Kukri Revised Story 14-Sep-24

By Gopinath C

Chapter 1 - The Unlikely Connection

A military man, his wife, and their 5-year-old son are driving uphill on the Nilgiris Ghat. The
couple discusses their son’s addiction to a handheld video game. Frustrated by their son playing
for more than two hours, the mother snatches the video game from him. Meanwhile, another
couple, with their 7-year-old son, is riding downhill on a Royal Enfield bike. Their son,
clutching his newly bought football, desperately pleads with his parents for a bathroom break.
They stop the bike near a corner, adjacent to the rocky side of the road. While urinating, the
football rolls across the road, and unaware of the danger, the boy swiftly runs after it.

The military man, trying to calm his son after snatching the video game from his wife, suddenly
notices the boy crossing the road. He instantly swerves the car toward the rocky side of the
road but, unfortunately, crashes into the couple sitting on the bike. The car, after hitting the
bike, bounces back and hangs precariously on the edge of the cliff. The boy with the football
rushes toward his father and sees his mother’s lifeless, smashed face. His father, badly injured,
points toward the car and pushes his son in that direction. There, the 5-year-old boy is hanging
onto a rock, with his left leg trapped in the car. The boy pulls the 5-year-old out of the car, but
the military man and his wife fall off the cliff along with the car. Both parents die, making
these boys orphans within a fraction of a minute. A government bus arrives, honking at the
children.

Chapter 2 – Valor and Consequence

The long horn of the military camp bus wakes Kukri from a deep sleep. He realizes that he is
traveling with his cadets through the Ladakh Valley to their new camp. Suddenly, a series of
petrol bombs are launched at the military bus by local radical protesters. One of the bottles hits
the driver, causing him to fall out of the bus. While other cadets try to reverse the bus, Kukri
jumps off to save the driver from the approaching mob. The captain, through the radio, informs
them not to use weapons as it would lead to a major problem and commands the cadets to leave
the area immediately.

Kukri fights off the first line of protesters encircling him and runs toward the bus, carrying the
driver while dodging the petrol bombs raining down on him. Some of the attackers run past
Kukri to push the bus, which is stuck at the edge of the road. Left with no choice, Kukri pulls
out his pistol and shoots one of the protesters in the shoulder, then quickly fires the remaining
bullets in a semi-circle on the ground, dispersing the mob instantly.

The next day, while Kukri is washing the camp bus with his fellow cadets, an officer from the
camp office arrives and informs him that the captain wants to see him immediately. Kukri puts
on his shirt and walks to the captain’s office. Captain Gunasekar's office is filled with contour
maps, target photos, and sticky notes on the walls, all of which show how meticulous the
captain is. Two of his associates sit on either side of the table as the captain paces near the
window, smoking his cigar. Kukri enters the room, salutes the captain, and sits in the chair
placed 10 feet away from the captain's desk.
The captain angrily reprimands Kukri for disobeying his direct order. He states that he has no
choice but to fire Kukri from service for his breach of command. The captain’s associates
suggest initiating a military court action against Kukri, which could result in a two-year jail
sentence after a lengthy trial. Captain Gunasekar interrupts his associates and, in a firm tone,
explains that although Kukri disobeyed his orders, he saved his fellow cadets from a
catastrophe, for which he and his team are forever indebted.

As a gesture of gratitude, the captain decides not to initiate a trial against Kukri and instead
hands over his family knife to him. The knife is engraved with the words, "To the bravest
Gorkha, from the proudest father." Kukri accepts the gift and leaves the office, heading to his
hometown in the Nilgiris district to start a new life.

Chapter 3 - Pride of Two Clans

Arokiyaraj lies on a table, shirtless, wearing only shorts with white cloth wrapped around both
his fists. He mentally prepares himself while staring at the slowly rotating ceiling fan in the
boxer’s dressing room. Outside, hundreds of people wait near the boxing ring, supporting their
respective clans. The caste-based boxing match is a 100-year tradition in Mettupalayam, held
between two powerful Vellalar clans to assert their pride.

