Parava 2017

In Mattancherry, two teenagers, Imran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Haseeb, Govind V Pai, grow up close to the city’s winding canals and crowded streets, drawn together by a shared, almost sacred hobby: pigeon taming. They become a tight-knit pair who pour time and patience into their birds, dreaming of races and recognition in a world that feels both intimate and harsh. The pair are part of a larger, lively circle that includes Imran’s star pupil, Shain, Shane Nigam, a boy whose quiet presence and loyalty anchor the group. Ichappi, Amal Shah, is also part of this circle, a younger voice who watches and learns as the older friends navigate friendship, pride, and the responsibilities that come with growing up. A thief strikes at the heart of their birds when a prized female pigeon is stolen by local rivals, a loss that stings deeply even though the true culprit’s identity remains unclear to the boys.

Years earlier, the same crew belonged to a thriving local cricket scene led by Imran. The club Six Four Mattanchery brought together Imran, his friends, and Shain, whose athletic skill and camaraderie elevated the group into something like a family. The bond is tested when Shain falls for a caretaker and Imran selflessly steps in to help arrange a future for the couple—an act that deepens the sense of loyalty among the friends. The world around them tilts as Habeeba, Shain’s love interest who works in a medical store, faces verbal harassment from a boss, a moment that drags the entire club into a tense confrontation. The members, standing up for Habeeba, find themselves clashing with drug addicts who vow retaliation, sparking a dangerous feud that eclipses their youth and innocence. Imran’s call for peace is met with stubborn aggression, and during a beach-side meeting, the conflict spirals out of control. The attempt to calm the situation fails, and tragedy strikes: Imran is killed, leaving the club and the wider community to grieve what felt like a secure, joyful promise undone in an single, brutal night.

The loss fractures the group in profound ways. Shain’s father, a stern man who believes in keeping a distance to protect his son, orders the other members to stay away from Shain; the rift grows as the two families grapple with grief, memory, and what it means to be friends who must now navigate a future without Imran’s leadership. The story circles back to Ichappi and Haseeb as they finish their schooling and encounter the challenges of adolescence anew. Ichappi attempts to declare his feelings for Surumi, a new classmate, by kissing her cheek, only to be slapped and left to confront the consequences of his impulsive act. He falls into awkward scenes with his friends—together they attend a screening of an adult film, an experience that earns a stern family lecture and a quiet, painful realization about boundaries and respect. Ichappi’s father’s blunt, practical counsel—that he should not repeat the mistakes of the past—underscores the film’s emphasis on growing up with restraint and empathy, not bravado.

In the meantime, the world around the boys continues to pulse with the rhythms of cricket, bird-keeping, and youth. Hakeem’s wedding is set, and Surumi appears again in the circle as the bridal figure in a twist that unsettles the boys. Through it all, the boys learn of the stolen pigeon and, with the help of local children who roam the rival camps, they track down the missing birds. They register for the local pigeon-flying competition, placing great faith in their trained birds to rise to the occasion. But on race day, everything falls apart—the birds and their entire cage mysteriously vanish. The boys abandon their old confidence and set out to retrieve what they’ve lost, only to discover that the birds have not been stolen by rivals but are in the clutches of the very addicts who had harassed Habeeba years earlier. Shain and his friends confront the danger head-on, and a tense, violent showdown unfolds, ending only after Shain’s father, along with Hakeem’s father, enters the scene and quells the danger with force. The police arrive, and a vow is made that if the trouble recurs, violence will not be the answer. The act of protection renews the fragile bond between father and son, and the two families set their wounds aside, choosing to walk forward together.

As the dust settles, the group returns to the cricket field and the pigeons, with Shain rejoining his friends and their shared passions. Imran sits on the fence with a smile for the younger children who gather to watch them play, a quiet sign that his legacy lives on in the friendships he helped shape. Ichappi and Haseeb deepen their bond with the birds they nurture, continuing a quiet, patient pursuit that frames their lives. In the closing moment, a single pigeon—Parava—makes a peaceful landing on Ichappi’s hand, a symbol of reconciliation, resilience, and the enduring, delicate balance between friendship, love, and the communities that sustain them.

Note: For first-time mentions, actor links are provided after the character names: Imran, Dulquer Salmaan; Shain, Shane Nigam; Ichappi, Amal Shah; Habeeba, Srindaa; Haseeb, Govind V Pai; Mujeeb’s Father, Indrans; Hakeem, Arjun Ashokan.