Malayalam cinema has had a brilliant ride this year with exquisite stories being put forward by writers and directors. With 2024 coming to an end, Rifle Club, directed by Aashiq Abu, is a banger pre-Christmas release that explores the lives of a family of gun enthusiasts who are not afraid to eliminate the trespassers that walk into their territory, aka the “Rifle Club.”
Who killed Dayanand Bare’s son?
Set in 1991, Rifle Club started with a Mangalore-based weapons dealer, Dayanand Bare, hosting a birthday party for his brattish son, Biju. Biju was seen harassing one of the dancers from his party before her boyfriend killed him by pushing him off the high rise building to save her. This set the tone of the film as Dayanand and his younger son Bheera wanted to kill both in retaliation, a move that was expected. He was the typical villain who did not hesitate to go after them to show off his power.
Why was Shahjahan keen on learning hunting?
Shahjahan was a fading actor willing to consider method acting for his comeback film. Just like any other artist in the fraternity, he was willing to take the leap of faith for the character to stay on the top of his game. Shahjahan, along with his brother and manager, headed to Wayanad from Kannur for a lesson of a lifetime and hoped the time spent at the “Rifle Club” would be beneficial.
What was the Rifle Club about?
“Rifle Club” was a small British time hunting lodge converted into a small private association. The members of the club were the family of the last living founder, Kuzhiveli Lonappan. The wheelchair-bound patriarch decided to teach every man and woman of his family how to use guns. Avaran, Lonappan’s son-in-law was an expert in using the weapon. The typical legacy-based family, which was dysfunctional in its own funny manner, was happy to host Shahjahan as it elevated their status.
Who came to meet Shahjahan?
Shahjahan was settling down when his cousin and his dancer girlfriend, who accidentally killed Biju, showed up just before the actor was about to go on his first-ever hunting trip with Avaran. Shahjahan was clearly shaken by the news, and he had no idea how to sort the matter since he was not an influential actor anymore. Avaran and his wife, Cecily, decided to give the couple some shelter out of their generous and hospitable nature. The members of the club were also excited to have an actor amongst them, and it was only right to offer help to his acquaintances who were in deep trouble.
Why did Bheera attack the Rifle Club?
Bheera, Dayanand’s son, reached the Rifle club following the car that dropped the couple off. Filled with rage and high on narcotics, he was initially confronted by Ittiyama, daughter of Kuzhiveli Lonappan, at the gate itself. The young, egotistic guy left the premises and came back with a vengeance to kill her and the family for sheltering the couple that killed his brother. Bheera came back with Chittappa, his henchman, but they were attacked by a seemingly normal-looking family who were seen partying at the “Rifle Club.” Bheera was shot by Ittyamma and Chittappa left the premises shocked, as he never saw any of them holding a gun. This was a shock element, as everyone presumed them to be a typical family. Turns out Dayanand would be facing a real tough opponent who were protecting themselves and the couple.
How did Avaran learn of the attack?
A proud Avaran and his entourage, which included Shahjahan, left for the hunting expedition, and the actor was promised the time of his life. Avaran was a skilled hunter and kept reassuring Shahjahan that he could master it as well. Avaran was a good host and wanted to show off his hunting skills as his family left no stone unturned in taunting him. As Avaran was on an expedition, he and his team ignored two flares sent out by the family. The family got his attention when they sent their pet hunting dog along with a message.
What was the conflict in the family?
Avaran received the message a bit too late as the conflict between Dayanand’s men and his family had begun. Bheera was rescued by his unarmed mafia don father, but he died of the bullet wound Ittyamma inflicted on him. In a span of forty-eight hours, Dayanand lost two of his sons, and his rage was wild. Just as Bheera went ballistic against the family, Dayanand decided to do the same, even though he was warned by Chittappa to not underestimate the family. Dayanand was blinded by rage, and he wanted revenge for their actions, and he assumed his power would overwhelm the family.
As the assault on the family began, Dayanand sent his men with the best of their guns to eliminate the family. Initially the family was overpowered, which was bound to happen as Dayanand’s men had automatic guns while everyone in the club only had revolvers and vintage rifles. Godjo, Kuzhiveli Lonappan’s son, wanted to access the vault that had all the weapons owned by the Britishers and kings who lived many years ago in the same hunting lodge. Since they were running low on ammunition, opening the vault was the only way out to save themselves from annihilation. Godjo was shocked to find out the vault was empty, and his father refused to share the exact location of the weapons. The family was in despair but not desperate. All of them were skilled, but the lack of bullets was a problem, and hence Godjo realized they could find themselves in trouble soon. Kuzhiveli Lonappan could only trust Avaran at this point, and the father knew only his arrival would change the situation around, which was true.
