Pattathu Arasan 2022

Poththaari is a former kabaddi star revered in his village, known as one of the greatest players of his time. He leads a large, close-knit family that lives under one roof, with two wives and many children and grandchildren who share happiness and everyday life in the same home. From his first wife, he has two sons and a daughter, along with several grandchildren, while his second wife has passed away, leaving him to carry on with warmth and responsibility.

One day, Kanniyan, his son from the second wife, is sent to play in a kabaddi match, but tragedy strikes when he dies on the field. In the wake of this loss, Kanniyan’s wife Vijaya demands that Poththaari split his land in half, and he agrees to the request. This decision creates a rift: Vijaya and her son Chinnadurai cut ties with Poththaari and his family and establish a separate life, a separation that deeply saddens him.

A few years pass, and the village marks a milestone—the elder couple’s 70th birthday—an auspicious occasion when the children and grandchildren gather to seek their blessings. Chinnadurai arrives, hoping for his grandmother’s and grandfather’s blessing and for forgiveness, but the elder generation refuses to accept him, and his mother disapproves of him attending the family function.

Meanwhile, the village’s dynamics take a sharper turn around the world of sport. Poththaari’s grandson Chelliah, a budding kabaddi player, receives a call from Tamil Thalaivaas coach Bhaskar, who wants his personal details. Sadagoppan, grandson of the village president Peramaiyan, learns of the conversation and warns Peramaiyan, who then consults a minister to confirm Chelliah’s selection to play for Tamil Thalaivas in a high-stakes Pro-Kabaddi tournament. The next day, Bhaskar asks Chelliah to come to the Tamil Thalaivaas office in Chennai to begin mat practice. To secure this opportunity, Chelliah needs a mat costing Rs. 3 lakh, an amount he cannot afford, so he turns to Sadagoppan for help, who arranges a loan through a financier.

At the office, Chelliah learns Bhaskar is out of town, and the loan saga escalates when CCTV footage is seized by rivals. The footage is used to wrongly accuse Chelliah of taking money to stay away from a match between Arasakulam and Kalayarkovil. As accusations mount, Poththaari and his family face renewed ostracism and pressure from the village. The pressure and the ensuing stress culminate in a tragic act: Chelliah hangs himself.

The film then questions whether the wounds of the past can heal and whether Poththaari and his family can find a way to reunite after such a devastating chain of events.