Thuppakki Munai 2018

ACP Birla Bose IPS [Vikram Prabhu] is a straightforward cop and ruthless encounter specialist from the Mumbai Police Department. Though his record is nearly unmatched in driving criminals out of the city, his aggressive approach often clashes with human rights standards, drawing heat from a vigilant commission. When a crucial order suspends him, Bose endures a painful rift with his mother and witnesses a strain in his relationship with his girlfriend Mythili Mohan [Hansika Motwani], whose father Mohan [Aadukalam Naren] questions his stability in both career and life.

Bose is sent to Rameshwaram to investigate the brutal rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl named Manjalnayaki [Ammu Abhirami]. Local police have already arrested a Bihari Maoist named Aazad, and they pressure Bose to extract a confession. As the case unfolds, Uyya—Uyyavandhan [M. S. Bhaskar], the town’s renowned barber who also services Brahmaraja [Vela Ramamoorthy], a feared and respected businessman—enters the picture through the memories and testimonies of Manjal’s family. One fateful day, while Uyya provides his services at Brahmaraja’s home, Brahmaraja’s son Sachin and his friends pursue Manjal, setting off a chain of tragic events. The very next day, Uyya is knocked off his bike by a passing car, a ribbon fluttering from a window caught in his sight. Manjal’s body is soon found, floating in the sea, leaving Uyya devastated and determined to uncover the truth behind her death.

Uyya presents circumstantial evidence that points to Sachin and his friends, including a ribbon and a fragment of Manjal’s science project found in the same car. Bose digs deeper and learns that Aazad’s past as a former Naxalite and his reformist path in Tamil Nadu have been used to frame him, rather than reveal the real culprits. Despite mounting media attention and public pressure, the police struggle to exonerate Aazad and bring the actual killers to justice. Brahmaraja, who is away in New Delhi, learns of the uproar and tries to divert blame back to Aazad to shield Sachin, dispatching his nephew Ganga [Bharath Reddy] and henchmen to silence Bose and Aazad.

In a bid to secure due process, Bose enlists Mythili’s help because she works in the Prime Minister’s office. They pursue a habeas corpus order that would require all state police to deliver Aazad alive to the Chennai High Court, with tight security for both Bose and the detainee. Ganga and his men attempt to derail this plan and kill Aazad, but Bose employs a clever ruse, helping Aazad escape in disguise while contending with Ganga’s forces. Brahmaraja intercepts Bose at a critical moment, and Uyya’s quiet vigil intensifies as the truth about Manjal’s death edges closer to the surface. Brahmaraja’s fear and frustration culminate in a desperate act: he watches a video that reveals Uyya’s actions, and, overwhelmed by guilt and loss, he takes his own life.

Aazad finally reaches the Madurai branch of the Chennai High Court to seek custody, and the truth about the case begins to crystallize. It’s revealed that Uyya did not kill his daughter’s killers for revenge; instead, he chooses humanity and urges the criminals to confess their crime to the media and police. With the confession secured and the criminals arrested, Aazad is freed and returns to a peaceful life, made possible by Bose’s decision to pursue justice with compassion.