Unda (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The police team experienced a night attack and returned fire, believing they were under Maoist assault. Later, ITBP officers clarified that some Maoists had indeed been chased by them, and when the team saw lights in the darkness, they unknowingly fired back. The remaining shots turned out to be firecrackers, likely set off by locals or Maoists to create confusion. This incident left the team ashamed as they realized they had wasted precious ammunition on non-threatening sources.

Foreshadowing: The ITBP commandant had earlier warned them about the gravity of their duty and the dangers of the region, setting up the tension for this misinterpretation.

• police firing
• ammunition waste
• firecracker attack
• Bastar police

The Kerala police team was deployed to Chhattisgarh without adequate ammunition because the state government of Chhattisgarh was responsible for providing bullets to central forces, but they failed to supply sufficient quantities. When ITBP Commandant Dakota Akanito questioned their preparedness, he was shocked to learn that the team had not been provided with enough bullets. Mathews explained that ammunition supply was the responsibility of the Chhattisgarh government, creating a dangerous gap in their safety.

• ammunition shortage
• Chhattisgarh government
• police supplies
• election duty

Biju Kumar, who belongs to the adivasi community, faced discrimination and teasing from his colleague Unnikrishnan. After the landmine incident where they both survived, Biju Kumar expressed his desire to quit the police force due to mounting criticism and the stress of being subjected to prejudice. The confrontation with Unnikrishnan, combined with the dangerous environment and personal grievances, pushed him to consider leaving his job.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Unnikrishnan had taunted Biju Kumar about his adivasi background during their trip to buy liquor, hinting at the underlying tension.

• Biju Kumar
• adivasi discrimination
• police resignation
• Unnikrishnan

Unnikrishnan and Biju Kumar went to buy liquor without Manikandan's knowledge. On their return journey, they encountered a truck approaching from a distance. The truck suddenly exploded after hitting a landmine placed by Maoists on the road. Both officers survived with minor injuries, though the incident heightened the danger and tension for the team. This event underscored the real threat of landmines in the Maoist-affected region.

• landmine
• truck explosion
• Maoist attack
• Bastar village

When both the ammunition and the people assigned to carry them went missing on election day, Manikandan arrived at the polling booth with only eight bullets remaining. He ordered his team to conduct the election peacefully using lathis and shields instead of firearms. The team relied on their deep experience with these traditional weapons, successfully defeated the goons attempting to disrupt the election, and managed to complete their voting duty while maintaining order.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Manikandan had repeatedly emphasized the importance of completing their mission despite challenges, showing his leadership qualities.

• Manikandan
• eight bullets
• lathis
• election duty
• polling booth

In the final moment, a monkey is shown leaping over the lost box of bullets near a railway track. This surreal image serves as an ironic commentary on the entire situation, the police struggled desperately with ammunition shortages, yet the box of bullets was simply lost and forgotten. The monkey's casual interaction with the missing ammunition highlights the absurdity of systemic neglect and bureaucratic failures, leaving viewers with a bittersweet, thought-provoking conclusion.

• monkey ending
• symbolism
• lost bullets
• railway track
• irony

Upon arriving in Bastar, the police team found themselves in a challenging situation with no available accommodations in the Maoist-affected area. With election day still approaching, they were forced to shelter inside polling booths until the voting could take place. This makeshift arrangement reflected the poor planning and resource constraints they faced throughout their deployment.

• polling booths
• accommodations
• Bastar
• police shelter

On the morning of election day, Mathews informed the team that both the ammunition and the carriers assigned to deliver them had gone missing. This created panic as the team already had critically low supplies. Manikandan had to improvise by using lathis and shields instead of firearms. The missing bullets were later shown being left behind near a railway track, where a monkey was seen jumping over the box, symbolizing the neglect and chaos that defined their mission.

• missing bullets
• election day
• ammunition lost
• goons attack

After the team experienced the night firing incident and criticism from fellow officers, Manikandan took pictures highlighting the dire conditions and lack of facilities. He sent these photographs to his friends in Kerala, which led to news coverage exposing the situation. This media pressure forced Sam J. Mathan to intervene and arrange more ammunition. Two cops, Rajan and Balan, then traveled by train from Kerala to Chhattisgarh carrying the allotted ammunition, demonstrating how public attention spurred government action.

• media coverage
• photographs
• Sam J. Mathan
• ammunition supply
• Kerala police

On their way to the polling booths in Bastar, the police unit split into three teams with S.I. Manikandan leading one of them. This division was part of their operational strategy to cover more ground and secure multiple polling locations across the dangerous Maoist-affected region. The split allowed them to maximize their presence while trying to maintain safety, though it also scattered their limited resources.

• three teams
• Manikandan
• polling booths
• security division