of the original four youths and their mentor, who are linked to several crimes.

Under false identities, the Muthalakotta Battalion hides in the village to evade capture. Following this revelation, the young men execute Sathyasheelan. Gopan orchestrates a significant event where none other than A. R. Rahman (A.R. Rahman) graces the occasion as the chief guest. In a dramatic turn of events, Gopan defeats the group and has them detained by the NIA. Tragically, a shootout ensues, culminating in the deaths of the youths and their mentor. Remarkably, a police officer later discloses that Gopan is not the true Suryachandra Lal, who is, in fact, receiving care for depression in a military hospital. The final twist reveals that Gopan is a highly skilled secret agent, codenamed Agent X, affiliated with the Central Home Department, and has undertaken numerous covert missions under varied identities throughout his career.