‘Ajayante Randam Moshanam’ Aka ‘ARM’ Ending Explained: Will Tovino Thomas’ Maniyan Return for Sequel? Decoding the Fantasy-Packed Climax of Jithin Laal’s Movie! (SPOILER ALERT)

Ajayante Randam Moshanam, or ARM, is directed by Jithin Laal and based on a screenplay by Sujith Nambiar and Deepu Pradeep. Tovino Thomas takes on a triple role in ARM, which spans three timelines. He plays Kunjikelu, a warrior from the 19th century; Maniyan, a master thief from a lower caste in the early part of the 20th century; and Ajayan, Maniyan’s grandson, a skilled electrician living in the late '80s who is ostracised due to his caste and his grandfather’s past misdeeds. Besides their shared appearance and attributes (they all are proficient in kalaripayattu), another element that ties these three characters together is the Chiyothivilakku, a celestial lamp made from material that fell to Earth thousands of years ago as a meteor. ‘Ajayante Randam Moshanam’ (ARM) Movie Review: Tovino Thomas’ Maniyan Is the Show-Stealer of Jithin Laal’s Larger-Than-Life Fantasy Entertainer.

Chiyothivilakku, initially owned by the King of Edakkal, was brought to Kunjikelu's village (renamed Chiyothikaavu) after he received it as a reward for helping the king. Maniyan tried to steal the lamp from the temple where it was installed for mysterious reasons but died during his escape. Later, Ajayan is coerced by Sudev Varma (Harish Uthaman), a descendant of the royal family, to find the original lamp after discovering that the one in the temple is a fake, possibly switched by his grandfather.

There is also a subplot involving Ajayan’s romance with Lekshmi (Krithi Shetty), an upper-caste girl whose father, Chathutti Nambiar, looks down on Ajayan and his mother.

Watch the Trailer of 'ARM':

What happens in the end? In this SPOILER-filled feature, we delve into the finale of ARM while also explore a couple of the film’s unanswered questions.

Why Did Ajayan Fail to Win the Kalaripayattu Match?

Ajayan had a chance to redeem himself and his family by winning the Kalaripayattu match. Despite nearly defeating his opponent (who had been paid to kill him by Chathutti Nambiar), Ajayan intentionally allows himself to lose by rolling out of the ring. This led to further taunts from the villagers, but Ajayan knew that winning would only mean the villagers wouldn’t leave him alone that night, as they would all want to bask in his short-lived glory. Sudev, however, was ready to reveal that Ajayan had ‘stolen’ the lamp, armed with video proof.

Ajayan understood that defeat would grant him the isolation needed for his plan to work. Contrary to Sudev’s expectations, Ajayan knew he wouldn’t be able to find the lamp that night and instead intended to elope with Lekshmi. His ability to defeat his opponent is later confirmed when he incapacitates him at Nambiar’s house.

How Did Ajayan Find the Lamp?

Ajayan initially goes to Chathutti Nambiar’s house to escape with Lekshmi, but Nambiar, who was involved in Maniyan’s death in his youth, has already sent her away. Ajayan is trapped in a room, but Nambiar’s domestic help frees him. Pursued by the villagers, Ajayan flees to the hillside, the same place where his grandfather fell to his presumed death, and he too plunges into the waterfall in front of his helpless mother and close friend, Suresh (Basil Joseph).

Instead of dying, Ajayan survives and discovers that the area where he lands possesses magical properties. He finds a chest hidden in the waters, and using a tortoise artefact, which belonged to his grandmother, he unlocks it. Inside, he discovers the original statue that Maniyan had hidden years before. Ajayan retrieves the lamp but finds Sudev and his men waiting for him onshore. After defeating them, Ajayan sends the lamp to the temple through his mother and Suresh, while SI Saifudeen (Aju Varghese) reprimands the villagers for what they did to Ajayan while also informing them of the lamp swap. Meanwhile, Ajayan completes his second theft.

Was the Second Theft Foreshadowed in the First Act?

As Suresh reads Ajayan’s letter to Nambiar in the finale, it becomes clear that Ajayan’s second theft is eloping with Nambiar’s daughter, Lekshmi. In the last scene before the epilogue, Ajayan is shown riding his bike alongside the car carrying Lekshmi, marking their joyful reunion.

