Unda 2019

Police units from the Kerala Police camp in Idukki are preparing for election duty in other states. They are briefed by their senior officer Sam J. Mathan that they will be deployed to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand for forty days, with a firm reminder to use ammunition only when necessary. A unit under C. I. Mathews Anthony arrives in Bastar, in the Maoist-affected red belt of Chhattisgarh, one of the most dangerous parts of the region. Due to the unavailability of accommodations, the team is forced to shelter inside polling booths until election day. On their way to the booths, they split into three teams with S. I. Manikandan leading one. That night, they receive a message warning of a likely Maoist attack. Although they remain alert with loaded guns, no attack occurs.

The next day, ITBP Commandant Dakota Akanito finds the team irresponsible and impresses upon them the gravity of their duty by showing footage of people killed during Maoist attacks in the past. He is surprised to learn that the team has not been provided with sufficient bullets by the State Government. Mani contacts Mathews over the phone and relays the commandant’s warning. Mathews explains that the responsibility for ammunition lies with the state government in Chhattisgarh. That night, the team experiences a light exchange of fire during a Maoist encounter; later, ITBP officers inform them that some Maoists were chased by them and they unknowingly fired back after seeing lights, while the remaining shots were fire crackers. Ashamed, the team realizes they wasted bullets and now only eight bullets remain. The next day, Mani tells Mathews that their situation is in danger without more ammunition.

Desperate, Mani sends pictures from Kerala to his friends, highlighting the dire conditions; the news coverage forces Sam J. Mathan to act and arrange more bullets. Two cops S. I. Rajan and S. I. Balan continue their journey by train from Kerala to Chhattisgarh with the allotted ammunition. Meanwhile, Unnikrishnan, accompanied by PC Biju Kumar, travels to a village to buy liquor without Mani’s knowledge. On their return, Unnikrishnan taunts Biju Kumar, who belongs to the adivasi community, and a heated confrontation follows. They spot a truck approaching from a distance, which explodes after hitting a land mine, but both survive with minor injuries. That night, Biju Kumar voices a wish to quit his job due to the mounting criticism.

Election day arrives with a harsher shortage: Mathews informs that both the bullets and the people assigned to carry them have gone missing. Mani reaches the booth and, with only eight bullets left, orders his team to conduct the election peacefully using lathis and shields—skills they have deep experience with. Mani and his team manage to defeat the goons and complete their election assignment, keeping the process orderly. In the final moment, a monkey is shown leaping over the lost box of bullets by a railway track, a small, ironic image that lingers after the tense sequence.