By The People

By The People

Year: 2005

Runtime: 111 mins

Language: Malayalam

Director: Jayaraj

Two years after the events of ‘4 the People,’ four university students band together to fight the corruption infecting the education system. Their anger grows after a classmate takes her own life when denied a study loan. At the same time, police recall officer Rajan Mathew (Sunil) from an administrative position, bringing him back into action after his previous transfer for a student‑related killing.

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Timeline & Setting – By The People (2005)

Explore the full timeline and setting of By The People (2005). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

Set in a contemporary era, the film situates itself in a modern political landscape where media, crime and governance intersect. Actions unfold with present-day tactics, including videotaped conversations and public exposure. The urgency is fueled by ongoing corruption and the pursuit of accountability.

Location

India

The story unfolds across India, moving from government offices and college campuses to banks, resorts, and public rallies. It shows the environment where corruption and reform collide, and vigilante acts ripple through society. The backdrop includes a vacation house, a junkyard and the tense political milieu.

🏙️ Urban India 🗳️ Politics 🧭 Society

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:12

Main Characters – By The People (2005)

Meet the key characters of By The People (2005), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Rajan Mathew (Narain)

A former police officer turned administrator, Rajan is weary of a corrupt system. After being transferred for killing a member of the original four, he is later reinstated as SP to pursue them, only to discover betrayals within his own ranks. He adopts a pragmatic, strategic approach and ultimately collaborates with the By the People to orchestrate a no-trace end to the conspiracy.

🧭 Pragmatic 🛡️ Strategic 🕊️ Justice-seeker

Arvind Sebastian (Arun)

One of the original four, Arvind Sebastian embodies idealism and determination in the anti-corruption crusade. After their actions, he is imprisoned along with his allies. He remains committed to reform and to the cause despite the consequences.

🎯 Idealist 🗝️ Loyalist

Eswar Iyyer (Arjun Bose)

Eswar is a fierce member of the four, driven by anger toward corruption and a readiness to take bold actions. He participates in the group’s militant plans and contributes to their confrontations with powerful interests.

💥 Aggressive 🧭 Loyal

Shafeeq (Padma Kumar)

A member of the imprisoned core, Shafeeq contributes to the group’s coordinated effort against corrupt power. He endures the crackdown alongside his allies, remaining committed to their shared cause.

🗝️ Committed 🛡️ Loyal

Sathyan (Sreejith Ravi)

A one-legged auto driver who joins Pulse’s pursuit of justice, Sathyan embodies grit and resourcefulness. He fights as part of the movement but meets the violence of the crackdown, being shot or nabbed during the purge.

🚶‍♂️ Resilient 🗡️ Fighter

Sudhakaran (Vinayakan)

A street porter who becomes part of Pulse, Sudhakaran brings practical street-level support to the anti-corruption campaign. He shares the risks of engaging in violent pursuits and faces arrest or worse as the crackdown unfolds.

🧑‍🔧 Loyal 🛡️ Resourceful

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:12

Major Themes – By The People (2005)

Explore the central themes of By The People (2005), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗡️ Vigilantism

A vigilante impulse drives the plot, as a group seeks immediate justice against corrupt figures. The narrative explores the morality of taking the law into one’s own hands and the collateral damage that follows. It questions whether ends justify violent means when institutions fail to act.

📰 Media Power

Media becomes a weapon and a shield in the battle against corruption. Public exposure of conversations and tapes shifts power, yet courts reject evidence, highlighting flaws in the system. The film shows how narratives can be shaped by those who control the press.

⚖️ Systemic Corruption

The story exposes a web of corruption within political and judicial structures that enable impunity. It reveals how official complicity and bureaucratic inertia enable criminals to avoid accountability. The fight exposes the fragility of the rule of law when institutions crumble from within.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:12

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about fighting systemic corruption like By The People

Stories of determined individuals taking on powerful, corrupt systems.If you enjoyed the gritty, determined battle against institutional rot in By The People, you'll find similar themes here. This list features movies about student activism, political thrillers, and social justice stories where characters risk everything to challenge a corrupt establishment.

angrydeterminedgrittyvengefuldesperatesombertense

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a group or individual who uncovers a vast web of corruption. Their initial attempts to use official channels fail, forcing them into more extreme and often violent methods. The conflict escalates rapidly, pitting their idealism against the cold, brutal reality of systemic power, usually at great personal cost.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a core focus on the theme of fighting a rigged system. They possess a tense, angry tone, fast pacing driven by escalating confrontations, and a heavy emotional weight stemming from the high stakes and moral compromises required. The endings are often bittersweet, with a pyrrhic victory that underscores the systemic problem's persistence.

Fast-paced gritty political thrillers similar to By The People

High-stakes conspiracies and betrayals unravel at a breakneck pace.Fans of the high-intensity, rapid-fire narrative of By The People will appreciate these selections. Discover similar movies with a tense atmosphere, complex conspiracies, and desperate characters caught in cycles of violence and betrayal within political or criminal underworlds.

tensegrittychaoticdesperatevengefulsomberfast-paced

Narrative Summary

The narrative structure is typically linear but event-packed, with a clear, escalating conflict between opposing forces. The pacing is fast, driven by a sequence of attacks, investigations, and counter-moves that leave little room for respite. Characters are often motivated by revenge or survival, operating in a world where betrayal is commonplace and the line between right and wrong is blurred.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared visceral experience: a consistently high level of tension, a fast and often chaotic pacing that creates a sense of immediacy, and a gritty, realistic tone. They focus on themes of corruption, revenge, and the high personal cost of engaging in violent political or criminal conflicts.

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By The People Summary

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By The People Summary

By The People Timeline

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By The People Timeline

By The People Spoiler-Free Summary

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By The People Spoiler-Free Summary

More About By The People

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