The film interprets a story from the Uttara Kanda of the epic poem Ramayana, where Rama sends his wife, Sita, to the jungle to satisfy his subjects. Sita is never actually seen in the film, but her virtual presence is compellingly evoked in the moods of the forest and the elements. The film retells the epic from a womens' liberationist perspective, and is about the tragedy of power and the sacrifices that adherence to dharma demands, including abandoning a chaste wife.
Narayanappa, a Madhwa Brahmin man, dies in the Agrahara of the village Durvasapura. As per Madhwa customs, his last rites must be performed at the earliest. However, due to Narayanappa's rebellious actions in life, which included eating meat, consuming liquor and marrying a prostitute, there is disagreement amongst the Brahmins of the village as to who will perform his rites.
In the 1950s a village in Kerala is preparing itself to be included in the nation's electric grid. Things are looking up for villagers and everyone is optimistic about the progress that electrification will bring. However soon some trouble brews starting with petty quarrels on trees being felled for the power lines. A series of unfortunate events follow the electrification as the village comes into terms with rapid modernization.