Who killed Dayanand Bare?
Avaran, Shahjahan, and the entire entourage quickly reached the club and took over the situation. The family had made fun of Avaran right from the start, and was now hoping he could save them from Dayanand’s wrath. The number of people inside the lodge and bullets left was drastically less. Dayanand’s men could overpower and kill everyone inside the club in no time. There were only forty-five bullets left and Avaran’s only plan of action was to stick together as a team rather than bickering. Since everyone in Kuzhiveli Lonappan’s family were marksmen, Avaran encouraged them to use it to their benefit. The family and the workers at the club were the only people who knew the ins and outs of the club and this was their biggest advantage. One by one, thanks to the collective work done by the family, they could eliminate all of Dayanand’s men. All of them came together to save each other. Moreover, they also proved a point to Shahjahan and his brother,
Shahjahan was here for hunting lessons, but ended up with an experience of a lifetime. He was in awe of the family and knew this experience could help him in the movie. He was confident that Avaran and his family would go to any lengths to save them. Taking a cue from the family’s courage, Shahjahan and his brother were able to disarm a few of Dayanand’s men as well. Dayanand’s men were dead, and Kuzhiveli Lonappan was gravely injured in the big face-off. This was the classic clash of titans as two groups of the same caliber went head to head without worrying about the consequences of their actions. Dayanand wanted all of them dead while Kuzhiveli Lonappan and his family were defending themselves and the rifle club.
Dayanand and Chittappa walked in as the last two men standing. Dayananand began to converse with Aavaran, as the secretary of the club. The conversation established Dayanand’s cockiness, and he had begun to underestimate his rival. Dayanand was hell-bent on eliminating the family long after witnessing the vigor Avaran and his family showcased. Unwilling to step back, Dayanand was also a witness to Chittappa getting killed at the hands of Godjo’s bullet. Chittappa’s death was the last straw for Dayanand, and he went looking for Avaran. It was naive of Dayanand to believe he would not be killed as he was outnumbered at this point. It was his overconfidence and the power he’d held over the years that led to his conceited nature. The mafia don probably knew he would end up dead, but he would rather die facing the enemy than get shot from any corner of the house. He offered a duel to Avaran so that they could decide each other’s fate. Dayanand was not in the mood to face the family, and as a result, this move was the only way to get things the way he desired.
Rifle Club ended with Avaran agreeing to the face-off, and Dayanand was delighted since he figured he was finally getting his way out. This was straight out of a Spaghetti Western and other Wild West movies. The scene had the two playing hide and seek while aiming shots at each other. A confident Dayanad ready for a face-off was shocked to find all the family members were pointing guns at him. Dayanand and his men were reduced to nothing by a family who only had practice shooting inanimate targets or animals. Dayanand and his men turned out to be an easy target as the family collectively came together as one to save themselves. Avaran and Kuzhiveli Lonappan’s plan worked, and they did not have to use the ancient weapons, which were supposed to be the prized possession of the rifle club.
Dayanand was shot by everyone, and he died instantly thanks to the amount of bullets that hit him. This was similar to Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2’s ending that had Faizal emptying all the bullets in his rifle into Ramadhir Singh’s body. This was a lovely easter egg in Rifle Club as Dayanand was played by Anurag Kashyap, who was the director of Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and 2. Dayanand’s death was a message about the resilience of the family to everyone who might read about the incident. In their defense, the family was protecting themselves from intruders invading their space. They could face jail time for this, but there could be witnesses who would speak in favor of Kuzhiveli Lonappan’s family. The family had several loyalists, including the staff working at the rifle club. Kuzhiveli Lonappan’s family was intact with zero casualties while Dayanand and his family were decimated to the last man.
The closing shot of Rifle Club had the family getting ready for a family portrait right after the shootout incident, with leftover bullets placed on the table. This was the family’s way of commemorating their courage, and they would have a story to tell if anyone asked about the photograph. Just like The Godfather and other subsequent films that mirrored it, Rifle Club also put out the message that family is above all in the most violent manner.
