The story is set in a rural village in Kerala. Bala Gopalan, a school drawing teacher in Government service, has a serene life, with two children, a wife, a mother and a younger brother - Gopi and an younger sister. He is part of a declining, yet proud, Nair joint family in the village. Elder members of the family are rooted in superstition and orthodoxy. Balan has an uncle, locked up in a dimly lit room in the house, who is mentally challenged. The belief among the family is that one male from each generation will go mad as a person from some past generation had sinned by throwing the idol of goddess in a well. He was cursed by the goddess and became a lunatic. This curse is supposed to pass down through generations. Balan's uncle finally dies and the talk of the village became - "Who would be next - Balan or Gopi ?" One night changes it all, when Balan has a terrible nightmare. The whole house is woken up in the middle of night. The elder members of the family suspects that Balan is turning mad. The news somehow gets out. Villagers start suspecting Balan of following the footsteps of his ancestors into madness. Now the village evaluates and judges each and every move he makes; he is soon deemed mentally ill. His actions are misinterpreted. He applies for an extended leave and transfer from service. Even some members of his family suspects that he has gone mad. The situation affects Balan and turns him confused. Gopi, progressive and educated, consults Balan with a medically qualified physician. The physician declares him sane. But village doesn't agree. In the meantime, Balan's wife is forced to leave the house with their children. The family fixes the marriage of his younger sister while hiding the fact the she has a "challenged" elder brother. Eventually, Balan is admitted in an asylum and undergoes treatment. He is released after a few days - both mentally and physically broken - and confines to the dark room his uncle once lived. Balan seems to be surrendered to the society. Balan's mother eventually poisons him - on the day of the ritual for forgiveness from the goddess - to free him from the world. Apart from the main story line concerning Balan the movie also makes a subtle sketch of the life of people in a "matriarchal" society. The uncle of Balan enjoys so much influence in the family affairs that he becomes a catalyst to the hero's slow but steady decline to lunacy.
Cast
Mammootty as Bala Gopalan, drawing teacher
Saritha as Indu
Asha Jayaram as Sumitra
Parvathy
Mukesh as Gopinathan - younger brother of Bala Gopalan - progressive in mindset