A little boy roams around, trying to capture the event with his 1991 Panasonic handheld
camera, searching for the best spot near the ring to record the match. Inside the dressing room,
Arokiyaraj’s coach enters and asks if he is ready to face his opponent. Arokiyaraj, visibly
restless, jumps up and nervously tells his coach that the opponent is 3 inches taller and 4
kilograms heavier than him. He fears losing the fight and laments that it is unfair the height
and weight categories are not followed in this caste-based match, which will ruin his life and
respect among his people if he loses.

The coach reassures Arokiyaraj, saying that confidence is the key to victory and that Arokiyaraj
has better technique than his opponent. He insists that confidence alone will determine the
outcome of the fight. Arokiyaraj gives his coach a serious stare, then pulls out a tin of cocaine
from his bag and lines it up to snort. The coach tries to stop him, but Arokiyaraj retorts, "It’s
not your life on the line tonight, and as you said, I need confidence. This is the only thing that
will give me confidence for the fight."

Ignoring his coach's warnings, Arokiyaraj takes three snorts and now pumped up, marches
toward the ring.

Chapter 4 – The Heist

Pandian sits in his office, which doubles as a finance company operating in Mettupalayam. A
poor driver sits with him, holding a yellow bag full of money, ready to repay a long-standing
debt pledged against his wife’s jewelry. Pandian, the loan shark, explains that the interest paid
over the last four years now exceeds twice the original value of the jewelry. He points out that
gold prices have risen, which would benefit the driver if he resold the gold. However, the driver
clarifies that he isn’t recovering the gold to sell it, but for his daughter’s wedding.

Pandian scoffs, saying that the gold loan industry will never end as long as people continue
with the idiotic practice of giving gold as dowry to show off male ego. Pandian’s assistant
collects the money, and the jewellery is returned to the driver, who takes the package and leaves
the office.

The very next moment, a man wearing a black mask enters through the back door and attacks
Pandian and his assistant. Another masked man enters from the main door, threatening the loan
shark to cooperate until the heist is complete. The robbers tie up Pandian and his assistant,
gagging them with tape. They steal all the money, except for the jewelry, loading it into two
bags before slipping away quietly.

The two robbers return to a secluded house on the outskirts of town. Removing their masks,
we see it is Kukri and Rakesh. They hide the money in a hollow section of the wall, known
only to them. Kukri advises Rakesh to lay low for six months until things settle down. Rakesh,
however, doesn’t seem to fully understand, already eager to spend the cash. Both go to sleep,
but Rakesh later sneaks out, takes three bundles of money from the bags, and heads to a 5-star
bar to get drunk.

Chapter 5 – The Filmmakers

Andrew, Benil, and Velraj, partially drunk, sit in a tent in the middle of the forest around 10
p.m., discussing the werewolf folklore that has persisted for more than a decade in the Nilgiris
Ghat. Andrew suggests they explore the folklore and develop a full-length horror story, which
he believes would become a sure hit. They prepare MDMA, planning to take it and roam the
forest in search of inspiration for their horror script.

Velraj and Benil question Andrew about how they will fund the independent film. Andrew
assures them that he will secure a significant sum in a few days, after which they can start pre-
production. They snort the MDMA, grab some beer bottles, and continue drinking. Velraj
throws an empty bottle into the air and hits it with another bottle. Seeing this, Andrew stands
up, ready to take his turn.

Chapter 6 – Helping the Driver

An older but still fit man wakes up in his massive colonial-style mansion. He is wealthy and
an estate owner. Meticulously grooming himself, he dresses in a neat suit and lights his pipe
while sitting in his office. On his desk is a bag filled with cash. He counts the money, organizing
it into perfect bundles of 100s. He marks “100/100” on the blank portion of each bill with a red
pen and records the denominations in a separate register. In the background, there is a large
poster of a young Arokiyaraj posing in boxing gloves. Yes, the old man is none other than
Arokiyaraj.

