The name Kaala Paani is always associated with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This Union Territory has remained mostly untouched and is home to an abundance of nature and water. Kaala Paani is a new Netflix India original set in the Islands and the story is about an outbreak of an unknown disease. Each episode in depth covers the situation of the people stuck in the islands as the disease spreads like a wildfire. The article will help the reader understand the nature of the outbreak and the steps taken by the characters in the show to curb its spread.
Spoilers Ahead
What Were Dr. Singh’s Apprehensions?
Kaala Paani began when Dr. Soudamini Singh, refused to sign off the medical clearance for ‘Swaraj Mahotsav,’ a tourist festival organized by a global MNC, ATOM. The festival would benefit the tourism industry of the islands and help tourist guides like Chiranjeevi, aka Chiru, sustain their businesses. Dr. Singh, along with Dr. Ritu, an expert on communicable diseases, was on the brink of discovering a viral or bacterial epidemic that was last seen four decades ago. Dr. Singh’s initial findings were not convincing enough for the Lt. Governor of the state and Ketan Kamat, the police officer in charge of the festival. This forced her to sign the clearance. Dr. Singh found out the epicenter of the outbreak, which was Jenkins Lake, but it was too late. This spot was the island’s source of water. In an urgency to inform ATOM and other authorities about the contamination, Dr. Singh accidentally died.
Why Was Chiru In Favor Of The Island’s Development?
Chiru convinced the Savla family to hire him as their guide during their stay on the island. Chiru was always in favor of the islands’ development, while his brother, Vinayak, an environmental activist, thinks otherwise. Chiru never understood the need to save nature at the cost of rampant poverty faced by the local populace. This difference of opinion between brothers created an atmosphere of dissent in the family.
Were Vinayak and Jyotsana In Love?
Vinayak meets his old school friend, Jyotsana, after many years. Jyotsana, a nurse by profession, was struggling with her past which involved an incident regarding medical negligence. She was unable to get over the trauma, and it is assumed she lost her license to work as well. Vinayak, on the other hand, always fought for the survival of the Oraka tribes and other living beings that are a major part of the island’s fauna. Vinu and Jyotsana liked each other, but unfortunately, the two separated due to an environmental emergency forced Vinu to head to the other side of the island. Both keep in touch because they want to make up for the 17 years of love they lost.
What Was The Result Of The Lockdown?
Lt. Governor Admiral Zibran Qadri and his team were informed of the outbreak of a rare disease. His administration was quick to announce pocket lockdowns in the hope that the crowd could be controlled. Lt. Governor and his team assumed the people on the island would comprehend. A mob-like situation forced the administration to let the public know about the outbreak of a disease named LHF-27.
Jyotsana, being a nurse, took care of Santosh Savla’s kids, Parth and Vidisha, as their parents were stuck on Neil Island due to lockdown. She managed to escort them to an abandoned Japanese military bunker, which was occupied by Basu Uncle, an old acquaintance. The elderly man came across as angry and self-interested, but he slowly got along with the three and sheltered them. He claims to have survived two major disease outbreaks and lives in isolation to avoid getting infected.
Did Santosh And Chiru Manage To Leave Neil Island?
Santosh Savla was known to be a sensitive person who never stood up for himself. His wife, Gargi was their family’s pillar of support, who unfortunately succumbed to the LHF-27. With his wife gone, his only remaining goal was to reach Port Blair and find his kids. Gargi’s sudden death was an eye-opener for him and Chiru. They commenced their journey back to Port Blair, but the trip was marred when the two got separated. Santosh had a cathartic journey when he finally decided to survive against all the odds. He saved himself from an untimely death for the sake of his kids as he believed Parth and Vidisha would be waiting for him. Tragedy struck Chiru when he learned of his mother succumbing to LHF-27 while taking care of the Oraka tribes. His anger made him believe that the Oraka tribes caused this outbreak and destruction. Chiru’s resentment led him to expose one of the members of the tribe to the police.
What Is ATOM’s Stand On The Epidemic?
The global MNC ATOM was at the center of this epidemic as their pipeline project sent water from the infected Jenkins Lake to the entire island. They were initially helped by local police officer Ketan Kamat to get them out of the Andamans, if the company would help him procure a transfer out of this island. ATOM was not willing to accept accountability for the failed pipeline project. The Island administration was forced to find a cure for LHF-27 by the entitled senior executives of ATOM, as their CEO’s pregnant wife had been infected. In return, the company was willing to open Huxley island, their private property for the unaffected population. Dr. Ritu was keen to find out about a rare plant named ‘Andamania Echnemia’. The peptide found in the plant could be the potential cure for LHF-27. The Oraka tribes are the only people who are aware of the existence of this plant, while many others claim it is extinct.
