Pathonpatham Noottandu

A young Arattupuzha Panicker travels to Travancore to seek a permit to export cardamom. At the English East India Company headquarters, he witnesses a brutal slave fight staged by British officers and some nobles. He steps in to rescue the winner when the officers order the loser to be killed, triggering a chaotic escape.

In the Durbar, the Maharaja asks Panicker to help locate Kayamkulam Kochunni who has stolen sacred salagram ornaments. Ministers raise concerns about his lower caste status, but the king wants his abilities for this task. The situation sets the terms of his future mission.

Kochunni plans to recover the stolen chest and hides it underground near the palace just as the prince's wedding is underway. The pursuit intensifies as the king declares a reward for information leading to Kochunni's capture. The stage is set for a climactic confrontation.

Panicker constructs a Shiva temple for lower caste communities, challenging social norms. The Diwan orders his arrest for allowing worship by people of a lower caste. The event highlights the caste tensions that drive the conflict.

In prison, Padaveedan Nambi and Kaimal plot to poison Panicker, but Inspector Kannan Kurup saves him. The queen intervenes by ordering Chekavar's release and asks for his help to retrieve the ornaments and capture Kochunni. The state acts to keep Panicker in the fight.

During the wedding, Kurup catches Kochunni but frees him in exchange for half the value of the ornaments. Kochunni and Kurup then plan to sell the hidden chest to Looper, an English trader. The betrayal underscores the complexity of loyalties in Travancore.

Chekavar arrives, defeats Kochunni and his team, and retrieves the chest. Kurup and Looper escape as the plan unravels. Kochunni is left jailed, while political rewards loom and untouchability laws complicate the situation.

The Maharaja offers the reward of veera shringhala and 1008 gold coins. Ministers advise against paying it directly because of untouchability laws. Panicker rejects the reward and the king confers him the title Panicker, making him known as Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker.

During the ongoing oppression, Panicker proclaims a new code of conduct for women and a dramatic ritual. He tells women to cover their chests and wear longer garments and to perform the Poothan dance during the Perumpoothan Thullal. He distributes garments and nose rings to all women to support this protest.

Kaimal and Nambi interrupt the ritual with a team of police inspectors and begin beating attendees. Nambi kills Panicker's grandfather Perumal, and Panicker kills Nambi in a furious confrontation. The event marks a turning point in the struggle.

Kandappan, Panicker's close aide, is bought off by Kaimal to assassinate him. Kandappan spikes the tender coconuts served to Panicker and others as the plot grows more deadly. The betrayal heightens the danger in the struggle.

As the drug takes effect, Kaimal and his team assault Panicker. He kills them all but bleeds to death, ending his rebellion in a blaze of vengeance. His death becomes a rallying point for the people against oppression.

Nangeli is beaten for covering her chest during the protest. Her father Kelu is captured and beaten in the fury that follows. Nangeli cuts off her own breasts and presents them before the governors, dying shortly after. Her lover Chirukkandan jumps into her funeral pyre in grief.

The deaths of Panicker and Nangeli arouse fury and distress among the people. To restore order, the king abolishes the breast tax and grants women the right to cover their upper body. This marks a turning point in the social reforms of Travancore.

To honor his courage, the Maharaja awards Panicker the title and recognizes him as Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker. His life becomes a symbol of resistance against oppression and caste discrimination, reshaping the region's history.