The driver, the same one who redeemed his wife’s jewellery, enters the room and greets
Arokiyaraj. He explains that he needs to get his wife’s jewellery back from the loan shark for
his daughter’s wedding, but he doesn’t have enough money. Arokiyaraj agrees to help him. He
takes five bundles of cash and places them on the table. After counting some more loose bills
from the sack, he winds two bundles with a rubber band and writes “100/100” with a green pen
after his red pen runs out of ink.

The driver, thankful for Arokiyaraj’s timely help, leaves, informing him that he’ll return in the
evening.
Chapter 7 – The Initiation

Kukri and Rakesh are drinking in Rakesh’s house, which is filled with old items, indicating
Rakesh’s poor lifestyle. Krithika, a beautiful woman clearly out of Rakesh's league, serves
them half-boiled eggs. She is fed up with her life with Rakesh and frequently fights with him.
During an argument with Krithika in the kitchen, which Kukri overhears, Rakesh comes back
to the room with teary eyes and tells Kukri that Krithika will leave him if he doesn’t straighten
up and provide a better lifestyle.

Rakesh reveals that Krithika used to work for a loan shark named Pandian in Mettupalayam
and knows exactly where he keeps his cash and jewelry. He suggests robbing Pandian, noting
the lack of security and the distance from the nearest police station. Kukri refuses, advising
Rakesh to start his own business instead. However, Rakesh pleads, saying that Krithika gave
him two years to improve their standard of living, and the deadline is approaching in a couple
of months. He insists he’ll die if Krithika leaves him.

Rakesh also reminds Kukri of the childhood accident where he saved Kukri’s life, even though
his own parents were dying at the time. Feeling indebted, Kukri finally agrees to help with the
heist. He hands Rakesh the knife gifted to him by his army chief, telling Rakesh to latch the
knife case to his toe and use it in case of trouble. Rakesh agrees.

A few days later, they execute the heist. Kukri enters the loan shark’s office through the back
door, ambushing Pandian and his assistant, while Rakesh enters through the front.

Chapter 8 – The Unlikely Catch

Arokiyaraj has a weekly routine: visiting a nearby star hotel on Fridays for a glass of his
favourite wine and a short chat with his bartender friend. Dressed neatly in a half-sleeve white
shirt tucked into brown crocodile pants, Arokiyaraj is ready for his night out. His driver picks
him up from his mansion in a 1990s luxury Impala.

On the way to the hotel, the driver shares a story about nearly losing his jewellery to robbers
who ransacked Pandian’s finance company earlier that morning. He thanks Arokiyaraj for
giving him the money in time to retrieve his wife's jewellery before the robbers struck. The
driver describes the robbery as a professional, pre-planned ambush by two young men wearing
black masks. Surprised by the heist, Arokiyaraj expresses relief that his driver wasn't a victim.

When they arrive at the luxury pub, Arokiyaraj’s driver opens the door for him, and Arokiyaraj
heads inside. The bartender welcomes him, pouring his usual wine, and complains about a
customer in the left corner who is drinking excessively. Arokiyaraj looks over and sees Rakesh,
almost drunk beyond control, shouting that everyone’s drinks are on him. The bartender warns
Rakesh that he can't afford to pay for everyone and advises him to take back his words. Angrily,
Rakesh pulls out three bundles of cash and slides them toward the bartender.

The bundles fall at Arokiyaraj’s feet. When he picks them up, Arokiyaraj is shocked to notice
"100/100" written in green ink on the top of the bundle—in his own handwriting. Now
Arokiyaraj knows that Rakesh is one of the robbers who looted Pandian that morning.

Acting swiftly, Arokiyaraj approaches Rakesh, buys him a couple of drinks, and strikes up a
conversation. Once Rakesh passes out from over drinking, Arokiyaraj carries him to his Impala
and drives him to his secluded estate guest house. He ties Rakesh to a large bed and searches
through his pockets. Arokiyaraj finds Kukri’s passport photo and checks Rakesh’s basic model
mobile phone. He sees that repeated calls have been made to the same number for the past two
days, along with some incriminating messages. Arokiyaraj now confirms that Kukri is
Rakesh’s partner in the robbery.

He lights his pipe in the next room and calls Kukri. The phone rings for ten seconds.

