Da Thadiya 2012

Luke John Prakash, Luke John Prakash a young man bound by obesity, grows up in a prosperous Kochi family, where his close companion is his cousin, Sunny Jose Prakash, a lively video jockey who shares his childhood moments. His grandfather, Prakash, once served as mayor of Kochi and built his own political party, giving the family a public profile that shadows Luke’s life. From childhood, Luke has carried a quiet, unrequited love for another overweight girl, Ann Mary Thadikkaran. Her parents work in an insurance company, and when they are transferred to Ernakulam, she moves away, leaving Luke with a heart that feels permanently unsettled.

Many years later, Ann Mary returns to Luke’s house for a visit and, to his surprise, has shed the weight that once defined him and their dynamic. One day, as they go to a restaurant, Luke’s clumsy stumble leads to a broken chair, and he begins to realize that her feelings might have shifted away from him. Seeking a change, Luke enters Vaidyar’s Clinic, an Ayurvedic center run by Rahul Vaidyar with the aim of losing weight.

A Christmas Eve excursion becomes pivotal when Luke escapes the Ashram to meet Ann Mary again. He is stunned to learn that Ann Mary is not in love with him after all, and Rahul, who accompanies her for the Christmas Dinner, reveals that she is the marketing head of Vaidyar’s Clinic and in love with Luke. > “just a mere machine that produces feces” — Rahul’s sharp insult to Luke cuts deep, cutting through Luke’s self-esteem and leaving him feeling worthless. Yet his grandmother, Knight Rider, offers quiet encouragement, reminding him that people who are heavy can be broad-minded and that Prakash, too, was once fat and still achieved much. In a dream, Luke sees Prakash urging that generations are necessary to fulfill the unfinished tasks of their forefathers.

Emboldened by this vision, Luke joins his father’s political outfit, Prakash Congress, and eventually rises to become the mayor of Kochi. Ann Mary’s father Joshua arrives at the Mayor’s office with news that she is very upset after the incident and wishes to meet Luke again. Ann Mary explains that Rahul is a corrupt figure who profits by lowering people’s self-esteem through advertising and posters, and she reveals that she is engaged to a man named Sowmya. Luke takes a stand, raiding Rahul’s business and driving him into hiding, only to discover him lurking at Vaidyar’s Clinic. He dresses as Santa Claus, overpowers Rahul, and delivers a decisive message to stop his predatory practices.

The story shifts back to the present, where Luke waits for Ann Mary on a tranquil beach. She arrives with a proposal, but Luke declines, telling her that he is not her Superman. In a moving moment, he thanks her for teaching him a valuable truth: it is better to live for many than to live for one, a realization that reframes his life, his ambitions, and his relationship with love.