The fifth episode of the Tamil language series Label turned out to be a dull one, but the interesting part came at the very end, which made one fear for Prabhakaran’s safety. In the previous episode, he had helped save Veera and Kumar by getting them to surrender, but in doing so, he had made himself the adversary of the Senguttuvan gang. Prabhakaran had nothing against Senguttuvan, but he was inadvertently perceived as being against them because he had sheltered Veera and Kumar, the two men who had murdered Pathaalam. The episode’s intriguing moments were those where Prabhakaran’s father was attacked, and we were shown how he too could be a criminal. How Prabhakaran would react knowing this is one question the episode leaves us to ponder over.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happened To Veera And Kumar?
Veera and Kumar had always yearned for the Ayya label, and they got it when they arrived in jail and Bunk Suresh accepted them into the gang. Veera and Kumar had achieved something that Bunk Suresh had not managed in so many years. They were overwhelmed with the welcoming attitude, and soon their chests puffed up seeing the adulation they started to receive from the prisoners. Even some of the constables were awed by them. They had ‘made it’ and when their families came to meet them, they assured them that Paramasivan would protect them at all costs, as they were now members of the Ayya gang. Prabhakaran heard about their attitude in jail, and the families understood that he was mistaken in assessing the duo. They were always of a criminal bent, and Prabhakaran admitted his mistake. He had helped them win the case against Tamil Selvan’s men, but now he understood that Veera and Kumar had become cold-blooded killers in their pursuit of the label. Now they had surrendered for Pathaalam’s murder, but Prabhakaran wanted nothing to do with them. Their family came and asked him not to help them get out of jail. Veera and Kumar were surely going to create chaos if they got out. Prabhakaran was now worried about Veera’s younger brother, as Senguttuvan’s men could kill him as a way of getting even with Veera.
Why Did Paramasivan Call Prabhakaran?
Prabhakaran’s life was certainly in danger. Local urchins had come to attack him, perhaps in an attempt to gain notoriety. Prabhakaran had managed to overcome them, but soon it would be seasoned murderers instead, and then he would have no chance. Prabhakaran could fight, but he was only human. Paramasivan had warned him after Veera and Kumar’s surrender that Senguttuvan would come after him, implying Prabhakaran’s best chance of surviving was to earn the Ayya label. Prabhakaran was under a lot of stress, but he was in no mood to join a gang. His whole image would be tarnished if he ever became associated with the gang. The gang had specialist lawyers working for them, and Paramasivan was asking Prabhakaran to join the team and take on the gang’s cases. Prabhakaran had made himself into someone who could be trusted, as he had worked tirelessly to improve Vaali Nagar’s perception in the eyes of the media and the police. If he were the one to work for Paramasivan, then all his good work would go down the drain. Paramasivan gave Prabhakaran a call to take on Veera and Kumar’s case in exchange for his protection.
Is Prabhakaran’s Father Also Part Of A ‘Label’?
Prabhakaran wasn’t even considering the offer, but when the attackers came to harm his family, his trust in his decision dwindled. On the day of his mother’s birthday, Prabhakaran had planned a party for his parents, and it turned out to be a great night. Prabhakaran’s father, Murugesan, gifted a saree to his mother, and Prabhakaran left the couple alone to enjoy the moment. Later that day, Murugesan and his wife were roaming in the market and had called Prabhakaran as well, but he had declined as he was studying for his judge exam. They sent him a photo of them enjoying themselves in the market, but Prabakaran saw two men in the photo, standing in the distance, and sensed that they could be following his parents. Before Prabhakaran could reach the market, the men attacked Murugesan while his wife had gone to the loo. Surprisingly, Murugesan tackled them brilliantly, and he even got one man in his grip and threatened to slit his throat if the men didn’t leave immediately. He told the men that he was part of Peter’s label, and they had committed a huge mistake in attacking him. The men ran away terrified, and Prabhakaran had no clue what had just transpired. He was a little perplexed, but his mother told him that she had seen a few men with machetes run away from Murugesan, as if they were terrified of him. Prabhakaran’s hunch was correct: the men had come to attack his family, but he had no idea why they would run away. Fearing such attacks in the future, Prabhakaran decided to accept Paramasivan’s offer.
Why Was Prabhakaran Arrested?
Prabhakaran was going to represent Veera and Kumar, but after a serendipitous meeting with his school teacher, he changed his mind. The teacher had changed his whole worldview regarding what was possible for Prabhakaran, who hails from Vaali Nagar. When he was in the juvenile center, everybody had lost faith in him, but the teacher hadn’t. She gave him the confidence he needed, and Prabhakaran could become the lawyer he was only after being encouraged by her. Now he was going against his own principles. When Prabhakaran greeted his teacher and she recognized him, he was reminded of his aim of becoming a judge. He could no longer force himself to take on Veera and Kumar’s cases. He turned Paramasivan into an enemy when he told him to let Ayya himself come out of hiding and fight Veera and Kumar’s case if they were so important to the gang. Furious, Paramasivan got Arul Kumaran, the fierce cop, involved and concocted a fake narrative that got Prabhakaran arrested.
Arul arrested Prabhakaran for Pathaalam’s murder. The theory is that Prabhakaran had a motive for killing Pathaalam. Pathaalam, originally known as Nagendran, was one of the five boys (which included young Prabhakaran) who were involved in the ACP’s murder. Prabhakaran had already been searching for Nagendran’s whereabouts, and he wanted him to come forward and clarify to the authorities that Prabhakaran was not involved in the murder and that he was wrongfully jailed. Arul had arrested Prabhakaran as there had been an FIR against him that accused him of using Veera and Kumar to have Pathaalam murdered, as he was coming forward to confess that Prabhakaran was the mastermind behind the ACP’s murder.