Chapter 9 – The Match

Round 2 begins as the bell rings. Arokiyaraj, filled with rage, lands multiple punches on his
taller opponent. The referee steps in, separating the fighters and checking if the opponent is
okay. The opponent shrugs it off and marches back toward the ring, flailing both arms wildly
to attack Arokiyaraj. But his punches fail to land as Arokiyaraj dodges them with lightning
speed. Round 2 ends.

Arokiyaraj refuses water and keeps his eyes locked on his opponent. As Round 3 begins,
Arokiyaraj rushes toward the opponent, throwing a rapid combination of jabs, uppercuts, and
hooks. His final uppercut smashes the opponent’s jaw, shattering his upper teeth. The opponent
collapses, succumbing to the brutal blow.

The crowd is shell-shocked by the opponent’s death. In a frenzy, members of both clans rush
the stage, ready to tear each other apart. Just as chaos is about to erupt, a tall, well-built man
dressed in white steps between the two groups. With a commanding voice, he shouts into the
microphone for everyone to stop.

The wise man addresses the crowd, declaring that this is not murder—it’s a sport, and the
consequences should be treated as an accident. He reminds them that a similar loss happened
to Arokiyaraj’s clan 30 years ago, and it was dealt with honour. He insists that there should be
no killing spree because of this match. The crowd begins to calm down.

He also states that there should be no celebration from the winning team. The true winner, he
says, is the opponent, who fought to the death for his people. He proposes that a monument be
erected in the opponent’s honour by the winning team, and the issue should be resolved
immediately.

The scene cuts to Arokiyaraj and Andrew watching the sequence on TV. Andrew tells
Arokiyaraj that he recorded the match with his handheld camera and wants to make a
biographical movie about Arokiyaraj after he becomes a director. Arokiyaraj asks Andrew
about the footage from the first round since the recording only starts at Round 2. Andrew pulls
out another cassette from his bag and plays it on the VCR.

Arokiyaraj is horrified to see footage of his pre-match conversation with his coach, where he
snorts cocaine, confessing his fear of his larger opponent and using drugs to overcome it.
Arokiyaraj rushes to the VCR, but Andrew is quicker, grabbing the cassette before Arokiyaraj
can. Andrew blackmails Arokiyaraj, demanding a large sum to produce his independent movie,
and gives him two days to deliver the money, or he’ll release the video to the public.

Fearing exposure, Arokiyaraj agrees to Andrew’s demands. Andrew gives him his address and
instructs him to bring the money when it’s ready.
Chapter 10 – The Wake-Up Call

A mobile phone rings incessantly, waking Kukri. He groggily picks up the phone. On the other
end, Arokiyaraj informs him that he has Kukri's partner and is aware of the bank robbery they
committed that morning. Kukri abruptly ends the call, checking if Rakesh is home and if the
money bags are still there. He then calls Rakesh's number.

Arokiyaraj gets straight to the point. He instructs Kukri to follow Andrew from that afternoon
and inform him of his movements. Arokiyaraj also warns that further instructions will be given
via phone and that Rakesh will be killed if Kukri refuses to comply. Shocked by the events,
Kukri tries to understand how Rakesh could have been caught.

Kukri arrives at Rakesh's house and informs Krithika that Rakesh wants her to leave town
immediately. He then brings Krithika to the secluded house where he and Rakesh had hidden
the heist money. Upon entering the house, Kukri informs Krithika that someone has kidnapped
Rakesh and is blackmailing him. Tensed, Krithika inquiries about the kidnapper and Rakesh's
whereabouts.

Kukri pushes Krithika onto the bed, grabs her neck, and menacingly tells her that only he,
Rakesh, and Krithika know about the heist. Now that Rakesh is a hostage, the only person left
is Krithika, implying that she might be playing a double game. Krithika spits in Kukri's face
and tries to attack him, accusing him of trying to kill Rakesh and her and take all the heist
money. Kukri punches Krithika, knocking her unconscious. He then ties her to a chair, locks
the room, and as he leaves, his phone starts ringing.

