Indian Essentials

Aruvi, a young woman struggling to adapt to a materialistic and judgmental society, confronts its hypocrisy when she is pushed to the margins. Her rebellion exposes the cruelty and contradictions of modern life as she searches for identity and meaning amid personal and social alienation.

In a tenement where cockfighting is a way of life, respected leader Pettaikaaran rules alongside his aides Durai and Karuppu. His main rival is inspector Rathinam, with whom he has an unbroken winning streak. When Karuppu defies Pettaikaaran in a decisive fight and wins, his rise in status fuels jealousy and rivalry, setting off a chain of betrayal and conflict.

In North Chennai, carrom player Abu is drawn into a long-running conflict between rival gangs. What begins with a violent encounter links him to events stretching back to 1985. As the struggle evolves, Abu shifts between observer and participant, revealing how his life becomes entwined with the gang rivalry.