Churuli

The monk travels through a dense forest to capture Perumadan, the evil spirit. The forest creatures wink at him as if he is familiar to them. He discovers a rolled-up pangolin, mistakes it for a ball, and pockets it to gift to his children. The pangolin speaks and directs him to take a different path, revealing that Perumadan is guiding him.

In present day, two police officers, Anthony and Shajivan, embark on a covert mission to capture Myladumparambil Joy hiding in Churuli. They assume false names and travel under the pretext of working for a man named Thankan. They board a jeep toward Churuli, where the driver warns that Thankan is away and they should wait.

On the way, they cross a wooden bridge. Suddenly the passengers and driver lose their friendly demeanor, becoming crass and suspicious. The shift in mood foreshadows danger and the villagers' deceit.

In Churuli, the duo stays in a tavern run by Philip while waiting for Thankan's return. Anthony adapts quickly, spending the day drinking and eating game meat, while Shajivan struggles to fit in and begins dreaming of strange lights and two alien-like figures.

Shajivan questions a local about Joy’s identity, and an old lady remarks that he looks familiar and then chases him with an axe. He escapes and returns to the tavern, unsettled by the inexplicable threat. The encounter hints that the village hides dark truths in its shadows.

One night the two discuss their situation and conclude that many villagers are criminals with multiple aliases. Shajivan wants to inform the police, but Anthony argues they should ignore the locals and focus on their mission. The disagreement reveals a clash between caution and broader suspicion.

The tavern keeper asks them to clean up for a makeshift church ceremony for his daughters' first communion. During the event, Shajivan meets the old lady again, who closes her eyes in a strange manner when she sees him. The moment reinforces the sense that the village hides dark truths.

Thankan returns to town, but he is not Joy, and the duo suspect that Joy’s alias remains hidden among the villagers. Their cover is in jeopardy as confusion and suspicion rise.

Anthony accompanies a local hunter on a hunt and disappears for days. Shajivan searches for Thankan and then visits the house of a cassava supplier, where strange gears and lights flash through a window, hinting at a hidden machinery or otherworldly presence. The hunter blames Anthony for the disappearance while Shajivan defends him.

The Kodagu man in the village grows suspicious; at a local mela, Shajivan is beaten in slap boxing, and each slap triggers disturbing visions. That night, Anthony is woken by thunder and finds Shajivan missing. The Kodagu man later disappears and his corpse lies on a riverbank.

The hunter and duo head out again to hunt, and Shajivan leads, spotting two creatures like those in his dreams. A sudden sound makes him shoot the bison, while Anthony sprains his ankle in pursuit. They are forced to return to a healer’s hut for ritual healing and to seek answers.

Thankan returns and villagers threaten to kill the duo, prompting a warning shot from Shajivan that leads to Thankan’s capture. Thankan reveals he is not Joy, and that the real Joy resides in his home. They confront Joy, who is paralyzed, and he narrates a reimagined monk tale; the road folds into a spiral of cycles.

Joy guides them to a spiral road that loops toward nowhere, revealing the cyclical nature of their ordeal. Mysterious orbs of light gather to form a moon that hangs above the forest as Anthony stares at Shajivan. Shajivan closes his eyes and inexplicably switches places with Joy, and the trio seem to ascend toward the moon.