Set in 1989, a tense, morally charged cat-and-mouse drama unfolds between Kumaran, a seasoned inspector wrestling with PTSD from personal tragedy, and Sudhakar, an ultra-violent cannibalistic serial killer who taunts the system with his claimed truths. The film begins with Vijayalakshmi, known as Viji, a determined Vijayalakshmi reporter for Vikatan, visiting a death-row inmate who asserts he is Pattampoochi—the killer behind a string of grisly murders. The inmate, Sudhakar, says he did not commit the Ismayil murder, yet admits to seven other killings and insists he is Pattampoochi, even handing over a butterfly drawing that matches one found at the crime scenes. His confession erupts into a media storm, casting doubt on the case and prompting the court to pause the death penalty while a 30-day investigation proceeds to determine the truth.
The investigation lands with Kumaran, who also carries the burden of a troubled family history: his own daughter was killed in a car bombing tied to an illicit liquor dealer, and the trauma has left him with PTSD that complicates both his personal life and professional decisions. The police, coupled with media scrutiny, question Kumaran’s suitability for a high-profile case, while Sudhakar dismisses him as an ineffectual cop who will only confess to Viji if his story is given front-page treatment. A flashback reveals Sudhakar’s brutal upbringing—an abusive, wealth-dominated father, the mother’s suicide, and years of emotional and physical torment that drive him toward painting as a coping mechanism. The abuse culminates in a chilling act that fuels his later murders and his terrifying appetite.
To untangle the truth, Kumaran crafts a careful plan. He discovers that Sudhakar’s alleged Pattampoochi persona targets men with loving fathers, and, in a bid to test the killer’s claims without prematurely leaking details, he arranges a makeshift, jail-bound “Pattampoochi” front page in a controlled newspaper to test responses and gather evidence. Meanwhile, Viji builds a bond with Kumaran and even learns more about his father—who quietly, and unknowingly, nudges her toward a potential future with Kumaran. The elder Kumaran shares a painful memory of his daughter’s death and the impact it had on his wife, pushing him deeper into PTSD; through this, Viji’s own life comes into sharper focus, including her separation and life with her daughter.
As the investigation advances, Sudhakar agrees to cooperate only if Kumaran physically takes him to the places where the crimes were committed. Kumaran reluctantly complies, planning a controlled pursuit, but the plan is thwarted when the victims’ families launch an attack. Kumaran saves Sudhakar and returns him to jail, only for another murder to occur the next morning under Pattampoochi’s name. It becomes clear that Sudhakar manipulated the situation to leave confinement, while the police conceal a critical hair strand detail that would prove copycat activity. Sudhakar then murders the man who actually killed Ismayil and seizes the murder weapon, along with the hair strand, to guard his story and ensure the police face fewer consequences.
In court, Sudhakar contends that the Pattampoochi drama was a ruse to escape the death sentence, arguing that he could not have committed Ismayil’s murder from prison. The judge releases Sudhakar, citing insufficient evidence and his disability as reasons, leaving Kumaran to confront the consequences of an illegal move that allowed Sudhakar to walk free. The second half of the story pivots into a more personal, dangerous cat-and-mouse game: Kumaran, feeling responsible for any future killings, is shifted to a desk job, while Sudhakar grows more reckless and vengeful. The police, including Fernandaz, are humiliated as Sudhakar forces a confrontation that results in a brutal kill, prompting Kumaran to lash out.
The chase accelerates as Sudhakar targets Viji and Kumaran’s father, pushing the conflict toward a final, brutal confrontation. Kumaran defeats Sudhakar in a climactic moment and attempts to portray Pattampoochi as the killer who took Sudhakar’s life, using the disguise to mask his own actions. The aftermath sees Viji and Kumaran marry and settle with Viji’s daughter, but the enigmatic Pattampoochi continues to strike—now seemingly targeting criminals. In a shocking twist, Viji uncovers that Kumaran adopted the Pattampoochi identity to carry out his own vigilantism, raising questions about justice, deception, and where one man’s moral line ends and another’s begins. The story closes on this uneasy note: the line between hunter and hunted remains blurred, and the city must live with the unsettling truth that Pattampoochi’s reign may be fueled by more than the original killer alone.
