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Romans (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2013 · 156 mins · Malayalam
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Directed by
Boban Samuel
Starring
Biju Menon, Lalu Alex, Kochu Preman, Shaju Sreedhar, Vijayaraghavan, Shivaji Guruvayoor

Two convicts, Akash and Shibu, escape from a train while being transferred to prison. They find themselves in a village on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where they are mistakenly identified as visiting priests. Assuming the roles, they revitalize a long-abandoned church and gain the villagers’ trust. Unexpected events during their time in the village lead to a shift in their perspectives on life and society.

Comedy Thriller Mystery Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Romans Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Romans (2013) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Convict train escape

    Akash and Shibu are being transported to a jail on a train with another convict. The duo beat the guards and Shibu jumps off the moving train with an unwilling Akash, starting their unlikely escape. The incident marks the beginning of their journey away from prison.

    When
    During transport
    Where
    On a train

  2. Arrival in Poomala

    The convicts reach the village of Poomala, sitting near the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, coinciding with the arrival of two priests. The locals mistake them for the new priests due to their appearance. The chance encounter drags them into the village’s unusual upcoming events.

    When
    Day of priests' arrival
    Where
    Poomala village

  3. Mistaken identity and disguise

    Surrounded by curious townsfolk, Akash and Shibu realize they are mistaken for clergy. To stay hidden and gain safety, they decide to pretend to be priests, with Akash taking the name Fr. Paul and Shibu becoming Fr. Sebastian. The masquerade begins to shape the village’s faith and fears.

    When
    Shortly after arrival
    Where
    Poomala church

  4. Miracle-like signs boost faith

    As the masquerade unfolds, small miracles seem to occur around them. Shibu’s actions contribute to apparent divine signs, reinforcing the townspeople’s belief in the new priests. The line between trick and miracle begins to blur for the villagers.

    When
    Early masquerade
    Where
    Church

  5. A mother cured by a mysterious accident

    During the events, Mathukutty’s mother attacks the priests and is electrocuted after hitting an open socket. She unexpectedly recovers from her insanity, a turn that the villagers interpret as a miracle. The incident deepens the aura of the priests’ powers around the community.

    When
    During masquerade
    Where
    Mathukutty's home

  6. Geevarghese’s breakdown

    Geevarghese, a preacher who distrusts the impostor priests, is inadvertently electrocuted and loses his sanity. His reaction underscores the ambiguous nature of the events and fuels more rumors about the priests’ powers. The village remains divided in belief and fear.

    When
    During the same period
    Where
    Church vicinity

  7. Growing belief in miracles

    The sequence of odd incidents leads the townspeople to increasingly believe the priests possess divine abilities. Their growing influence reshapes the village’s customs and expectations around the Perunnal festival. The line between skepticism and faith becomes dangerously thin.

    When
    During masquerade
    Where
    Poomala

  8. Backstory of the church and the curse

    Achankunju explains the church’s troubled past, including Fr. Rodriguez’s suicide after a tragic love confession and the belief that his ghost curses the Perunnal. This history fuels the villagers’ fear that priests arriving at the church will die during the festival. The idea of a curse now looms over every new priest.

    When
    Before Perunnal
    Where
    Church

  9. Escape attempt loops back to Poomala

    Akash and Shibu attempt to flee again but end up circling back to Poomala. Their plans to escape the net of the village and its myths are repeatedly thwarted. The cycle of deception and danger drives them deeper into the town’s secrets.

    When
    During the escape attempts
    Where
    Road to and around Poomala

  10. Ornament theft plot and reconciliation

    Shibu schemes to steal ornaments for the Perunnal and escape, but Akash objects to the plan. Shibu locks him in a room, and Achankunju eventually frees him. The two priests-pretenders reconcile, realizing they must navigate the festival together.

    When
    Before Perunnal
    Where
    Church vicinity

  11. Perunnal Day and supposed deaths

    During Perunnal, a ritual is staged where the priests are believed to die. Akash pretends to consider Fr. Rodriguez the source of the curse and moves to destroy his gravestone. He then appears to bleed to death, heightening the village’s hysteria.

    When
    Perunnal Day
    Where
    Church

  12. The truth emerges and a killer is exposed

    The apparently dead Fr. Paul/Akash returns to reveal the real culprit: Pappichayan, the father of Fr. Rodriguez, who has poisoned the priests with the Vayanayappam to frame the church. Shibu confirms the night he saw the poisoning, forcing the truth into the open. Pappichayan is arrested at last.

