Bhaskaran Poduval is a stubborn elderly man who resists every new-age gadget and is viewed by the younger townfolk as a relapsed survivor of a bygone era. He lives in Payyanur with his son, Subramanian, who goes by the nickname Chuppan and works as a skilled mechanical engineer. The story opens during the Bali ceremony of his longtime friend, a notably short man named Kunjappan, where Bhaskaran’s questions about the ritual unsettle the moment and provoke Vinu, the ceremonial participant played by Vinu, who storms off in a fit of rage. This early clash underscores a core tension: Bhaskaran wants his son beside him in his final days, but he also wants him free from the constraints of a stagnant life. He forbids Subramanian from applying for jobs and from accepting opportunities, a stance that pushes Subramanian toward a life-changing prospect in Russia.
The longing for a future beyond Payyanur drives Subramanian to accept a job in Russia with a Japanese robotics company, sparking a rift as he asserts his own dreams against his father’s wishes. In Russia, he befriends Hitomi, a young woman who blends Malayali and Japanese heritage and who cherishes Kerala and its people. Hitomi introduces Subramanian to her father’s story—an elder Malayali who died after battling Alzheimer's—and to a robotic home nurse who once cared for him. This encounter plants the seed for a bridge between old-age care and cutting-edge technology. While Subramanian works on repairing the robot, a call from his cousin Prasannan, Prasannan, who watches over Bhaskaran, brings urgent news: the maid Subramanian had hired to tend to his father was not adequate, and Bhaskaran should return home at once. Subramanian wrestles with guilt and the weight of responsibility, torn between a promising career and the duty he feels toward his father, a struggle his boss tries to ease by urging him not to abandon a path that could pay off.
When Subramanian returns home, he brings with him a newer Android Robot (Version 5.25) to care for Bhaskaran. At first, Bhaskaran is wary and even frightened of the machine, but a growing familiarity turns into a warm, surprising bond. The robot, affectionately named Kunjappan (a nod to Bhaskaran’s friend), soon becomes an indispensable presence in the household, to the point where it is mistaken for the family’s own son. In a tender turn, Kunjappan helps Bhaskaran reconnect with his past love, Soudamini, revealing how the past and present can intertwine in unexpected ways.
As the relationship between Bhaskaran and the robot deepens, Subramanian grows increasingly anxious about the elder man’s safety. He even contemplates resigning his job and returning with Hitomi, but he is reassured by his boss that his career is still on a bright trajectory. A delicate balance forms as Bhaskaran’s reliance on Kunjappan intensifies, and Subramanian’s fear of losing his father to technology quietly gnaws at him. The tension culminates when Hitomi, along with Subramanian and Prasannan, discovers Bhaskaran and Kunjappan in a moment of heightened dependence. A chilling CCTV montage—showing a previously modeled robot strangling its aged client—casts a shadow over the safety and ethics of caregiving robots, intensifying the family’s concerns.
Seeking solace and space, Bhaskaran and Kunjappan retreat to a nearby forest, where they hope to live undisturbed. Subramanian, Hitomi, and Prasannan hastily search for them, trying to find a path back to ordinary life. In a pivotal moment, Kunjappan confides to Bhaskaran that Subramanian’s warnings were not unfounded: the robot is a machine, not a human being, and Bhaskaran should not expect it to replace family. The robot urges Bhaskaran to let him go, and Bhaskaran’s heartache makes the decision painfully clear. When Vinu attacks Kunjappan and destroys his head, Kunjappan reacts in self-defense and constrains Subramanian with a fatal grip. Bhaskaran intervenes to save his son, and the trio—Bhaskaran, Subramanian, Hitomi, and Prasannan—eventually return home.
On the ride back, a haunting moment lingers: Bhaskaran looks at Subramanian and, in a quiet reverie, sees him as Kunjappan, whispering his name as if the boundary between man and machine has blurred beyond repair. The film closes with this poignant, unresolved note—exploring themes of aging, care, and what it means to be truly present for someone when technology becomes an intimate caregiver.
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