Hailesa 2009

Unnikrishnan, Suresh Gopi, is raised by Madhavan and his wife and grows up working in Madhavan’s fertilizer unit. It is his hard work that helps propel Madhavan to a better life, and he remains a devoted, steady presence in the family. Madhavan, Vijayaraghavan, has a son named Ulpalakshan, and the two share a close bond as Unnikrishnan becomes increasingly entwined with their fortunes. Ulpalakshan, Ulpalakshan (full name Ulpalaksha Pundareekaksha Markandeyan), Suraj Venjaramoodu is Unnikrishnan’s constant companion, a cheerful and loyal figure who accompanies him through the twists of the story.

When a gang of goons attacks Madhavan to scare him off his land, Unnikrishnan steps in and defeats them, a act of protection that comes at a price: he is ultimately forced to leave his homeland. He stakes his future in a city where a wealthy man named Ganapathy Iyer, Lalu Alex and a wheelchair user, offers him employment as his shadow and helper. Before reaching the city, he crosses paths with a girl who is being chased by a crowd shouting “Thief, Thief.” On arrival, both Unnikrishnan and Ulpalakshan find themselves at Ganapathy Iyer’s side, with Unnikrishnan settling into a new routine under his employer’s watchful eye.

Ganapathy Iyer reveals a painful piece of his past: he loved a woman named Savithri, but circumstances forced him to leave the country and lose touch with her. He later learns that Savithri had a daughter, and that he has never been able to locate them. He asks Unnikrishnan to aid in tracing Savithri and the daughter, seeking a chance to reconnect with his history and perhaps reclaim some of his lost happiness.

Faced with the enormity of the task, Unnikrishnan and Ulpalakshan conclude that finding Savithri and the daughter will not be easy. To help Ganapathy recover from his illness and to give him hope, they hatch a plan: bring in another girl and tell Ganapathy that Savithri is no longer alive, presenting this girl as his daughter. Ulpalakshan brings in a candidate and presents her to Iyer. Unnikrishnan is stunned when the girl, known as Shalu, turns out to be the same young woman he had seen on the streets earlier. Shalu is portrayed by Muktha George, and her appearance in Ganapathy Iyer’s life becomes the fulcrum of the film’s evolving drama.

What follows, driven by the complexities of identity, longing, and obligation, forms the core of the story and guides the narrative toward its eventual revelations and outcomes.