Roshan Mathew

The search for Akbar brings his younger sibling Mulla from Lakshadweep island to the decadent underbelly of Mumbai.

A transgender child from Lakshadweep sets off to Mumbai in pursuit of Akbar, an elder brother who left the island due to his sexual orientation. The Elder One concerns itself with an arduous quest to find a missing relative. But this tale of two siblings, who each leave home for their own reasons, expands the scope of Mohandas' already-generous sense of the diversity of the Indian experience. Stealing a small and hardly seaworthy fishing boat, 14-year-old Mulla flees the sleepy, idyllic island of Lakshadweep for the crowded bustle of Mumbai. Akbar, Mulla's elder brother, left for the city some years before, and Mulla - with only a phone number to rely on - is convinced the two can reunite there. But upon arrival, Mulla immediately falls in with a gang of criminal orphans, receiving a crash course in survival skills for Mumbai's criminal underground. In the midst of Mulla's story, Mohandas takes us back to the days leading up to Akbar's departure from Lakshadweep, when he met mute Ameer sent to the island for an unwanted arranged marriage. Their gay affection will alter the course of both of their lives. Alternating between scenes of bracing violence and heartbreaking tenderness, The Elder One is an epic story of familial bonds and underworld misadventure, infused with urgent questions regarding gender, sexuality, and tolerance. Mohandas presents us with an unsparing vision of Mumbai as a place of decadence and ruthlessness, while ensuring that, with enough love, tenacity, and courage, any place could be called home.

Debt always makes a man weak and Kadam Kadha is all about two people who are in debt and their story of resistance and survival. The narrative, which is focused on two people struggling to pay off their debts is showcased in a humorous way. Two friends, Cleatus & Giri work together to repay their debts. As their life goes on, they meet Sreekumar who offers a solution to end their woes provided they agree to his one condition. What happens next, forms the climax.

Puthiya Niyamam is set in a metro city. The story unfolds the life of family court lawyer Adv. Louis Pothen (Mammootty) and his wife and dancer Vasuki (Nayantara). Their marriage was an inter-caste love marriage and they start having problems. Adv. Louis Pothen is a master in dealing with divorce cases and in most such cases, he stands with the husband and tries to make a compromise so that the couples are not separated. He is a political observer and used to participate in channel discussions too. It is at this juncture that an unexpected problem affects the whole family and the consequent efforts of Louis to solve the issue form the rest of the plot.