Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Irakal (1985) movie poster

Timeline

Irakal (1985) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1985 · 137 mins · Malayalam
Loading streaming availability…
Directed by
K. G. George
Starring
Shammi Thilakan, Innocent, Thilakan, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Ashokan, Nedumudi Venu

An intense study of the psychology of violence, the film follows Mathews, a ruthless rubber baron entangled in criminal pursuits, whose son Baby absorbs the brutal environment and spirals into aggression. Witnessing his child's descent, Mathews is forced to confront his sins and seek repentance for his deeds.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
Loading streaming availability…

12 events in order · contains spoilers

Irakal Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Irakal (1985) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Mathukutty builds a ruthless rubber empire

    Mathukutty, a ruthless Syrian Christian rubber baron, expands his empire through sharp business sense and by greasing cops and labour leaders. His operations include marijuana and hooch, allowing him to maintain control over wealth and power. The family’s wealth and influence set the stage for a corrupt, code-free environment.

    Where
    Mathukutty's rubber empire and family home
  2. Koshy and Sunny join the enterprise

    Koshy serves as the second-in-command, sharing his father’s ruthlessness. Sunny is rebellious and lazy, often resisting the family’s grip yet still drawn into the business. The brothers’ dynamic mirrors the old man’s dominance within the family and the enterprise.

    Where
    Family home and business offices
  3. Annie’s marital strain and secret life

    Annie, the daughter, is depicted as a nymphomaniac who shows no affection for her husband Andrews or daughter. She travels monthly to live with her maternal family under the pretense of fights, using the arrangement to sleep with Unnunni. Mathukutty and Koshy remain unaware of Annie's indiscretions, chastising Andrews as the cause of the marital trouble.

    Where
    Annie's home and maternal family residence
  4. Baby’s early signs of violence at college

    Baby, the youngest son, is an engineering student with a dark imagination. He raggs a junior on campus and, in a fit of rage, strangles him with an electric wire. The incident leads to his suspension, and the junior is hospitalized; the family reads about it in the newspaper and writes it off as a bad ragging episode.

    Where
    College
  5. Baby murders Unnunni to protect a secret

    After discovering Annie’s affair, Baby resolves to eliminate Unnunni. He lures Unnunni to the tools shed where they meet and strangles him. To avert police scrutiny, Baby and the family stage the scene as a suicide and dispose of the body.

    Where
    Tools shed and then family home
  6. Baby’s growing obsession with violence

    Baby continues to dream of murder and frequently handles his father’s rifle and an electric wire, signaling a deepening menace. He shows no obvious outward signs of mental illness, but his antisocial tendencies become harder to ignore, a concern even for his bishop uncle who senses something is wrong.

    Where
    Home
  7. Nirmala’s love and murder of Balan

    Baby becomes obsessed with Nirmala, a village girl who loves him despite caste and class barriers. She ends up engaged to Balan, a local shop owner, and Baby murders Balan by strangling him with the electric wire, making the crime look like a robbery gone wrong.

    Where
    Village and shop area
  8. Nirmala confronts Baby; Raghavan’s engagement to her

    Nirmala ends her relationship with Baby and is set to marry Raghavan, a rubber tapper and Baby’s friend. Baby attempts to kill Raghavan as well, but fails; Raghavan survives and later identifies Baby, reporting the danger to the police.

    Where
    Riverbank and village; police
  9. Police ring the net on Baby

    With threats rising, the police launch a manhunt for Baby. He goes into hiding as the family continues their pursuit of money, unaware of the danger he represents. The search intensifies as the net closes in on him.

    Where
    Various locations; hiding places
  10. The confrontation at home

    Baby reappears wielding a revolver and directly targets Koshy, who confronts him, and his father, who tries to intervene. Mathukutty narrowly escapes the gunfire, while Koshy is hit but not fatally. The house erupts into chaos as the family confronts the violence he has unleashed.

    Where
    Family home
  11. Final act of patricide and the fall of Baby

    In the ensuing struggle, Mathukutty shoots Baby dead with his rifle. The family, forever chasing wealth, fails to grasp the monster their greed has produced, letting the murderous path arise from within their own ranks.

    Where
    Family home
  12. Aftermath: greed without redemption

    The story closes on the chilling note that the family’s pursuit of money blinds them to the animal they have nurtured. The violence ends, but the moral cost remains, as the empire continues with blood on its hands and a warning about corruption’s price.

    Where
    Empire and home

Last updated: December 03, 2025 at 23:58

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

Irakal Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Irakal (1985): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Baby become violent and start killing people?

