| Director | Sukesh Shetty |
|---|
Peter, a skilled chende drummer, returns to his hometown in Kodagu after spending a year in Kerala training local percussionists. He is welcomed home by his aging parents, who live modestly in a house surrounded by coffee plantations. While his father struggles with alcoholism, his mother suffers from a severe mental condition stemming from a tragedy in the family's past. As Peter settles back into village life, the narrative alternates between the present and events that occurred before his departure.
A year earlier, Peter had led a respected chande troupe that performed annually as a service to the local temple festival. An altercation involving fellow drummer Sharath Chandra "Batani" caused a rift within the group, resulting in rival factions led by Peter and Batani. During the festival, Peter's troupe delivered a disciplined performance, while Sharath's team faltered due to lack of preparation. Sharath was struck on the head by a stone thrown by an unknown assailant and was hospitalized. Suspicion immediately fell on Peter, particularly from Sharath's politically connected brother, Subhash Chandra, despite Peter's repeated denials. At the same time, Peter's college-going girlfriend Meera revealed that she was pregnant with his child. Following Batani's death in hospital and Subhash's lookout for Peter, Peter's close friend and troupe member Shambhu urged him to flee the town, warning that Subhash's men were seeking revenge. Believing his life to be in danger, Peter left for Kerala. Shortly thereafter, he learned through Shambhu that Meera had died by suicide, unable to bear the social stigma surrounding her pregnancy.
Back in the present, Peter finds his mother's condition worsening after a woman named Radha and her young son move into the neighbouring house. Mistaking Radha for Jessy, Peter's deceased sister-in-law, his mother repeatedly demands that Peter drive her away. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that Peter's elder brother David and his wife Jessy died in a fire years earlier. Frustrated with village life, Jessy had threatened to burn herself and David unless they were allowed to move away. When an accident caused the kerosene-soaked couple to catch fire, both died, and Peter's mother was left permanently traumatized. Determined to restore his mother's peace, Peter repeatedly harasses Radha in hopes of forcing her to leave, but she remains defiant. Meanwhile, Peter discovers that Shambhu neglected the responsibility of caring for his mother during his absence and has transformed the once-devotional troupe into a commercial venture for personal gain, causing many members to leave.
Seeking answers, Peter confronts Radha and learns the truth. Radha reveals that she is Meera's elder sister and had moved next door intending to avenge Meera's death, believing Peter had abandoned her after learning of the pregnancy. Their confrontation is interrupted by Shambhu, who confesses that he orchestrated the events that destroyed Peter's life. Consumed by jealousy over Peter's popularity and leadership of the troupe, Shambhu manipulated Meera into despair, encouraged Peter to flee under the guise of concern, and allowed Radha to believe Peter was responsible for Meera's death. As a violent struggle ensues, intercut with the rhythmic beats of the festival's chande performance, Peter and Radha turn against Shambhu. Radha ultimately kills him, avenging her sister's death. With the truth finally exposed, Radha leaves the village with her son, having found closure. Peter's mother, believing that Jessy has finally departed, peacefully bids her farewell.