What Is The Fate Of All The Characters As The Evacuation Begins?
On capturing the Oraka tribe member Enmae, Ketan and Ritu learned about the tribe members consuming ‘Andamania Echnemia’ for generations, which built an immunity against the bacteria that caused LHF-27. This was a big breakthrough, but since the plant is extinct, the essence of the peptide can be found in the bodies of the Orakan tribals. This opens the discussion of how one group of human beings could be sacrificed to save others.
Dr. Ritu was at the core of the peptide sequencing procedure, and she was successful in doing so. The patients violently reacted to the treatment, but they soon stabilized and were quickly cured of LHF-27. The CEO’s wife survived but this procedure poses a threat to the survival of the Orakan tribals. It is morally wrong to force other humans to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. The Island administration and the executives at ATOM are desperate. Since ‘Andamania Echnemia’ is extinct, all of them might end up committing a crime in the quest for a cure.
Ketan’s investigation into Project Attavus led to a ghastly revelation. He learned that ATOM had dismantled an ancient burial ground of the Orakans and built a Bio-park. The graveyard was meant for those who had died of a disease similar to LHF-27 centuries ago. The Orakan tribe replanted the ‘Andamania Echnemia’ seeds to protect future generations if the bacterial infection relapsed. Ketan further learnt that the company had planned to build a helipad on the cleared burial ground, but the project never took off and the company built a bio park instead. The LHF-27 causing bacteria in the soil merged with the lake due to rains which caused the current epidemic. It turns out ATOM was responsible for the entire debacle, and they were showing no remorse for their actions. Their wealth and privilege allowed them to be above everyone else and close this matter using power and influence.
Santosh learns of his son’s tragic death due to the LHF-27 infection. His only aim was to meet his daughter and leave for Huxley Island, as the evacuation was about to begin. He finds Vidisha at the evacuation point with Jyotsana. With his wife and son gone, Santosh will not be able to withstand any more tragedy, and keeping Vidisha close to him restored his faith in destiny. Jyotsana noticed that Vidhisha was infected and let her father know that she will have to inform the authorities about it. In a rage to protect his daughter from an awful fate, Santosh kills Jyotsana. He was under the assumption that Huxley Island would be a haven for all of them, but ATOM cannot be trusted with doing the right thing. There is a high possibility of Vidhisha not surviving the infection, but Santosh was in denial about this scenario.
Dr. Ritu had planned to meet Jyotsana and head to a secluded island that is supposed to have the ‘Andamania Echnemia’ plant in abundance, as per a Japanese soldier’s journal that Jyotsana came across in the bunker. Ritu had hoped this trip would be a success because she does not intend to purposely kill one human to save another. Ritu was escorted to the island by Basu, as Jyotsana was a no-show. We are guessing Jyotsana discussed her plan to meet Dr. Ritu with Basu. He wanted to help her find a natural cure for the disease and prevent the administration from making a mistake.
Ketan was asked to accompany Dr. Ritu to the evacuation point so that ATOM could use her skills to save others and potentially develop a medicine for the world market. Ketan obliged to Ritu’s request, but at the cost of his job. Ketan realized he was in love with Ritu, which made it easy for him to let her go. He will possibly never leave the island, as he refused to disclose her current location.
Lt. Governor Admiral Qadri decided to force the Orakan tribes to offer themselves up to end the epidemic. His decision-making was based on Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ theory. He believes Orakans’ being less in number was a sign of their weakness, which gave other locals like him the right to make use of the tribes. Lt. Governor Qadri believed that he had made an evolved decision that would save mankind and possibly make the Orakans martyrs. The human cost and the moral angle of this method will be pushed under the rug.
Kaala Paani Season 1 ends with Chiru and Enmae being cornered by the forest guards as per the orders given by the Lt. Governor Qadri. Both were saved by the other Orakans in the nick of time as tribesmen pushed these guards into the blue, pristine waters. The Orakans did this to safeguard themselves from being forced to do something that was against their consent. The tribe from now on would never try to save the other locals as they did at the beginning of the show. The tribe chooses their destiny, and they intend to survive.
