Journey of Love 2024

In 2009, Athira is introduced as the daughter of Raveendran, the local secretary of a political party, a position that casts a long shadow over her personal life. She harbors deep affection for Akhil, a committed party worker, and one day she reaches out to him with a bold confession: she is ready to elope. This impulsive declaration sets off a chain of strategic moves as Akhil confides in his close friends, Renju and Pattar, who quickly realise they need a trusted ally. Renju proposes bringing in Rajesh, a tipper driver who has previously eloped and married, to help navigate the obstacle course of family expectations, community scrutiny, and political pressure.

Akhil, Renju, and Pattar visit Rajesh’s home, where they face a cautious initial refusal. Rajesh ultimately agrees to lend a hand, but his condition is clear: the wedding must be organized in a temple in Taliparamba, and money will be required to pull it off. Following Rajesh’s guidance, a plan begins to take shape. A fully charged mobile phone battery is handed to Athira by Pattar, a seemingly small detail that becomes part of the larger effort to coordinate secret arrangements amid a party-led environment. Meanwhile, Akhil turns to his mother for financial support, and she secures funds through a bid, showcasing the blend of familial ties and political maneuvering that threads through the plot.

The situation intensifies when Arjun, Athira’s elder brother, leads a strike at the BSNL office, igniting a 24-hour hartal that disrupts daily life and intensifies the sense that time is running out. As the wedding preparations accelerate, Akhil and his friends reconvene with Rajesh to push the plans forward with urgency. On the hartal day, the trio manages logistics—arranging the wedding saree, blouse, and thaali—while night falls and Akhil, accompanied by Ranju and Pattar waiting outside in a car, collects Athira and departs from her family’s home.

The following day, with Rajesh’s discreet assistance, Akhil and Athira are wed in a temple in Taliparamba. The ceremony signals a stark turning point, as Akhil’s father urges his son to stay away for a while, and Rajesh recommends they move to Mookambika for a couple of days to lay low. The journey takes a tragic detour when Athira’s grandmother dies, prompting a return to her family’s house. In a display of volatility, Raveendran assaults Akhil and creates a scene, prompting Rajesh to intervene and help the group slip away. They seek refuge at Akhil’s aunt’s house in Kuttiady, bridging the gap between fear and hope.

A missing-persons report is filed, and the police eventually locate Akhil and Athira, bringing them into a legal spotlight. To mount a defense, they hire advocate Satish, who presents the wedding photo and temple register as evidence of their marriage. Raveendran’s lawyer counters by revealing Athira’s SSLC certificate, arguing that she is not yet 18. Satish contends that Athira will turn 18 in five days, a fact that creates a liminal space where the law seems to hover between two moments in time. The judicial magistrate Sony orders Athira to be taken to a children’s home, as she expresses hesitation about returning to her family.

The legal back-and-forth deepens the complexities: Raveendran’s lawyer hints that once Athira turns 18, the court could permit them to live together, while Akhil faces the risk of arrest in connection with a bus-burning case—though Deepak, another party worker, takes the blame. Before the case reaches its final hearing, Raveendran attempts to sway Athira, pressing her to reconsider. She plays along, yet when the hearing begins, she reveals her true intent: she wishes to go with Akhil and even discloses her father’s remarks about Akhil’s caste. With her upcoming birthday, the court recognizes her autonomy, and in a pivotal turn, Athira’s choice to join Akhil is accepted. The narrative closes by foreshadowing a similar arc for Akhil’s younger brother, who plans to elope and wed once he turns 18, underscoring a broader family and societal pattern that threads through the film.

The story unfolds with a steady rhythm of love, loyalty, and legal ambiguity, painting a portrait of two young lovers navigating a web of political pressure, family expectations, and the urgency of reaching a life together, even as the clock ticks toward adulthood.