Oral Mathram 1997

Shekhara Menon, a retired income tax officer from Mumbai, has chosen to settle in a quiet and peaceful village in Kerala, where he lives with his three daughters and his elderly father. He owns a modest house and some land, which together form the foundation of his simple and contented life. Adjacent to his home, he has a smaller house that he rents out as a source of income outside of the agricultural activities he engages in. However, his pension, a vital part of his financial stability, has recently been blocked due to unclear reasons, adding a sense of uncertainty to his peaceful existence.

The story introduces Mammootty as Hareendran, a struggling small-time contractor living as a tenant in Menon’s rented house. Hareendran’s life is marked by constant troubles, largely due to his aide Lalu Alex as Mathews, who persuades Hareendran to help others in times of trouble. This ongoing experience with his aide has slowly transformed Hareendran into a somewhat selfish and indifferent person, mainly concerned with avoiding troubles rather than helping those around him.

Everything begins to change when Thilakan as Shekhara Menon suddenly disappears, leaving behind his three daughters and his aged father in the house. This unexpected absence throws their lives into chaos, with the grandfather starting to believe that Menon might have met his end, as he has not been seen or heard from for a long time. Tragically, grief overwhelms the grandfather, and he passes away, lost in sorrow. Meanwhile, Hareendran, despite his initial selfishness and desire to vacate the house to escape trouble, observes the increasing hardships faced by Menon’s daughters and the aging grandfather. His conscience begins to awaken, and he becomes the only person willing to step forward to help and protect the girls during their time of crisis.

As the story unfolds, Hareendran’s efforts lead him to seek the intervention of authorities. He approaches Sreenivasan as Sachidandan, a police officer, to expedite the investigation. Together, they learn from Mahesh as Hameed that Shekhara Menon had traveled to Mumbai recently, as indicated by a train ticket he took from the railway station. Further probing reveals that a brief fellow traveler, Hameed, was with Menon on that trip, confirming his presence in Mumbai. Hareendran’s concern deepens, and he reaches out to his friend Sudheesh as Balachandran, now suspended from duty, seeking answers. Sachi, after meeting Menon’s daughters, convinces Hareendran that Menon probably did not abandon his family voluntarily and is most likely dead.

Meanwhile, a new character named Kavya Madhavan as Gopika Menon appears as one of Menon’s daughters, whose well-being becomes central to the unfolding drama. Hareendran gets involved in a business proposal from Praveena as Malavika Menon, leading him into a confusing web of events when obstructed by unknown forces. That same night, Hareendran faces an attack by goons, and his ongoing project encounters mysterious issues connected to government interference. During an investigation of railway stations in Mumbai, Sachi uncovers that although Menon had a reservation, he never boarded the train—suggesting that he might have gone missing or met foul play.

Hareendran and Sachi subsequently capture Hameed, subjecting him to intense questioning and even physical violence to extract the truth. Despite their efforts, Hameed only murmurs the name “KRK” before losing consciousness. This leads them to investigate Sreenivasan as Sachidandan’s theory that KRK is a nickname for KR Kuttikrishnan, a notorious and wealthy businessman known for his fraudulent activities. They decide to confront KRK at his office, where Hareendran is shocked to discover that KRK is, in fact, Thilakan as Shekhara Menon’s former subordinate in the Income Tax department—KR Kuttikrishnan. The truth reveals that KRK was dismissed from the department due to corruption, which led to Menon’s disgrace, imprisonment, and the eventual cancellation of his sister’s wedding. Consumed by greed and desire for revenge, KRK became wealthy through unlawful means and started targeting Menon’s family, especially trying to block their marriage prospects and destroy his reputation.

The climax intensifies when KRK confronts Menon in a violent struggle, resulting in Menon’s death. To hide his crime, KRK falsifies evidence by booking a dummy train ticket under Menon’s name and convinces witnesses like Hameed to support his false story. His arrest follows, and Sreenivasan as Sachidandan manages to return to the police force to help bring the culprit to justice. With KRK behind bars, Hareendran finds himself as the sole protector and supporter of Menon’s three daughters, now left to face a challenging future with resilience and a newfound sense of responsibility.

This story highlights themes of redemption, the importance of standing up for others, and the corrosive power of greed, all woven into a compelling narrative about family, trust, and justice.