Viduthalai

Spoiler-free synopsis

In 1987, a train derailment has occurred in rural Tamil Nadu, leaving many people severely injured or dead. The investigators accuse the extremist group Makkal Padai ( ), saying they caused the incident as a protest against the state government's decision to allow a mining company to take over their hilltop village for a project. The government announces Operation Ghosthunt to capture the group's enigmatic leader, Vaathiyar Perumal. Meanwhile, Kumaresan is a newly recruited constable who joins a police batch named E-Company as a new driver. Kumaresan learns about the complicated alliances and conflicts between Makkal Padai and the government, where he also discovers that following orders is essential and that he cannot always help the locals, which conflicts with his helpful nature. Kumaresan also learns about bureaucracy's intricacies and the difficulties of professional life, especially as a newly recruited officer. Kumaresan also falls in love with Tamilarasi "Pappa", the granddaughter of a woman whom Kumaresan once rescued from a bear attack and admitted to hospital. Due to a brutal incident orchestrated by E-Company's Officer-in-charge (OC) Ragavendar, the government assigns DSP Sunil Menon as the head of the operation. The police decide to turn the residents of the hill village against Perumal. Sunil interrogates a villager and manages to sketch Perumal's face, causing Kumaresan to realise that the people he helped during his duty hours were Perumal and his men. He relays this information to Head Constable Chandran, unaware that Chandran is a part of Makkal Padai and Perumal's mole. Chandran secretly informs Perumal about Kumaresan. Makkal Padai attempts to assassinate him, but it appears as an attempt on Sunil. However, he manages to escape unscathed and reaches the camp safely with the timely help from Kumaresan. Kumaresan learns from Pappa that Perumal has been targeting officers who are committing atrocities against innocents in the name of police interrogation. Pappa also reveals that the officers were involved in the death of her father, which led her mother to suffer a mental breakdown. Kumaresan realises the extent of police brutality against the villagers. During the construction in the hilltop village, Makkal Padai attacks the inauguration ceremony, and an accidental bomb blast kills four officers. Enraged, Sunil orders the police to arrest any villagers suspected of being involved with Makkal Padai. The police drag the villagers away for interrogation, where Pappa's grandmother is killed during torture. A few days later, Pappa is arrested and tortured along with other villagers from her village by E-Company as the police believe that one of them is Perumal's close relative. Hoping Tamilarasi will be set free if Perumal is found, Kumaresan meets Sunil and tells him about Perumal's hideout. He is assigned along with other officers to arrest Perumal. After a massive shootout, Kumaresan manages to arrest Perumal. Pappa draws the police's attention to save others and is taken away. Perumal is interrogated in custody, while Kumaresan is unable to find Pappa. Ragavendar suspends Kumaresan for not filing an act-of-subordination memo and says he will take credit for Kumaresan's effort to arrest Perumal. In the mid-credits scene, a photographer sneaks into the camp and records the brutal atrocities on women by the police department. Perumal is interrogated and insulted by Sunil. Later, Perumal manages to escape and meets with Kum