Shakhahaari 2024

Mastikatte Subramanya “Subbanna” Bhat is a middle-aged, soft-spoken chef who runs a small vegetarian restaurant in a rural village—a family establishment that has been carried on through three generations. After a separation from his girlfriend Subhadra, he remains unmarried and keeps a quiet, contemplative routine, frequently glancing at Subhadra as she passes by on the bus route behind his restaurant. When an injured fugitive named Vijay collapses inside Subbanna’s doorway—wounded from a police confrontation led by Sub-Inspector Mallikarjuna Hiremath—Subbanna makes a difficult, humane choice: he hides Vijay from the authorities and offers him shelter in the bedroom at the back of the restaurant.

As Subbanna tends to Vijay’s gunshot wounds, he learns about Vijay’s life. Vijay grew up in an orphanage and formed a close bond with a fellow orphan, Harsha, who became family to him. The two men stay tightly connected, and Vijay ultimately joins the Border Security Force. To give Vijay a sense of belonging, Harsha arranges his marriage to a local woman, Saugandhika. The couple share affection, but Vijay’s two years of military training keep him away for a time. While he’s gone, Saugandhika begins an extramarital relationship with a neighbor, Madan. When Harsha’s letter reveals the affair, Vijay confronts Saugandhika, who admits it but says she still loves him. That night, in a state of intoxication, Vijay returns home and witnesses, or believes he witnessed, Madan strangling Saugandhika, after which he loses consciousness. The next morning, Vijay is arrested for her murder.

Driven by Vijay’s insistence on his innocence, Subbanna decides to protect him, assisting in planning an escape to another village. Before their plan can unfold, Vijay dies under circumstances that remain unclear. To avoid suspicion and protect himself, Subbanna quietly disposes of Vijay’s body and cleans the restaurant thoroughly, cutting up the corpse and burning the pieces in the kitchen’s pyre along with other stock wood.

A persistent odour from the restaurant irritates Subbanna, while Shastry, a nosy local, grows increasingly suspicious and begins to investigate. Mallikarjuna, meanwhile, senses that Vijay may not be guilty and hopes a quick closure would allow him to return to his ailing wife. His pursuit leads him toward Madan, whose whereabouts he tracks down. In the meantime, Subbanna receives a letter from Subhadra, revealing that her marriage has fallen apart and hinting at a possible reconciliation, which brings Subbanna a renewed sense of happiness.

Shastry’s hints and Subbanna’s sudden mood change deepen the tension. Mallikarjuna eventually learns from locals that Madan is Subbanna’s stepbrother. This revelation forces a direct confrontation between Mallikarjuna and Subbanna. Subbanna reveals the full truth about Madan: a drunken Madan once forced his way into Subbanna’s restaurant, and Subbanna discovers a stash of photographs showing Vijay and Saugandhika. These photos reveal that Madan has been blackmailing people over various extramarital affairs. Saugandhika—Madan’s latest victim—was killed by Madan, who then tried to frame Vijay. When Subbanna tries to stop Madan, he finds Madan dead and panics, disposing of Madan’s body in the same manner as he did Vijay.

The confession shocks Mallikarjuna, who demands that Subbanna surrender, presenting a recording as supposed proof. Subbanna exposes the device as dead, and Mallikarjuna’s attempt to press the matter ends with a physical altercation. A nail punctures Subbanna’s temple during the struggle, killing him. In a grim echo of his prior actions, Subbanna—while Mallikarjuna is collapsed by the blow—decides to dispose of Mallikarjuna’s body in the same way as the others. Mallikarjuna dies after ingesting rat poison, a dose Subbanna had given him earlier, ensuring the restaurant remains sealed as a crime scene. Subhadra arrives to find the letter she once burned in repose, now left behind, a stark reminder of the tragedy that has unfolded.