Jaat (जाट)

Year 2009, Sri Lanka.

Jaffna territory, Mangoose Jungle.

Forty-eight hours after the extermination of the Sri Lankan Tigers,

the Sri Lankan Army entered the dense forest of Jaffna.

The Tigers' reign of terror had ended.

But death still lurked at every step in the forest.

Though their empire had stretched across the land,

its roots reached deep into the halls of hell.

With the help of the local villagers,

the Sri Lankan Army started excavating the forest

in search of hidden weapons and treasure.

What was that?

Anna, military.

Do you want to toil your entire life away?

All boys, alert!

Somu!

Anna!

Selva!

Come on!

Who are you people?

Answer me, you punks!

Where are you from?

Burma?

Bangladesh?

Or from Pakistan?

Are you terrorists or smugglers?

These guys look well-trained. They won’t talk.

Charge them with every unresolved case.

Alright, sir.

Get the files.

Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka?

-Tigers? -Porter.

A porter? What exactly are you here to carry?

Sir.

The militants

burned down our entire village, sir.

There’s nothing left for us to survive on.

We came here seeking shelter.

Do you think seeking shelter is as easy as asking for a cigarette?

You're seeking shelter.

You need an ID. There are rules and regulations.

Gold!

This should be enough for entry.

And for identity proof?

Sir, that’s a lot of gold!

Sir…

I'm risking a lot for these bricks.

Be careful.

Are we changing only the address, or the names too?

I'm really fond of my name.

And that is?

Ranatunga.

This is the parcel, Madam President.

To the Honorable President,

I'm writing this letter from Motupalli,

a small village in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The hands writing this letter may be small,

but the issue at hand is big.

My brothers have sent you their severed fingers.

If you don't help us within 24 hours,

know that only our severed fingers have arrived this time.

Next time, you'll receive our severed heads.

Call CBI Officer Satya Murthy right now.

Immediately!

Jai Hind, sir.

Jai Hind, ma'am.

I can hear that child's voice.

I can see that kid's pain before my eyes.

We have to do something, Satya Murthy.

This is a sensitive issue, ma'am.

Before we take any action,

we need to understand what happened there.

We often claim to have made global progress,

but people still have to go to extreme lengths for justice.

It's not fair, Satya Murthy.

It's my order.

You must go to Motupalli

and gather all the information about what’s happening there.

And keep me updated constantly.

I'm giving you all the special permissions.

-Start immediately. -Yes, ma'am.

Jai Hind!

Listen.

By the time I reach Hyderabad,

tell all the senior officials of the Revenue Department

and a police officer who knows everything about the place

to come to the airport.

And keep this extremely confidential.

Yes, sir.

This is Kishan!

Kishan!

We didn’t listen when he told us to leave.

Hey, there's another person here.

Look!

VILLAGE COUNCIL OFFICE MOTUPALLI

FISHERMEN'S COLONY

These bodies were found in a field on the outskirts of the village.

But no one is speaking up.

Anna!

What happened in this village?

Will someone tell me?

Who did this?

Amma.

I know you're scared to tell the truth.

But your tears scream that they were your loved ones.

Speak up.

No one is going to talk!

Hey!

These are the dead.

And those who remain are the living dead.

These people sacrificed their lives to uplift all of you.

And these people…

They repay them by acting like strangers.

Why?

Because this village…

is not a village.

It is a cremation ground.

And everything is burned to ashes in this godforsaken place.

Burned. Reduced to ashes.

Look. Look here.

Have a look.

Just look.

Look at these hands.

He has no one here.

A rakhi?

Look.

Even in death, this hand is pointing

to the one who tied that rakhi.

Brother!

Now the sister has woken up!

My son!

Here comes the mother!

The father.

Now… Hey!

Now you recognize him!

Everyone is crying now.

At least tell me now!

Tell me who did this!

Ranatunga!

We can't do this…

Screw you!

Look.

One of my sons thinks before raising his hand.

But the other one, Somulu, doesn’t think at all.

Do what you've been told

before he gets here.

Amma, but it’s a Sunday.

So?

Don't you eat on Sundays?

Don’t you drink on Sundays?

Write tomorrow's date and sign.

-Amma-- -Come on!

Do it!

Duty and warrant? Those are some big words.

Who do you want to arrest?

Ranatunga!

Ranatunga?!

Looks like you haven’t heard that name before.

Before it becomes the last name you'll ever hear,

call in sick and say you haven't been at the station for a week,

and stay silent.

Stop!

Stop right here! Everybody stop! Stop!

We won't go further than this.

-Why? -We’re scared, madam.

Aren't you ashamed?

You're a police officer!

-Who are you afraid of? -He's Ranatunga, madam.

He's Ranatunga!

I can't do this, madam.

I have a family to take care of.

I'm resigning on the spot!

You can go ahead.

I can’t do it either, madam.

Namaste, madam.

Sorry, madam.

Sorry, madam.

Sorry, madam, I’m leaving too.

All these men ran away.

Do any of you want to leave as well?

We will all come with you, madam!

What…

Beat them up!

You good-for-nothings!

What are you, a bunch of cowards?

Stop them!

Hey!

Hey!

Lower your voice!

I'm letting you off because you're old!

Or I'll strap you to the jeep and haul you off to jail!

How dare you--

Mom…

Mom, why are you upset?

Let it go. I'll talk to her.

Please, come inside.

You all, too.

Hey.

Pour me a drink.