Theevandi (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

When Damodaran's wife gives birth during a heavy rainstorm, the baby appears stillborn. In a desperate moment, Ammavan blows cigarette smoke toward the lifeless infant, and surprisingly, the baby begins to breathe. This miraculous revival sets the foundation for Bineesh's lifelong connection to smoking.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene foreshadows Bineesh's destiny as a chain-smoker, with smoke literally bringing him back to life.

• ammavan
• baby
• stillborn
• smoke
• birth scene
• pullinad

As Bineesh grows older, his smoking habit becomes increasingly visible and compulsive. The village locals begin calling him "Theevandi," which is the Malayalam term for a chain-smoker, a person who smokes cigarettes continuously, one after another.

Foreshadowing: His childhood habit of buying cigarettes for his uncle with his allowance planted the seeds for this lifelong addiction.

• theevandi
• nickname
• chain-smoker
• bineesh
• pullinad

Bineesh buys the thaali, the sacred thread symbolizing marriage, to present to Devi's father as part of traditional customs. However, he repeatedly forgets to give it to him. To avoid forgetting again, he slips the thaali into a cigarette packet, but Devi discovers it there and interprets it as a sign that he doesn't take their relationship seriously, breaking her heart.

Foreshadowing: This incident represents how Bineesh's addiction consistently undermines his ability to commit to what matters most in his life.

• thaali
• cigarette packet
• devi
• marriage
• customs
• pullinad

Edison Thuruthu, or Edison Island, is depicted as a remote haven far from the village's political pressures and social constraints. It serves as a sanctuary for drifters, free spirits, and those escaping their problems. For Bineesh, it represents a place free from the temptations and judgments of Pullinad, and ultimately becomes the setting where he proves he can resist smoking.

Foreshadowing: Ammavan and Safar are first shown drifting to this island early in the film, hinting at its role as an escape route.

• edison island
• edison thuruthu
• sanctuary
• counterculture
• pullinad

After Bineesh's dramatic stunt of smoking sixteen cigarette packets in one sitting, funded by Sanju, the MLA's Nepali driver, Sanju becomes entangled in the money flow for cigarettes. That night, while driving carelessly, Sanju crashes the car into the building where Bineesh is smoking, leaving the MLA in a coma. This incident throws the party into chaos ahead of the by-election.

Foreshadowing: The crash is triggered by the chaotic events of that night, where multiple storylines converge around Bineesh's addiction.

• mla
• coma
• car crash
• sanju
• nepali driver
• accident

To settle the political nomination dispute, Madhu proposes a bargain: Bineesh must abstain from smoking until the village's human-chain protest. Madhu hires spies, including Libash, to stay in Bineesh's house and constantly tempt him, even attempting to capture video evidence of him smoking. If Bineesh passes this test, Madhu will support Vijith's nomination.

Foreshadowing: Libash documents each craving moment throughout the abstinence period, creating tension about whether Bineesh will break.

• abstinence test
• madhu
• smoking challenge
• libash
• spies
• nomination

Vijith is Madhu's political rival seeking the nomination, but he also genuinely wants to undermine Madhu's influence. By helping Bineesh resist smoking and succeed in the abstinence test, Vijith weakens Madhu's position and strengthens his own political standing. Additionally, Vijith takes Bineesh to Edison Island, where the environment is free from temptations.

Foreshadowing: Vijith's smile at Bineesh's success hints at his political calculations throughout the challenge.

• vijith
• madhu
• nomination
• political rivalry
• alliance
• bineesh

Yes, Bineesh and Devi reconcile at the end. After Bineesh successfully passes the smoking abstinence test on Edison Island and proves he can live without cigarettes, they choose a future together. Their relationship is restored on the basis of his transformation rather than old habits.

Foreshadowing: The thaali incident earlier symbolized how his addiction threatened this relationship, making his success more meaningful.

• devi
• reconciliation
• ending
• relationship
• bineesh
• marriage

Just as Vijith believes his political ambitions are about to succeed, the MLA unexpectedly returns from the hospital in a wheelchair to inaugurate the human-chain protest. This shatters Vijith's hopes of gaining political power. In frustration and defeat, Vijith turns to smoking, becoming Ammavan's new companion, symbolizing how personal setbacks can lead to relapse.

Foreshadowing: Vijith's political ambition was always tied to the power dynamics around the MLA's absence.

• vijith
• smoking
• relapse
• mla return
• political ambitions

Sanju, the MLA's Nepali driver, becomes involved in the money flow for Bineesh's cigarettes and is also shown grappling with the Blue Whale Challenge, a dangerous online game that pushes players toward self-harm. This subplot adds to the chaotic events of that night and contributes to the car crash that leaves the MLA in a coma.

Foreshadowing: This incident demonstrates how multiple characters are entangled in destructive behaviors beyond just smoking.

• blue whale challenge
• sanju
• nepali driver
• dangerous game
• online challenge