Punyalan Private Limited 2017

Joy Thakkolkkaran, after the death of his wife Anu, watches his first incense-stick company, Punyalan Agarbattis, drift into debt. Yet he refuses to surrender and crafts a bold, stubborn comeback that defies the odds. He pivots from failure to a second, strikingly unconventional venture: turning elephant urine into a soft drink. The idea is bizarre enough to spark curiosity, and it begins to attract attention as a testament to his fearless, sometimes reckless, optimism.

His steadfast drive is buoyed by a small but loyal circle of supporters. Greenu Sharma, a steady ally who believes in the experimental spirit; Abhayakumar, a trusted colleague who helps translate bold ideas into practical plans; and Peer Thanesh, whose experience in law and policy keeps Joy’s ambitions grounded, all rally behind his risky venture. Together they navigate the fine line between ingenuity and impracticality, and Joy’s hands-on approach keeps him at the heart of the operation, often skirting the edges of conventional business practice.

As his plans grow, Joy’s clash with the existing system intensifies. He thrives on media visibility, turning attention into leverage, and uses every opportunity to voice his views on a allegedly corrupted system and the role of business in public life. The moment arrives when he gets a chance to shadow the powerful Chief Minister, Shakthan Rajashekharan, giving him a rare platform to air his criticisms and to publicize his unconventional product. The media, hungry for a marketable story, amplifies his message, even as the political landscape tightens around him.

Joy’s rhetoric is bold and provocative. He argues that politicians are meant to serve the people, who are, in turn, consumers—consumers who hold the ultimate power. This mindset fuels a dramatic crossfire between Joy and Shakthan, culminating in a resignation that signals a shifting tide in the political-commercial relationship. The story crescendos as Joy’s audacious dream culminates in a public moment: a new factory, opened in a ceremony led by his former rival, marking a dramatic, if controversial, milestone in his journey from debt to a new kind of enterprise.