Lakshmi Krishnamurthy

A English spice baron settles in South India during the waning years of the Raj. Malayalam-speaking T.K. Neelan (Rahul Bose), Rajat (Lal), Manas (Indrajith Sukumaran), and his sister, Sajani (Nandita Das), live in Kalpetta Township in Kerala, India, during the British Raj. As children, they used to play in the woods where Manas and T.K. used to play Bhagwan Shri Ram and Shri Lakshman, respectively, and rescue Sita (Sajani) from Lord Ravan's (Rajat's) clutches. Now the year is 1937, all are grown up, while Manas is a laborer, Sajani is married to Rajat, and T.K. works for his British employer, Henry Moores (Linus Roache), who lives there with his wife, Laura (Jennifer Ehle), and their son, Peter (Leopold Benedict). Sajani is also employed as a maidservant in the Moores household. T.K.'s headmaster asks him to join the freedom movement and ask the British to quit India, but T.K. feels that India has made a lot of progress under the British rule and they should continue with this partnership. His headmaster cautions him that partnership is only between equals, but T.K. disregards this, and it is this attitude that will compel him to re-examine his way of thinking when he finds out that Henry is having a steamy affair with Sajani. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Sisters Maya and Malu struggle to make a living after the death of their father. In order to help them, their grandmother goes in search of the perfect grooms for them.

Set in an underdeveloped village in the vast rural hinterland, the story opens with Public Works Department workers taking measurements for construction of a road that is to pass through which is a common cow grazing ground and has a memorial dedicated to the son of the village landlord, who is respected by the populace, leading to upheaval and resistance. Venkatesh, village priest and teacher (Naseeruddin Shah), cautions restraint and counsels negotiations with Government agencies.