Baby's violence stems from growing up in a household dominated by his father Mathukutty's criminal empire, where power, control, and ruthless behavior are normalized. As an engineering student, he shows early antisocial tendencies - he rags a college junior and strangles him with an electric wire, getting suspended. His uncle, a bishop, senses something deeply wrong but cannot reach him. The family environment, combined with what appears to be underlying psychological issues, transforms his curiosity about violence into actual murder.

Foreshadowing: The incident with the college junior and his fascination with the electric wire hint at his violent tendencies early on.

  • baby violence
  • psychology
  • murder
  • family corruption
Q2

Why does Baby kill Unnunni?

Baby discovers his sister Annie's secret affair with Unnunni, a rubber employee. Rather than expose the scandal that would shame the family, Baby decides to eliminate Unnunni permanently. He lures him to a tools shed, strangles him with an electric wire, and stages the death as a suicide. The family helps dispose of the body to avoid police scrutiny and protect their reputation.

Foreshadowing: Annie's monthly visits to her maternal family under the pretense of marital quarrels establishes the affair that Baby later uncovers.

  • baby kills unnunni
  • affair
  • murder coverup
Q3

Why does Mathukutty's family help cover up Baby's crimes?

The family prioritizes maintaining their reputation and avoiding police involvement. Mathukutty has built his empire through corruption and criminal activities, so any scandal could expose his business and destroy what he has built. When Baby kills Unnunni, the family collectively decides to stage it as suicide and dispose of the body, believing this protects the family honor more than exposing the truth would.

Foreshadowing: Mathukutty's method of maintaining control through favors with police and labor leaders shows he prioritizes avoiding legal trouble.

  • family coverup
  • dispose body
  • protect reputation
Q4

Why does Baby kill Balan the shop owner?

Baby becomes obsessed with Nirmala, a village girl from a poor family who loves him despite caste and class barriers. When Nirmala ends her relationship with Baby and gets engaged to Balan, a local shop owner, Baby murders Balan in a fit of jealousy. He strangles Balan with the same electric wire used in his earlier murders and stages it as a robbery gone wrong.

Foreshadowing: Nirmala's love for Baby and her awareness of the caste barriers between them establishes the emotional tension that drives this murder.

  • baby kills balan
  • nirmala
  • jealousy
  • murder
Q5

Why does Annie keep having an affair while married?

Annie is depicted as a nymphomaniac who shows no affection for her husband Andrews or their child. Each month, under the pretense of fighting with Andrews, she returns to her maternal family and pursues her affair with Unnunni. The arrangement allows her to maintain her marriage facade while living freely according to her desires. Mathukutty and Koshy remain unaware of the true situation, blaming Andrews for marital problems.

Foreshadowing: Annie is introduced with explicit description of her lack of warmth for her husband, establishing her detachment from conventional marriage.

  • annie affair
  • unnuini
  • marriage problems
Q6

Why does Mathukutty shoot his own son Baby?

Baby returns home with a revolver and shoots at Koshy, who confronts him. When Mathukutty shouts at Baby to stop, Baby turns the gun on his father. Mathukutty narrowly avoids the shot, but Koshy is injured. In the ensuing struggle, Mathukutty grabs his rifle and shoots Baby dead in an act of self-defense and protection of the family. This marks the tragic culmination of the violence that originated from within their own household.

Foreshadowing: Baby's earlier attempt to kill Raghavan with a knife and his escalating dreams of murder show his violence was turning inward toward family.

  • mathukutty kills baby
  • patricide
  • final confrontation
Q7

Why does Baby try to kill Raghavan?

After Nirmala ends her relationship with Baby and gets engaged to Raghavan, a rubber tapper and Baby's friend, Baby cannot accept losing her. He attempts to strangle Raghavan using the same method he used before. However, Raghavan recognizes Baby during the attack and fights back, alerting the police. This attempt marks Baby's third murder attempt and directly leads to the police manhunt.

Foreshadowing: Baby's murder of Balan and his inability to let go of Nirmala foreshadow his continued violence against her future suitors.

  • baby attacks raghavan
  • nirmala
  • police hunt
Q8

Why is Baby obsessed with Nirmala despite their caste differences?

Nirmala genuinely loves Baby and represents something pure in his dark world. However, their relationship is complicated by caste and class barriers - Nirmala comes from a poor family while Baby is from a wealthy, powerful household. Nirmala understands the crushing weight of these social divisions and ultimately ends her relationship with Baby, choosing to marry Raghavan who represents a more stable, acceptable path. Baby's obsession turns violent because he cannot accept rejection or the loss of what he desired.

