Kaadu 1973

Kitti is an eight-year-old boy who is brought from the city to the village called Koppal by his uncle, Chandre Gowda. Gowda is married to Kamali, but the couple are childless. Kitti forms a deep bond with Kamali and with the thick forests around Koppal. Gowda makes frequent visits to a nearby village, Hosur, where he keeps a mistress, Basakka. Kamali knows about the affair, yet she feels powerless to stop it.

One evening, Kamali takes Kitti and a servant into the forest. There they meet a witch who performs a sacrifice meant to keep Gowda away from Basakka. The witch assures Kamali that she can win back her husband from Basakka’s influence.

As Kitti discovers his uncle’s extramarital affair, the personal conflict escalates into a feud between the two villages, Koppalu and Hosuru. Kamali grows convinced that the witchcraft is taking effect. Meanwhile, Gowda receives a warning from Basakka not to come to Hosur, suggesting that his life may be in danger. Driven by pride, he replies that he will come the following night to prove his courage.

A distressed Kamali makes a second attempt to keep her husband at home. She resolves to seek help from the witch, but on the way she is fatally attacked by men from Hosur’s Shivaganga. This brutal act triggers a massive assault by the people of Koppal on Hosuru.

In the fierce confrontation, Shivaganga is killed by Gowda’s servants. The police arrive, arrest Chandre Gowda and other criminals, and set up an outpost nearby, asking the villagers to contribute fines for its maintenance. The crackdown also prevents the villagers from practicing Nyaya.