Sadayam

Sathyanathan is a fatherless child who faces bullying and abuse in his early years. A compassionate priest discovers his artistic talent and takes him under his wing.

Under the priest's guidance, Sathyanathan grows into a skilled painter and earns a living painting signboards and hoardings. The priest nurtures his creativity and gives him direction.

Sathyanathan moves into a rented house in Kozhikode, taking up residence next to Jaya and her two younger sisters who live with their stepmom. This proximity sets the stage for the subsequent events.

Jaya and her sisters have limited prospects, caught in a cycle of poverty and exploitation under their stepmom, foreshadowing their vulnerability to prostitution. The environment around them makes escape seem distant and precarious.

Sathyan supports Jaya's education and helps her secure a job at the company where he works. His protective instinct toward her deepens as he envisions a future together.

Sathyan develops genuine feelings for Jaya and hopes to marry her and start a settled life. The idea of a normal family becomes a driving motivation for him.

Circumstances force Jaya and her sisters deeper into prostitution under the influence of their stepmom. The tension between Sathyan's hopes and the family's reality grows.

In a moment of extreme paranoia and desperation, Sathyan kills Jaya's two sisters to shield them from prostitution. He also eliminates the men responsible for their decline.

The film later unfolds the motive and sequence of events through a series of flashbacks. These segments reveal how Sathyan's actions fit into the larger pattern of his life and choices.

Back in the present, Sathyan awaits his execution as appeals and pardons come from various quarters, including the police. He shows little remorse.

Sathyan longs to begin life anew on a clean slate, but the system denies his pardon. The denial carries a quiet, fatal irony as the death sentence remains.

On September 29, 1991, Sathyan is led to the gallows with his hands tied and his head covered, and he is hanged at around 5:00 AM. The film ends with Jaya weeping over his dead body the following morning.