    When
    Perunnal climax
    Where
    Church

  13. Escape during prayer and a spark of hope

    In a tense moment, the priests-turned-escapees try to flee while the townsfolk pray with closed eyes. Eleena appears and motivates Akash to keep moving, giving him a glimmer of hope amid the pursuit. The escape attempt ends with the police catching up.

    When
    End of ritual
    Where
    Church

  14. Punishment and a winking return

    Inspector Vetrimaaran informs the duo that their punishment will be reduced, acknowledging their clever evasion and the village’s complicity. Akash winks at Eleena as they are led away by the authorities. The moment mixes grim justice with a sense of reluctant relief.

    When
    After capture
    Where
    Outside the church

  15. Epilogue: faith endures and a Christmas escape

    Despite the truth about the priests, the villagers remain oblivious and continue to regard them as angels. The end credits reveal Akash and Shibu in Santa Claus outfits celebrating Christmas, indicating they have once again escaped from prison. The final image leaves a bittersweet note on belief and freedom.

    When
    Sometime later
    Where
    Poomala and later prison

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:04

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Timeline questions answered

Romans Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Romans (2013): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why were Akash and Shibu mistaken for priests in Poomala?

Akash and Shibu arrived in Poomala village on the same day two priests were expected to visit. Due to their appearance and the villagers' expectation of the priests' arrival, the locals immediately assumed the two strangers were the new clergy. The convicts decided to maintain the disguise to hide from authorities and find safety.

Foreshadowing: The village's desperate need for priests is established early when they eagerly welcome the supposed holy men.

  • Akash
  • Shibu
  • mistaken identity
  • priests
  • Poomala village
Q2

How did Mathukutty's mother recover from her insanity?

Mathukutty's mother attacked the supposed priests and was electrocuted after hitting an open electrical socket. Surprisingly, she recovered from her insanity afterward. The villagers interpreted this as a miracle performed by the priests, though it was actually an accident that had an unexpected positive outcome.

Foreshadowing: This incident begins to blur the line between trick and miracle in the villagers' eyes.

  • Mathukutty mother
  • electrocuted
  • miracle
  • insanity recovery
Q3

Why did Geevarghese lose his sanity?

Geevarghese, a preacher who distrusted the impostor priests, was inadvertently electrocuted near the church vicinity during the same period as the other strange events. The electrocution caused him to lose his sanity, which fueled more rumors about the priests' supernatural powers.

Foreshadowing: Geevarghese's skepticism made him a target of the mysterious events.

  • Geevarghese
  • preacher
  • electrocuted
  • lost sanity
Q4

What is the curse associated with Fr. Rodriguez?

Achankunju explains that Fr. Rodriguez previously served at the church and committed suicide after a tragic love confession. The villagers believe his ghost curses anyone who serves at the church during the Perunnal festival, leading to a fear that priests arriving at the church will die during the celebration.

Foreshadowing: This backstory establishes the village's deep-seated fear of the Perunnal festival.

  • Fr Rodriguez
  • curse
  • Perunnal
  • church ghost
  • suicide
Q5

Why did Akash pretend to die during the Perunnal festival?

During Perunnal, Akash pretended to consider Fr. Rodriguez as the source of the curse and moved to destroy his gravestone. He then staged his own death, appearing to bleed to death, which heightened the village's hysteria and brought the mystery to its climax.

Foreshadowing: This dramatic act was planned to expose the truth behind the church's troubles.

  • Akash
  • Perunnal
  • fake death
  • Fr Rodriguez
  • gravestone
Q6

Who was poisoning the priests at the church?

The real culprit was Pappichayan, the father of Fr. Rodriguez. He had been poisoning the priests with something called Vayanayappam to frame the church and perpetuate the belief in the curse. His goal was to destroy the church's reputation after his son's tragic fate.

Foreshadowing: The backstory about Fr. Rodriguez hints at a personal tragedy that drove someone to seek revenge.

  • Pappichayan
  • poison
  • Vayanayappam
  • Fr Rodriguez father
  • killer
Q7

Why did Pappichayan want to frame the church?

Pappichayan poisoned the priests because his son Fr. Rodriguez had committed suicide at the church after a tragic love confession. Driven by grief and anger, he sought to destroy the church's reputation by making it appear cursed and dangerous for priests.

Foreshadowing: Pappichayan's motive stems directly from the backstory of his son's death.

  • Pappichayan
  • revenge
  • frame church
  • motive
  • Fr Rodriguez death
Q8

Why did Akash and Shibu keep returning to Poomala?