Chapter 11 – Tragedy

Rakesh awakens to find himself kidnapped and tied to a bed. He carefully navigates to a knife
tied to his right ankle, a gift from Kukri. With precision, Rakesh cuts the ropes, frees himself,
and cautiously approaches the door, listening intently for any signs of someone outside.
Satisfied that the coast is clear, he peeks through the keyhole and sees an empty hallway.

Rakesh exerts all his strength, repeatedly banging on the door until it finally gives way. He
sprints out of the cottage, cutting through the sea of tea plants that stretch across acres of the
plantation field. Using his knife to clear a path, he navigates to the end of the plantation and
finds the road leading to town.

Exhausted but determined, Rakesh reaches the secluded house where he and Kukri had hidden
the heist money. To his horror, he finds Krithika injured and tied to a chair. He quickly unties
her, splashes water on her face, and revives her. Krithika reveals that Kukri had beaten and
bound her before leaving.

Rakesh, consumed with rage, vows to kill Kukri when he finds him. However, he temporarily
calms down and checks if the money bags are still there. Upon seeing the money, Krithika
insists they elope together to start a new life. Rakesh agrees and they flee the scene on a two-
wheeler.

As they speed along the hilly road, fear of Kukri's pursuit drives them forward. Rakesh takes a
sudden left, claiming to know a forest route that will allow them to descend the hill more easily.
Krithika agrees, and they venture into the harsh forest terrain.
After traveling a few miles, a flying beer bottle strikes Rakesh, shattering his skull. The impact
causes both and the bike to skid uncontrollably, and Krithika hits her head on a large rock.
Three figures emerge from the nearby bushes: Andrew, Benil, and Velraj. Shocked by the near-
fatal accident, Benil berates Andrew for throwing the bottle with such force horizontally
instead of vertically.

During the argument, Velraj discovers the open zip on one of the money bags and informs the
others of the valuable contents. After a brief discussion, they decide to bury Rakesh, Krithika,
and the bike, hoping that their disappearance will lead the police to believe they have eloped.
They bury them in the forest and take the money bags.

Andrew and Benil wait in their car, preparing to return home. They plan to go out for breakfast
at a nearby hotel the following morning, establishing their alibi. As Velraj enters the car, he
shows the others a knife that he found clutched in Rakesh's left hand. He casually throws the
knife onto the dashboard, where it begins to move between the windshield and the dashboard.

While driving, they discuss keeping the money in the car trunk until morning to avoid attracting
attention. Upon arriving home, the three men enter the house and collapse onto the couch,
relieved to have survived the ordeal.

Chapter 12 – The Kukri

After tying the unconscious Krithika to a chair, Kukri leaves the house. As he’s walking away,
he gets a call from Arokiyaraj, who instructs him that it’s time to follow Andrew and report his
every move. Kukri heads to Andrew’s place and watches his house from a distance, updating
Arokiyaraj every half hour about Andrew and his friends' activities.

Andrew and his friends eventually leave in a car, and Kukri follows them. They buy beers,
snacks, and visit a shady location where they purchase chemical drugs, all of which Kukri
reports to Arokiyaraj. Later, Kukri hides near a window and eavesdrops on their conversation.
He hears them discussing plans to set up a tent in the forest and party all night while working
on their horror script based on the local werewolf legend. Kukri informs Arokiyaraj, who then
gives him two choices: either break into Andrew’s house and retrieve the cassette or follow
Andrew and his friends to the forest and kill all three of them. Kukri opts for the first option,
as he believes retrieving the cassette will be easier since Andrew and his friends won’t be home
until morning.

After some time, Andrew and his friends leave the house, taking their tent setup in the car.
Kukri is convinced they won’t be back until morning and calls Arokiyaraj to inform him that
he will retrieve the cassette. Arokiyaraj advises Kukri to wait for an hour, just in case they
return to pick up something they might have forgotten. If they don’t return within an hour,
Kukri can proceed. Finding this reasonable, Kukri waits patiently.