Foreshadowing: The story establishes early that Nirmala understands 'the crushing weight of caste and class divides that separate them.'

  • baby nirmala
  • caste barriers
  • love obsession
Q9

How does Baby avoid arrest after killing Balan?

Baby stages Balan's murder as a robbery gone wrong, making it appear as if a thief killed him during a burglary attempt. This cover-up is convincing enough to initially mislead police. However, his subsequent attempt to kill Raghavan fails when Raghavan recognizes him and reports the attack to police, beginning the manhunt that eventually forces Baby into hiding.

Foreshadowing: Baby's earlier successful cover-up of Unnunni's murder as suicide gives him confidence in his ability to mislead investigation.

  • baby escapes arrest
  • cover up
  • murder investigation
Q10

Why does Baby shoot Koshy first during the final confrontation?

Koshy serves as Mathukutty's second-in-command and mirrors his father's ruthlessness. He represents the violent enforcer side of the family business that Baby has grown to resent. During the confrontation, Koshy is the one who directly confronts Baby, making him the immediate target. Baby's violence ultimately extends to the entire family structure he blame for his corruption, shooting at both Koshy and his father.

Foreshadowing: Koshy's role as the ruthless second-in-command who handles 'violent undertakings' establishes him as embodying the family violence Baby despises.

  • baby shoots koshy
  • family violence
  • confrontation
Q11

Why does Sunny not stop the family's descent into violence?

Sunny is described as a rebellious drinker who resists his father's suffocating grip but whose resolve often dissolves into passivity. He represents the family's failed rebellion - someone who sees the problems but lacks the strength or will to truly break away. He remains stuck within the system, unable to effectively oppose Mathukutty or prevent the tragedy. His inaction reflects the family's broader paralysis in the face of corruption.

Foreshadowing: Sunny is introduced as someone who 'reels against the suffocating gravity of his father's empire' but whose 'resolve often dissolves into passivity.'

  • sunny rebellion
  • passivity
  • family dysfunction
Q12

Why can't Baby's uncle, the bishop, help him?

Baby's uncle, a bishop, senses something deeply wrong with the boy and tries to reach him, but fails. The bishop represents moral authority in the family, but his influence is powerless against the family's entrenched corruption and Baby's psychological deterioration. The household's environment of violence and crime, combined with Baby's isolation, creates a darkness the bishop cannot penetrate. This failure underscores the family's complete moral collapse.

Foreshadowing: The bishop's sensing that 'something is wrong' with Baby early in the story highlights his awareness but helplessness.

  • bishop uncle
  • family morality
  • spiritual failure

Movie threads

More Movies Like Irakal, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Irakal tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about a descent into madness like Irakal

Stories where characters spiral into violence, inheriting or creating their own darkness. If you were captivated by the psychological unraveling in Irakal, this thread features similar movies about characters spiraling into violence and madness. These films share a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and a focus on the tragic consequences of inherited sin and a brutal environment.

  • psychological
  • descent into madness
  • violent
  • tragic
  • unsettling
  • brutal
  • Tone: dark, tragic, unsettling
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives often follow a linear but devastating progression. A character, susceptible due to environment or psychology, absorbs brutality around them. Their aggression escalates methodically, leading to a climax of violence and a tragic ending where redemption is impossible, forcing a confrontation with the sins that created them.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their intense focus on a single character's psychological collapse into violence. They share a dark, oppressive mood, a steady pacing that builds dread, and a heavy emotional weight derived from themes of family dysfunction, inherited criminality, and the absence of hope.

Grim crime family dramas similar to Irakal

Grim stories where criminal empires corrupt the family unit from within. For viewers who appreciated the exploration of a criminal family's moral collapse in Irakal, this list features movies with similar oppressive family dynamics in a crime setting. These stories depict how violence and dysfunction are passed down, creating a claustrophobic and tragic atmosphere.

  • family dysfunction
  • criminal empire
  • claustrophobic
  • oppressive
  • tragic
  • moral decay
  • Tone: dark, oppressive, claustrophobic
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern centers on a patriarch or matriarch figure ruling a criminal enterprise. Their children are raised in this brutal environment, internalizing its values or rebelling against them. The story unfolds as the younger generation's actions force a reckoning, exposing the rot at the family's core and resulting in a devastating conclusion for all involved.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their setting within a morally bankrupt family dynasty. They create a specific, claustrophobic vibe where the home is a prison. The similarity comes from the blend of crime genre elements with intense family drama, a steady, dreadful pacing, and a consistently dark, oppressive tone.

Every angle

Irakal (1985) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Irakal in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app