Pretham 2 2018

Five cinema-loving friends from a Facebook group decide to meet in person and shoot a short film directed by Tapas Menon. They check into Mangalassery Mana, an ancient mansion that has starred in many films and draws curious visitors as a well-known tourist spot. The house creaks with history, the corridors hide whispers, and every corner seems to harbor a memory of the movies that once bloomed there. As night falls, the group starts to experience chilling paranormal activities—cold drafts sliding through the hallways, objects shifting on their own, and eerie sounds that echo through the drafty rooms—creating a tension that blends excitement with genuine fear. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation and a sense that the building is watching them back.

Nearby, John Don Bosco, Jayasurya, a perceptive mentalist and their neighbor, arrives while undergoing Kayakalpa treatment and quietly takes an interest in the streak of unexplained phenomena that follow the crew. He doesn’t rush to conclusions, but his curiosity grows as the sounds, shadows, and uneasy feelings intensify, drawing him deeper into the mystery of the mansion.

As the haunting intensifies, it becomes clear that the vengeful presence is tied to Manav Mathew, Minon John, a quiet, introspective member of the same Facebook group who once went by the alias “May Flower.” A conversation with Manav’s mother reveals a painful backstory: Manav was caught up in a credit-card fraud orchestrated by an unknown group member, and his father, Matthew Emmanuel, a bank manager, faced arrest as he testified in court to shield his son’s future. In a web of regret and flawed loyalties, Manav’s mind buckles under the weight of deceit, and he ends his life with a heavy remorse that lingers like a shadow over the living.

John digs deeper, uncovering that Manav had kept tabs on the five friends, suspecting them of the foul play that ruined his life. The spirit’s clues drive John’s investigation, while the ghost’s presence seems to respond to certain questions and moments, guiding him toward a shocking realization about the true culprit. A pivotal lead arrives when John formulates a plan to reach out to the unknown hacker who uses the username “JOKER,” a name that has haunted their group long enough to seed paranoia and suspicion.

To outsmart the culprit, John creates a Facebook alias and, with the help of Meera Anwar, Muthumani Somasundaran, a savvy member of the police cyber cell, he stages a tense encounter that culminates in a climactic meeting at the screening of the short film. Almost everyone from the group attends, and the tension in the hall is palpable as the film they’re about to watch recounts the events at Mangalassery Mana, including Manav’s story. Yet the film ends without a clear ending, leaving the audience with an unresolved knot. Meera takes a decisive turn, stepping in to restore order and cut off any further chaos with a lockdown of the venue, signaling that the truth won’t be silenced.

With the crowd anchored by Meera’s intervention, John speaks to them, insisting that what happened is real, and that the culprit sits among them. He uses a sequence of mentalism demonstrations to orchestrate a reveal, narrowing the attendees to a five-person group whose responses align with what the JOKER would exhibit. The suspense builds as the clues align, and eventually John uncovers that the five members—whose real names spell out the acronym J-O-K-E-R—are the ones behind the conspiracy. The five suspects are arrested, and Manav’s ghost seems to hover nearby, a grim reminder that the past rarely stays buried.

In the days that follow, a newspaper headline shocks everyone: the five prisoners are found dead in their cells, the tragedy coming just a day after Manav’s father’s release from custody. The eerie sequence leaves a chilling impression of justice and vengeance intertwined. In a final twist, Priyalal, Denny, and Shibu Majeed from the last film stop by Mangalassery Mana and stumble upon John, who is preparing to leave, leaving the door open for one last, unresolved moment between the living and the restless past.