Aattam Ending Explained: Decoding Who the Real Culprit is in Zarin Shihab-Vinay Forrt's Malayalam Film (SPOILER ALERT)

Anand Ekadarshi's acclaimed Malayalam film Aattam has made its way to OTT, landing on Prime Video after its theatrical release on January 5, 2024, and is once again garnering praise from audiences. This ensemble drama unfolds within the backdrop of a theatre troupe and centers around an incident that threatens to unravel the dynamics within the group. Drawing inspiration from Sidney Lumet's masterpiece 12 Angry Men, much of the action takes place within a confined space, as characters engage in conversations that gradually unveil the events of a fateful night. Aattam Film Review: Anand Ekarshi's Directorial Debut Shines in This Powerful #MeToo Drama With Exceptional Performances.

Spoiler Alert: Before proceeding, be forewarned that the following article contains significant spoilers about Aattam. If you have not yet watched the film, it's advisable to proceed with caution or revisit this discussion after viewing the movie.

The plot of Aattam revolves around a drama troupe named Arangu, comprising 13 actors - 12 male and one female. Following a night of revelry at a resort, the female actress Anjali (portrayed by Zarin Shihab) becomes unreachable for several days. Upon resurfacing, she confides in her married boyfriend Vinay (played by Vinay Forrt), who is also part of the troupe, alleging that Hari (played by Kalabhavan Shajon), the lead male actor in the play and a renowned film star, had sexually assaulted her while she was asleep. Although she did not witness the assault, she identifies Hari as the perpetrator based on the scent of his cologne and the recovery of his misplaced car keys at the scene.

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Vinay, harbouring longstanding envy towards Hari for usurping the lead role, embellishes the story and seeks the intervention of a senior colleague, Madan, to convene a meeting with the other actors and decide Hari's fate. Reluctant to spearhead the proceedings due to his known animosity towards Hari and his desire to keep his relationship with Anjali clandestine, Vinay delegates the responsibility to Madan.

Consequently, Madan gathers the rest of the troupe, excluding Hari and Anjali, at his residence to deliberate on the matter. While the group expresses shock at the allegations, consensus eludes them regarding Hari's expulsion solely based on an accusation, much to Vinay's frustration. Eventually, they agree to oust Hari but opt to inform Anjali of their decision in person, tasking Vinay with escorting her to Madan's house.

Complicating matters, Hari unexpectedly visits Madan's residence, prompting the others to conceal themselves in one of the rooms. Unaware of the unfolding drama behind his back, Hari discloses to Madan an opportunity for the troupe to showcase their play across Europe for a lucrative three-month program. He emphasises discretion regarding this opportunity, unaware that his conversation is overheard by the eavesdropping troupe members.

Enticed by the prospect of a European tour, the male actors become conflicted about expelling Hari. Upon Anjali and Vinay's return (with only Vinay privy to the European offer), attempts are made to reconcile with Anjali on Hari's behalf, followed by efforts to discredit her account. This leads to further allegations, revelations of hidden truths, and ultimately, disillusionment for Anjali, who discovers that even her boyfriend is not beyond reproach.

So What Happens In the Climax?

Anjali had claimed that Hari had assaulted her at around 2:30 in the night. However, this accusation is weakened when Jolly shows a screenshot of his video call with his fiancée, where Hari is seen sleeping soundly at 2:12 am. While this revelation causes the rest of the troupe to turn against her, the discovery that she has Hari's car keys again puts the group on edge.

Suspicion then shifts to Nandan, who previously failed to mention that he had gone to her room that night to retrieve medicine from Sudheer's wife (who was also present in the room). Although Nandan finds relief after Sudheer's wife confirms his alibi, he vents his anger by revealing that Anjali had complained to Vinay instead of Madan, providing the group with another reason not to support her. Later, Anjali herself confesses to being in a relationship with Vinay, causing the entire group to unite against her, alleging that they both conspired to fabricate a false story and expel Hari from the group to make Vinay the main lead.

Anjali walks out of the house, followed by Vinay, who attempts to appear innocent in front of her, expressing regret for not listening to her earlier when she insisted on not disclosing her ordeal to others. He finally mentions the European trip, prompting Anjali to burst into laughter before leaving him at the bus stop and taking a rickshaw. Her subsequent actions will be discussed later. Aattam OTT Streaming Date and Time: Here’s How To Watch Vinay Forrt and Zarin Shihab’s Drama Online!

By the way, the European trip was revealed to be a prank orchestrated by Hari on Madan, as retaliation for a similar prank Madan had played on him a few months earlier. This revelation sparks conflict within the group.

How Arangu's Play Foretold Vinay's Downfall

Arangu's first play depicted in Aattam features some male actors wearing horse masks. Hari is the only one not to hide his face; subsequently, he also removes the horse's mask from Vinay's head. This theme is revisited later in the film. Since Hari was absent from the meeting and unable to defend himself, he becomes the 'exposed' face, particularly given his status as a popular actor. This scenario fuels the always prevailing conspiracy surrounding male film actors as potential perpetrators and perverts.

Yet, the attempt to 'expose' Hari backfires on Vinay, exposing him instead as the true manipulator, not only in front of the group but also in the eyes of Anjali. Vinay's exploitation of his girlfriend's ordeal for his own benefit, garbed by an inherent tendency to her knight in shining armour, shows him to be as reprehensible as the perpetrator.

Anjali's New Play

Inspired by the notion that pain serves as a potent muse for art, Anjali, who has departed from Arangu, establishes her own troupe. She channels her experience into her new play's narrative, crafting characters based on the men in her former group to confront them through drama. It's worth noting that despite her betrayal by former male colleagues, Anjali consciously includes herself in a predominantly male group for her play.

