Summary

Urumi is a historical fantasy starring a host of cast. The film starts with a short introduction to the history of Portuguese exploration in the Age of Discovery to India, referring the legendary landing of explorer Vasco da Gama on 20 May 1498 in Calicut, the kingdom ruled by Zamorins of Calicut. The meeting of Vasco Da Gama (Robin Pratt) with Zamorin with traditional hospitality, and the failed interview to produce any concrete results is also depicted. Then the celebrations of the greatest discovery till Lisbon is shown. In a party, Gama is seen talking to his young son, Estevao, who will later turn as a crucial character in the film. The scene changes to a club in present day Goa, where we see two young men, Krishna Das (Prithviraj) and his friend are dancing. These two young men are running a music troupe and are completely unaware of the history or heritage of their land. From the agents of a multinational mining cooperation, Krishna Das knows that his ancestral property in Kerala leased out to a N. G. O. by his late mother is rich in minerals and is free to be sold as the lease period has lapsed. The company offers him a large of money as advance. Krishna Das is told that there some problems exist, that he has to convince the people running the N. G. O. for this transaction. When he reaches the place, he is kidnapped by some tribal (who will have to vacate their lands, if the mining begins) men to cave deep in the forest, and where he meets their chief Thangachan (Arya). Thangachan explains to him that he is the descendant of Chirakkal Kelu Nayanar, and Thangachan resumes the narration. The narration continues with Portuguese activities in India, in October 1502, Gama started capturing any Arab vessel he came across in Indian waters. On his way to Cannanore when he had reached the northern parts of the Indian Ocean, Gama waited for a ship to return from Mecca and seized all the merchandise on it. The Portuguese chases the pilgrim ship down, which surrenders rather quickly, probably imagining that its master and they had enough money to ransom it off. But Vasco da Gama shrugs off all the offers. The general of the king of Kolathunad, Chirakkal Kothuwal (Arya), sends a Brahmin negotiator and his own son, Kelu, to the Portuguese ship "Sao Gabriel" for negotiations on a Mecca Ship, "Miri". But, Gama rejects all peace talks and barbarously cut off the Brahmin's ears and sews ears of his dog on the same spot. He then ordered the hundreds of passengers be locked in the hold and Miri, which contained many wealthy Muslim merchants - to be set on fire. It took several days to finally go down completely, and general of the king of Kolathunad, Chirakkal Kothuwal storms "Sao Gabriel" to rescue his son, Kelu. But, on this charismatic attempt Chirakkal Kothuwal loses his life to the Portuguese, and only Kelu escapes devastated by his loss. Vavvali, a Tamil Muslim boy, takes Kelu with him to his dwelling, and treats him as his own younger brother. What happens next in an interesting turn of events forms the crux of 'Urumi'.