An hour later, Kukri enters the house and begins searching for the cassette. After a brief search,
he enters a room and suspects the cassette might be in a safe placed in the right corner. Kukri
tries to open the safe but fails. He searches the house for a key without disturbing anything.
When that doesn't work, he tries to open the safe with a steel wire, but he is still unsuccessful.
Determined, Kukri gathers matchsticks, removes the heads, and makes a small explosive ball
to blow open the safe’s keyhole. Just as he’s preparing the explosive, the front door of the
house suddenly opens.
Kukri is shocked by the early return of Andrew and his friends. The three of them sit on the
couch and begin discussing their next steps. Benil suggests splitting the money three ways and
using the money Andrew will get from Arokiyaraj for their movie. However, Andrew proposes
using the money for the movie and periodically asking Arokiyaraj for small amounts to help
them survive until the movie is released. During the conversation, Velraj insists that Andrew
show them what’s on the cassette, as they are all involved. Andrew agrees and heads to the
room where the cassette is kept in the safe. When Andrew tries to open the safe but struggles,
he takes out the key and opens the door.To Andrew’s shock, he finds Kukri inside the room.
Kukri delivers a hard kick, sending Andrew crashing into the hallway wall. Velraj and Benil
run to the room, but Kukri slams the door and blocks it. Velraj rams the door with all his
strength, breaking it open and causing Kukri to fall to the floor. Velraj jumps on Kukri,
attempting to land punches, but Kukri skilfully dodges and knees Velraj in the groin,
temporarily paralyzing him with pain. Now, Andrew and Benil engage Kukri in the hallway.
Kukri lands heavy blows on both, and when they are down, he swiftly takes the car key and
runs out of the house.

Velraj, Benil, and Andrew slowly get up, hearing the sound of the car engine starting. Thinking
that Kukri is trying to steal the car along with their money, they rush outside and chase the car,
throwing stones at it. As Kukri speeds away, he checks the rearview mirror and, hitting a
pothole, notices that a knife near the windshield slides onto his lap. It’s the same knife he had
received as a farewell gift from his commando unit when he left the army, which he had given
to Rakesh before the heist. Suddenly, Kukri makes a U-turn and speeds back towards Andrew’s
house.

Unaware that Kukri is heading back, Andrew, Velraj, and Benil argue on the lawn, blaming
each other. Suddenly, Kukri rams Benil with the speeding car, sending him flying into the
compound wall. Kukri steps out, brandishing the knife, and demands to know where they got
it and what happened to his friend Rakesh. Andrew and Velraj are shocked that Kukri
recognizes the knife. Velraj decides to finish off Kukri and initiates the fight, with Andrew
joining in. Kukri brutally beats both of them while repeatedly asking what they did to Rakesh.
Despite their efforts to overpower him, Kukri thrashes them. Frustrated, Kukri kills Velraj by
repeatedly punching him in the face.Shocked, Andrew agrees to tell the truth. Kukri forces
Andrew to drive to the location where Rakesh and Krithika are buried, with Andrew’s hands
tied in the front seat. During the drive, Andrew tries to strike a deal with Kukri, offering him
all the money in exchange for being left in a remote location where he can escape. Andrew
insists that what happened to Rakesh and his wife was an accident, but Kukri remains silent.

As dawn approaches, Andrew points out the location of Rakesh’s grave. Kukri hands him a
shovel and orders him to dig. Andrew digs until Rakesh’s face is uncovered, then sits near the
pit. Kukri crouches down, staring at Rakesh’s lifeless face as tears roll down his cheeks.
Suddenly, Kukri receives a call from Rakesh’s phone. He answers and puts the call on speaker.

Cut to - Kukri driving along a hill road. He calls Arokiyaraj and informs him that he has
retrieved the cassette and killed Andrew and his friends. He asks to meet Arokiyaraj to hand
over the cassette and get his friend back. Arokiyaraj gives him an address. Kukri ends the call,
drifts the car to the edge of a cliff, and kicks Andrew out of the car, sending him plummeting
over the edge. Kukri closes the door, drifts the car back onto the road, and speeds away towards
the destination Arokiyaraj gave him.