Ramante Edanthottam 2017

Elvis Joju George is a struggling producer trying to stage a comeback, and his wife Malini Anu Sithara carries the weight of a strained marriage while looking after their 10-year-old daughter. The film opens with Malini driving and recording a video message for Raman, telling him she plans to visit Edanthottam that year, only to be interrupted by a sudden accident. In the hospital, Elvis discovers from Malini’s phone that she has been having an affair with Raman, the owner of Edanthottam, setting off a chain of memories that unfold in a deliberate flashback.

The story then travels back about a year to a family trip to Edanthottam in Vagamon, where Elvis, Malini, their daughter, and their close family friend Salim [Sreejith Ravi] go to lift Elvis’s spirits as he fights to salvage his career. At Edanthottam, Malini endures insults and condescension from Elvis, who, despite being a loving father, is a harsh husband. There, she meets Raman Menon [Kunchacko Boban], a widower whose late wife shared a name with Malini. The two form a connection as they spend time talking about life, past experiences, and the possible future they could share. Yet Malini remains loyal to her husband and child, and she chooses to preserve a platonic friendship with Raman, even as Raman senses echoes of his late wife in Malini.

Raman, who loved his late wife deeply, begins to see reflections of her in Malini, but he keeps their bond rooted in friendship while they exchange thoughts about their respective careers. Malini, a graceful dancer, receives Raman’s encouragement to pursue a dance school and is invited to visit his resort the following year. With Elvis’s reluctant approval, Malini launches a dance school that soon finds success, turning a corner in her life. This artistic venture also shifts household dynamics: Elvis’s laziness and lack of dedication to his own work lead to mounting debts, and the family moves to new homes more than once.

As Malini’s earnings rise from the dance school, she takes greater charge of the household, grows more confident, and voices her opinions more openly with Elvis. Elvis is portrayed as a cheating husband who frequents prostitutes when he travels for work, a pattern that strains the marriage further and deepens Malini’s resolve to stand on her own.

A year later, Malini accepts Raman’s invitation again, but Elvis’s schedule forces him to head to Chennai. Malini travels to Ethanthottam alone, and within those quiet moments, she and Raman navigate the growing tension between friendship and the possibility of romance. They ultimately decide to preserve a respectful, supportive friendship rather than pursue a romance, acknowledging their separate lives and the boundaries they’ve drawn.

Back in the present, Malini recovers and faces an angry Elvis who confronts the truth of his wife’s autonomy. She chooses independence, leaving home and serving Elvis with a divorce notice that signals a new chapter for her. The film closes with Malini behind the wheel again, driving to drop Raman at the airport, underscoring that their bond remains strong, grounded in mutual respect and a deep, enduring friendship. The divorce is finalized, and their daughter continues to live with each parent on a rotating monthly schedule, a quiet acknowledgment of the shared care that now defines their family.