The film hints at this theft earlier when Ajayan commits his first robbery as a child, stealing keys from Suresh’s father using a crow. The screen captions it as “Ajayante Aadya Moshanam” (Ajayan’s First Theft). At that moment, he meets Lekshmi, who smiles at him, signalling that his second theft – hinted at in the title – would not be the lamp, but rather Lekshmi, the girl who smiled at him when the world despised him for something he hadn’t done. She is his real treasure.

Are Maniyan and Ajayan Descendants of Kunjikelu?

This question remains unanswered, though we can speculate. Lekshmi’s grandmother tells her they are descendants of Kunjikelu, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are direct descendants. It’s possible their family is connected to him through caste and by other bloodlines. The film never explicitly states that Kunjikelu had children, although he had a relationship with the lower-caste Chothi (Aishwarya Rajesh).

We learn in the prologue that Chothi left for Nagercoil after Kunjikelu was informed that the lamp he brought to the village was a fake. It’s possible that Kunjikelu’s upper-caste relatives drove Chothi away because she was pregnant with his child. The rumour persists, and Lekshmi’s grandmother becomes angry when asked if Chothi was pregnant. If she did give birth in Nagercoil, then Maniyan and Ajayan could be Kunjikelu’s descendants. According to social media chatter, there’s also a dialogue during Maniyan’s storyline about him being brought to Chyothikaavu from Nagercoil, which I confess I missed. If that’s the case, it would further suggest that Maniyan and Ajayan are indeed Kunjikelu’s descendants.

There are additional connections. All three characters act out of love. Kunjikelu sought to use the lamp to bring equality to his lover and her people in his village. Maniyan aimed to steal the lamp to restore respect and power to his wife Manikyam (Surabhi Lakshmi) who was slighted by the villagers. And Ajayan prioritised his love for Lekshmi over stealing the lamp. And, of course, all three characters share the same appearance. ‘Kishkindha Kaandam’ Ending Explained: Exploring the Heartbreaking Climax of Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan and Aparna Balamurali’s Malayalam Movie.

Did Ajayan Achieve What Kunjikelu and Maniyan Couldn’t?

Kunjikelu aimed to bring the lamp to his village as a symbol of equality, but he failed to realise that the devious king (a metaphor for the exploitative royals) had given him a fake. His plan was for the lamp to serve as an equaliser, a unifying object of worship across castes. Kunjikelu should have realised the lamp was a fake when it failed to prevent a smallpox outbreak. Afflicted with smallpox himself, he was unable to stop the upper-caste villagers from denying access to Chothi and her people to the lamp. Thus, Kunjikelu’s plan for equality failed due to the 'false idol'.

Maniyan, on the other hand, can be viewed as a rebel, a revolutionary who disregarded the rules imposed by the upper caste. He saw the theft of the lamp as a revolutionary act, snatching power from the privileged. However, like many revolutionaries, Maniyan’s fate was tragic, losing his life while trying to return the fake lamp to the temple. Though he deceived the villagers into worshipping a worthless object, his life was the ultimate sacrifice in his attempt to do so.

Ajayan achieves his victory by coercing the villagers into allowing his mother into the temple, albeit temporarily. But his real triumph comes when he returns the original lamp to the temple, achieving what Kunjikelu couldn’t, and making his mother access the temple and its 'idol', that Maniyan couldn't. In his own way, he breaks down caste barriers and rights the wrong done to his mother by the villagers.

Is Maniyan Alive, and Is He Returning for a Sequel?

In the final scene, Maniyan is seen standing on a cliff overlooking the village as the temple emits a golden beam into the sky. So, is Maniyan alive?

While this could set up a sequel – and fans would love to see more of Maniyan, arguably the film’s best character – I have a different theory. Maniyan may have fallen from the cliff, but like Ajayan, the magical waters that hid the lamp may have prevented his death, though not in a physical form. If the lamp had healed Ajayan’s wounds, it could have transformed Maniyan into an astral being watching over his loved ones.

Throughout the movie, supernatural forces aid Ajayan—from the crow stealing keys to the sudden rainfall during a romantic moment when he so desired. The final scene could imply that Maniyan has become the spirit guardian of the lamp, now returned to its rightful place. I mean, if Maniyan was really alive, he would not have allowed his daughter to undergo the humiliation that she suffered her entire life, would he? This is just my interpretation of the ending, but I believe it fits the film’s mystical undertones.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 16, 2024 09:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).