Year: 2004
Runtime: 161 mins
Language: Malayalam
Director: Priyadarshan
Petty thief Gopi steals a valuable chain and, while fleeing a police inspector, slips it into Veena’s bag to avoid capture. When he later tries to retrieve it, the chain has vanished. He then becomes entangled in Veena’s scheme to thwart her boyfriend’s marriage to the daughter of a wealthy tycoon, leading to a series of tangled misunderstandings.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Vettam (2004), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Gopalakrishnan, Dileep is an expert safecracker and thief who steals a precious chain from a museum, drawing the immediate attention of the police. On the run, he crosses paths with Veena, Bhavna Pani a determined woman who wants to stop her lover Felix, Mithun Ramesh, from marrying the daughter of a powerful tycoon. In a bold, reckless move, Gopi hides the stolen chain in Veena’s bag, but the chain vanishes in mysterious fashion, making him believe Veena still has it. That belief sends him chasing after Veena on a train journey, hoping to recover what’s missing and keep himself out of trouble.
The trip takes a harsh turn when Gopi is forced to jump off the moving train after Veena misses it while fetching water. He lands back in his hometown, where he faces a brutal beating from his wicked elder brother and discovers troubling truths at home. He learns that his younger sister’s marriage has been arranged to an older, wealthy, but uneducated man, orchestrated by his greedy elder brothers. With a heavy heart, Gopi vows to secure a better groom for his sister, even as the missing chain and Veena’s possible possession loom over him.
Veena eventually reappears with the chain and proposes a deal: she will yield the chain if Gopi helps her. Motivated by family duty, Gopi sets out to raise the necessary funds for his sister’s wedding and to reclaim the family’s properties. Along the way, his friend Mani, played by Kalabhavan Mani, escapes town with his lover Maala, and they all converge at a hotel in Mysore where Veena’s lover Felix and his family are staying for an engagement ceremony. This hotel becomes a crucible in which multiple plots collide, and the stakes rise for everyone involved.
The hotel drama is layered with parallel troubles. Mathew, known as Mathachan, Felix’s father, is in financial trouble and needs a substantial sum. Fernandes (Fernandes in the plot, played by Janardhanan) is the groom’s father and agrees to provide funds, not fully aware of the legal issues surrounding Mathachan. At the same time, Swarnamma, Mathachan’s second wife, plans to elope with a con man named Prince, and the web of schemes widens with Hamza Koya, a notorious womaniser who is being hunted by the hitman Paasha, portrayed by Jagathy Sreekumar. A retired D.I.G., Tom Uncle, stays at the hotel as well, adding to the tension and the sense that old loyalties are shifting under pressure. The chase for the chain intensifies as Gopi instructs Mani to meet a dealer’s aide and sell the chain, using a rose as an identifying marker. Yet chaos erupts when Kurup, Mani’s own father, arrives with his henchmen, and the confusion deepens because Kurup’s daughter is Maala, a detail that tangles the family ties even further, and Gopi mistakenly refers to the chain as ‘Maala.’
The plot thickens when Paasha receives a photograph of the man he is supposed to kill, while Felix spots Veena and informs Mathachan, triggering a cascade of mistaken identities. A series of mistaken encounters multiplies the confusion: a woman named Anushee arrives wearing a dress that matches Veena’s, prompting Mathachan to mistake her for Veena; Koya enters Swarnamma’s room, misreading the situation; and another woman, Anusree, enters Tom Uncle’s room, assuming him to be someone else. After a wedding party, Paasha falls into his own traps while attempting to eliminate Fernandes. SI Lambodharan, played by Spadikam George, searches Mathachan’s room, and Mani eludes Lambodharan and Kurup, only to stumble into Paasha’s room. Felix’s inadvertent misadventures continue as he accidentally enters the room of the con lady.
Gopi’s plan to hand the chain to a dealer named Freddy encounters a brutal twist when Freddy is seized by the police. A key revelation arrives from a senior officer: Veena had pleaded to save Gopi’s life and had instead returned the stolen chain to avert legal trouble, a sacrifice Gopi makes without revealing it. This act exposes Veena’s true feelings and shifts the balance of trust between them. Realising Gopi’s sincerity, Veena calls off her wedding with Felix and, in a decisive turn, accepts Gopi’s proposal. The story closes on a hopeful note as the couple begins a new chapter together, united by shared sacrifice and the resolve to protect one another and their families.
Throughout this tangled, bustling tale, the cast creates a vivid web of motivations and loyalties. Gopalakrishnan’s daring, Veena’s conflicting loyalties, Mani’s rash flight with Maala, and the numerous miscommunications around the stolen chain drive a narrative that blends crime, comedy, and family drama into a single, sprawling journey. The hotel setting in Mysore acts as a focal point where misunderstandings collide with genuine affection, where past debts surface, and where the truth about the chain’s fate finally comes to light, reshaping destinies and leaving the door open for a fresh start for the central couple.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:08
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