The play not only recounts the events of the meeting, including the final confrontation (which Anjali did not witness first-hand), but also reveals a significant development: the actual perpetrator (still masked in the play's scene) confesses to Anjali and seeks her forgiveness. However, she neither grants forgiveness nor agrees to meet the individual. The question remains: who was the perpetrator?

The Masked Men and What They Signify

The conclusion of Aattam is left open-ended. It doesn't definitively reveal who assaulted Anjali, but then again, that wasn't the primary objective of the film. By having all the male characters in her drama wear the same mask as the unidentified assailant, Anjali conveys that, for her, every man present that day shared culpability in dismissing her ordeal for their own selfish motives.

True, Anjali may not have been completely right in accusing (presumably innocent) Hari of being her assailant, but given her circumstances and the evidence in hand, her suspicion wasn't unfounded. While Sijin and Sanosh repeatedly stressed the importance of conducting a thorough investigation before jumping to conclusions, they failed to empathise with the victim. Instead, the men subtly engaged in victim-blaming, citing her intoxication that night, her choice of attire, and Madan even claims that she may have experienced 'tactile hallucinations.'

At the bus stop, Anjali expresses to Vinay that her grievance wasn't solely about how they slammed her for accusing Hari but rather the collective failure to consider alternatives - if not Hari, then who? The eagerness to discredit her trauma by searching for loopholes in her story underscores the prevailing tendency for men to prioritise their own interests over justice. This phenomenon is a significant reason why many #MeToo cases never result in justice for survivors. Hence, Anjali's laughter upon learning about the Europe trip—despite his disdain for Hari, even Vinay was momentarily swayed by the allure of the offer—epitomised her realisation that it wasn't just the ambiguities in her narrative that led longtime acquaintances to abandon her; it was, fundamentally, a matter of their convenience and greed.

What Happens to Arangu?

During the final scene, we observe Anjali's former comrades in the audience watching her play. It remains uncertain whether they attend out of remorse, curiosity about her current pursuit, or apprehension regarding the message she may convey through her drama. It's plausible to assume that the troupe has disbanded following Anjali's departure. Perhaps Arangu's director dissolved the group upon learning of the hardships his favourite actor had to endure, or internal discord culminated in their dissolution after the altercation that evening.

There are compelling hints pointing in that direction - Selvan has ceased dyeing his originally grey hair, Aji underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his head despite his initial reluctance, and Nandan now sports a beard. Notably, they are also seated apart, indicative of a shift in their dynamics.

The Real Culprit?

I know the message of the film contrasts with what I'm about to do now, but even the director knows we're curious to figure out the real perpetrator and has sprinkled some clever clues hinting towards him. I admit I had to seek some help here - I scoured through Reddit and social media discussions to find compelling arguments that aligned with my suspicions. Of course, I could be wrong, but let's dive in.

Anjali's main evidence is that she smelled Hari's perfume on her unseen assailant, who also left Hari's car keys behind while fleeing. However, in the first act, we see Nandan spraying Hari's perfume on the male members in the dressing room so everyone might smell the same, making it difficult to pinpoint the real culprit.

But certain incidents that occurred that night could help narrow down the suspects. Firstly, during the night, some male members of the troupe either jumped into the swimming pool or were thrown into it, potentially washing off the perfume.

Only a few refrained from entering the pool, which could clear the rest of suspicion, albeit leaving some room for doubt. I will discuss who seems the most suspicious, saving my prime suspect for last.

Hari - Despite Jolly's photo showing Hari asleep at 2.12 am, it's plausible he woke up later and passed by Anjali's room while heading to his car for a cigarette, possibly leaving his keys behind in his inebriated state. However, compared to the others, Hari appears the least innocent, though he had also not taken a dip into the pool.

Vinay - While Vinay may be Anjali's boyfriend and initially displays genuine shock upon hearing about the assault, he later reveals himself as a manipulative liar. He harbours jealousy towards Hari for stealing his lead role and dislikes Anjali's closeness to him at the party. Additionally, Vinay refrained from jumping into the pool. So we can't put him out of our suspicious radar - dude used his lover's trauma for his own benefit after all.

Nandan - Nandan admits to visiting Anjali's room and potentially knowing where she slept. He also seemed eager to blame Hari and was instructed by him to retrieve cigarettes from his car, though he claims he couldn't find the keys. However, Nandan also entered the pool, possibly washing off the perfume.

Sijin and Santosh - In a private moment at Madan's house, both indirectly implicate each other, suggesting they had Hari's car keys to access alcohol. This implies they were drinking that night more than the rest, possibly clouding their judgment to commit such an act. However, they did jump into the pool and later took a bath, partially absolving them.

Jolly - Jolly remained awake for most of the night arguing with his fiancée on a video call and was seen mixing drinks, making him a strong suspect. He has a questionable past with the group and was among the few who avoided the pool. Furthermore, his timely presentation of the photo exonerating Hari raises suspicion.

Prashant - Prashant harbored feelings for Anjali and was willing to betray the group by revealing their European secret to her. However, his attitude towards her deteriorates when her relationship with Vinay is exposed. Prashant refrained from entering the pool that night, possibly due to frustration over rejection.

Sudheer - Sudheer emerges as the most suspicious due to his hypocritical behavior, portraying himself as liberal but secretly exhibiting misogynistic tendencies. The discovery of him watching porn that night, coupled with his avoidance of the pool, raises red flags. Sudheer's reaction to Jolly's findings further incriminates him.

Having considered these factors, let me still draw a parallel of Aattam to Christopher Nolan's Inception. The controversial ending of the film prompts debate over whether Cobb remains in a dream or returns to reality. However, for Cobb, being reunited with his children signifies his reality. Similarly, for Anjali, the identity of her assailant becomes insignificant; what matters is that those who didn't support her are complicit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2024 11:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).