Biriyani

Khadeeja endures a loveless marriage where her husband treats her as an object for his pleasure. When she seeks her own sexual autonomy, he rebukes her, blaming it on her supposed incompleteness of circumcision and reinforces the idea that women should not experience sex. The tension in their home grows as she remains isolated from affection and choice.

Her brother returns from the Middle East with stories that unsettle the family, triggering a fresh wave of anxiety in their mother who begins to unravel mentally. Khadeeja consoles her by promising a feast to mark their father's death anniversary, trying to hold the family together. The promise hints at a desperate attempt to restore meaning amid turmoil.

News reports warn of radical Wahhabi influence among Malayalees returning from Saudi Arabia, fueling suspicion and fear in the community. The atmosphere grows tense as conversations turn hostile toward any signs of dissent. Khadeeja and her mother become targets of watchful eyes and whispered judgments.

Under pressure from the community, their household is scrutinized for the brother's alleged ties to terrorism, and Khadeeja's husband divorces her via text. He forbids her from contacting their son and abandons her, severing the little ties she had left. The marriage collapses in a public, demeaning way.

Desperate for answers, Khadeeja visits Abubakar, the handler believed to manage her brother's influence. Abubakar refuses to help and warns them to stay away, framing their inquiries as dangerous and futile. The encounter leaves them more exposed to judgment and fear.

Shortly after, the mosque excommunicates them, signaling a rejection from the religious community. They are cut off from communal worship and from the social safety net of their faith. The community's stance deepens Khadeeja's isolation.

Abubakar brings money from her brother, but Khadeeja rejects it, demanding he return instead. She asserts that she will not accept help funded by their brother's alleged misdeeds. The money's presence underscores the moral complexity pressing down on the family.

In a letter, her brother urges her to take their mother to a shrine for healing, presenting spiritual paths while the world around them is collapsing. Khadeeja weighs the call to ritual healing against the realities of their trauma. The letter intensifies the clash between faith, duty, and personal wellbeing.

At the shrine, they meet Bijil, a priest who claims faith alone won't heal her mother and that many visitors come for free meals. Khadeeja notices hypocrisy in the religious system as a woman is seen selling her body and the priest indulges in secret pleasures. Their exchange challenges conventional piety and surfaces the personal costs of zeal.

Days later, Bijil shows her news of her brother's death in Kashmir and Abubakar's arrest, forcing her to confront the broader consequences of the family's past. She hides this information from her mother, fearing her fragile mental state. The new revelations strip away remaining façades around her family.

Having no family left, Bijil offers Khadeeja his home and financial support, and they relocate. She resists using his money, clinging to a sense of independence despite her vulnerability. The move marks a temporary shelter from the social storm surrounding them.

A journalist exposes the family's past, triggering a cascade of grief that culminates in her mother's death from shock. The exposure shatters the last shreds of social standing and trust they had left. Khadeeja is left to navigate the double burden of loss and stigma.

Destitute and bereft, Khadeeja turns to prostitution to survive, while Bijil remains conflicted but continues aiding her in small ways. The act marks a stark break from her conservative identity and brings new risks and moral ambiguities. She travels deeper into a life she never imagined.

To honor her mother's wish, she arranges a memorial iftar and invites a wide circle, including her ex-husband. The plan seeks to reconcile the family and provide a last rite amid the collapse of all else. The feast becomes a public stage for her private grief.

Before the event, police detain her under false pretenses, causing a miscarriage. At the iftar, guests unknowingly eat biryani laced with her stillborn fetus. Bijil withdraws in horror, warning that two wrongs do not make a right. In her final moment, she imagines reclaiming control over her body by having sex with her ex-husband.