Despite multiple escape attempts, Akash and Shibu kept circling back to Poomala. The village's remote location near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, combined with the confusing geography and their growing involvement in the village's affairs, repeatedly drew them back. Their plans to flee were thwarted by the cycle of deception and the mysterious events unfolding around them.

Foreshadowing: The village seems to trap them through its myths and the timing of events.

  • escape attempts
  • Poomala
  • return
  • convicts
Q9

How were Akash and Shibu caught after the Perunnal climax?

After the truth about Pappichayan was exposed, Akash and Shibu attempted to escape during a prayer session while the townsfolk prayed with closed eyes. However, the police caught up with them before they could fully flee the village.

Foreshadowing: Their escape was always precarious given their status as convicts.

  • escape
  • captured
  • police
  • Perunnal
  • Vetrimaaran
Q10

Did the villagers stop believing in the priests after the truth came out?

Despite the truth about the impostor priests being revealed and Pappichayan being arrested, the villagers remained oblivious and continued to regard Akash and Shibu as angels. Their faith persisted even after the reality of the deception was exposed.

Foreshadowing: This reflects the villagers' deep need for belief and miracles.

  • villagers faith
  • belief
  • truth
  • angels
  • ignorance
Q11

What happened to Akash and Shibu at the end?

After their capture, Inspector Vetrimaaran informed them that their punishment would be reduced due to their clever evasion and the village's complicity. The end credits reveal that they escaped from prison once again, this time dressed in Santa Claus outfits during Christmas, showing they returned to their criminal ways.

Foreshadowing: This ending mirrors their initial escape from the train.

  • Christmas escape
  • Santa
  • prison escape
  • Akash Shibu ending

Movie threads

More Movies Like Romans, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Romans tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about mistaken identity and redemption like Romans

Characters who find purpose and change their lives by pretending to be someone else. Discover movies like Romans where characters unexpectedly find a sense of purpose through mistaken identity. These films often blend comedy and drama, focusing on themes of redemption, community, and second chances. If you enjoyed the accidental priests' journey in Romans, you'll find similar uplifting stories here.

  • redemptive
  • whimsical
  • hopeful
  • lighthearted
  • satirical
  • surprising
  • Tone: hopeful, whimsical, redemptive
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically begin with a deception, often born of necessity or chance. The protagonists, usually flawed or down-on-their-luck, are thrust into a role of respect or responsibility they haven't earned. As they maintain the facade, they begin to internalize the positive qualities attributed to them, leading to genuine transformation and a positive impact on those around them.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share the core narrative device of mistaken identity as a catalyst for redemption. They balance comedic situations with genuine character development, resulting in a feel-good vibe that emphasizes hope and the potential for change, regardless of one's past.

Romans movie poster

Romans

2013
The Majestic movie poster

The Majestic

2001
The Wendell Baker Story movie poster

The Wendell Baker Story

2007
The Man Who Found Himself movie poster

The Man Who Found Himself

1937
The Infidel movie poster

The Infidel

2010
Such Good People movie poster

Such Good People

2014
Just Follow Law movie poster

Just Follow Law

2007
Shooting Straight movie poster

Shooting Straight

1930

Small town sanctuary movies with criminals like Romans

Fugitives on the run who discover peace and purpose in an unsuspecting community. If you liked Romans, explore more movies where criminals on the run find an unexpected haven in a small town. These stories focus on the contrast between a dark past and a hopeful present, often featuring themes of second chances and the healing power of community. Find your next watch about outlaws finding peace.

  • redemptive
  • surprising
  • hopeful
  • lighthearted
  • small town
  • escape
  • Tone: hopeful, lighthearted with underlying tension
  • Pacing: steady, unfolding
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves an escape or flight from danger or justice, leading the protagonists to a secluded or rural setting. The initial tension of being discovered gradually gives way to the rhythms and values of small-town life. The central conflict shifts from external pursuit to an internal struggle as the characters grapple with their new identities and the guilt or desire to leave their old lives behind.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a specific mood blend: the underlying tension of being fugitives is balanced by the warmth and simplicity of community life. They explore the theme of geographical and emotional sanctuary, where a new environment acts as a catalyst for profound personal change.

High Security Vacation movie poster

High Security Vacation

2009
Romans movie poster

Romans

2013
Henry's Crime movie poster

Henry's Crime

2011
Crooks Anonymous movie poster

Crooks Anonymous

1962
Disorganized Crime movie poster

Disorganized Crime

1989
Such Good People movie poster

Such Good People

2014
Bandits movie poster

Bandits

2001
Murder in a Small Town movie poster

Murder in a Small Town

1999

Every angle

Romans (2013) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Romans in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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