August 1 1988

Sukumaran plays K. G. Ramachandran, popularly known as KGR, who is elected as the new Chief Minister of Kerala. A reform-minded leader with a clean image, KGR begins enacting changes that shake up the state—dismissing corrupt officers and reshaping liquor policy—while his rival Kazhuthumuttam Vasudevan Pillai, a formidable challenger for the CM’s chair, is brought to life by Prathapa Chandran. After a crucial meeting, Kazhuthumuttam teams up with Aboobacker and Mathai Thomas Pappachan to plot the next move, and Vishwam, a high-profile business tycoon and political sponsor, joins them, his ambitions for the state clashing with KGR’s reformist drive.

Meanwhile, the honest and sharp DYSP Perumal, portrayed by Mammootty, begins to take the threat seriously. A drunken tip from Kazhuthumuttam reaches a journalist named Gopu, and the information is passed along, triggering a real investigation. Perumal’s early arrest of Vishwam yields little, but he soon travels to Madras to press the case, where he learns about Muniyandi Thevar—an undercover Malaysian-based businessman and smuggler—who introduces a professional assassin to carry out the hit. The connection leads Perumal to the shadowy world behind the plot, while Vijayan stands behind the character of Muniyandi Thevar, a man whose wealth and influence mask dangerous schemes. The chase then widens to the hospital where KGR is taking treatment, and the relentless pursuit intensifies as Nicholas, the assassin, makes his move.

Back in Kerala, Perumal closes in on the all-important lead as he guards KGR with heightened security at every turn. Sreenath brings the journalist Gopu back into the narrative, who continues to piece together the puzzle, while K.K. Pillai as the IG oversees the mounting investigation. The plot thickens when Nicholas infiltrates KGR’s environment, moving through the hospital and the guard details, forcing Perumal to stay one step ahead and to keep the CM safe.

As the August 15 ceremony approaches, Perumal expects another attempt and arranges substantial security, insisting that KGR be kept safe even if it means curtailing some public appearances. The tension peaks during the guard of honour, when Perumal discovers Nicholas disguised as one of the guards, a chilling reminder of the classic assassination playbook that inspired the scene (a parallel to the real-life 30 July 1987 event). In a tense sprint from the control room, Perumal is able to shoot Nicholas before he can strike, thereby saving KGR from an explosive fate. Nicholas is buried in the orthodox way, and when Gopu questions how the killer slipped into the guard, Perumal’s quiet answer is simple: he doesn’t know, and if the killer were alive, he would have asked him. The film closes with a sense of vigil and determined justice, underscoring Perumal’s steadfast commitment to protecting the Chief Minister and upholding the rule of law.