Nandhan 2024

In the village of Vanangankudi, politics and caste collide around Koppulingam [Balaji Sakthivel] as the two-term president from the dominant community. For the upcoming elections, his group nominates him again, but Nandan [Mithun Bose], a member of the Scheduled Caste, demands representation. Yet Nandan is chased out of the temple and later killed in a lorry accident. At Nandan’s funeral, Koppulingam receives a phone call that shocks him: the village panchayat has been converted to a reserved constituency, which would make him ineligible to contest. Concealing this fact, he deceitfully announces his willingness to allow an SC candidate to contest, seizing the moment to maintain control over the town’s future.

Koozhpaana, Ambedkumar [M. Sasikumar], a loyal domestic worker from the SC community, is maneuvered by Koppulingam into contesting and ends up winning unopposed. Yet the new leader undermines Koozhpaana’s authority, consigning him away from the panchayat office. The villagers rise in protest when Koozhpaana’s name appears on the board, but Koppulingam steps in, feigning support while his men quietly reveal the truth. During Independence Day celebrations, Koozhpaana faces humiliation as Koppulingam hoists the flag instead of him, a stark symbol of the power shift. The indignities continue when Koozhpaana’s grandmother’s corpse is barred from entry to the burial site by Koppulingam and his supporters, forcing Koozhpaana to bury the body in the rain.

Seeking justice, Koozhpaana turns to the Block Development Officer (BDO) Marudhudurai, who allocates a small patch of government land—about 10 cents—for a cremation ground that appears to be encroached by Koppulingam. When officials arrive to clear the encroachment, Koppulingam pretends to be magnanimous, allowing the removal. Yet soon he asserts that the land belongs to the village men and then demands Koozhpaana’s resignation in exchange for letting the villagers stay. Koozhpaana complies, despite Marudhudurai explaining the reservation rules and the barrier it creates to his bid for power.

The crackdown intensifies as Koppulingam’s men brutally beat Koozhpaana, and Selvi [Suruthi Periyasamy] vandalizes their home, driving them from their residence. The pressure also reaches Marimuthu, Nandan’s father, who is coerced into contesting the election. Undeterred, Koozhpaana files nomination papers, determined to challenge the long-standing dominance. Koppulingam responds with coercion and terror, forcing Koozhpaana to withdraw his nomination. In a turning twist, the BDO uncovers Marimuthu’s withdrawal letter, leaving Koozhpaana effectively unopposed and supported by the villagers who have come to see him as their voice.

As the narrative moves toward its close, Ambedkumar takes his place in the village president’s chair, marking a hard-won victory through perseverance and collective resolve. The first signature on the new administration’s pages signals a new chapter for the community, one shaped by resilience and a hard-fought sense of representation, rather than fear or intimidation.