Uppena

In 2002, Raayanam, a powerful zamindar, announces plans to raze fishermen's houses to make way for a shipping yard. The move is framed as protecting his family's honour, but it jeopardizes the villagers' livelihoods. The decision sets up the conflict between development, tradition, and power.

Aasi, the fisherman's son, catches Bebamma's eye after she watches him fight in the bazaar. Their interest grows quickly as Bebamma begins to like him. They start meeting daily at the beach, where their romance deepens in the shadow of the village.

One day, the bus breaks down and the driver asks Aasi to drop Bebamma at college, making him the sole escort. This moment brings them into closer daily contact and accelerates their budding romance. The ride becomes a turning point in their relationship.

During the breeding season, the fishing ban forces many at sea to stay ashore, but Bebamma asks Aasi to take her into the water. The boat runs out of fuel, leaving them stranded at sea, where they become intimate. They return to land that night as the ban continues.

That night, Raayanam, worried about Bebamma's absence, orders the coastal houses to be razed but secretly asks Jalayya to locate his daughter in exchange for sparing his own house. The bargain reveals how far he will go to preserve family honour.

The next morning, Jalayya finds Bebamma on the boat and admonishes Aasi for his actions. He returns Bebamma to her father but lies that she was found alone on the vessel. The truth remains unspoken as tension rises.

Raayanam discovers the link between Bebamma and Aasi by finding a shirt in her wardrobe and orders his men to attack them. In the ensuing violence at the village mela, Jalayya dies and Aasi is targeted. The family's honour drive escalates to deadly action.

Distressed and defiant, Bebamma runs away with Aasi, and they board a train heading toward Orissa to begin a new life. Their escape marks a break from Raayanam's control and a bid for freedom.

The couple travels from Orissa to Kolkata, then Gangtok, as they navigate a new existence. Aasi takes odd jobs to survive, while Bebamma stays in a hostel until they can move in together.

Back home, Raayanam promises his sister that Bebamma will marry her son within six months, and his men keep up the pretense that Bebamma is still present to save the family’s honour. The strained balance continues as time passes.

Nearly six months after elopement, Aasi agrees to marry Bebamma and they are taken to a railway station, only for Raayanam's men to kidnap Bebamma and bring her back to her father. The marriage plan collapses under caste and control.

Bebamma confesses that she slept with Aasi the night they eloped, pleading to return to him. Raayanam counters with a brutal revelation: he had castrated Aasi and Aasi's father died of shock upon learning the truth, using this to deter Bebamma from continuing the relationship.

Moved by Bebamma's insistence that manhood is about personality, Raayanam finally lets Bebamma go. Bebamma and Aasi reunite, choosing to be together despite the barriers erected by caste and fear.