Sookshmadarshini Ending Explained: Who was responsible for Grace's missing and why did no one believe Nazriya Nazim's Priyadarshini?

Pink Villa

3 days ago

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.
Nariya Nazim and Basil Joseph starrer Sookshmadarshini released in theaters on November 22, 2024. The mystery thriller flick directed by MC Jithin marked the actress' return to Malayalam cinema after a short hiatus and was a hit, both critically and commercially.
The movie is currently available for streaming on the OTT platform JioHotstar, and if you are still wondering about its ending, here's an explainer you need to check out.
What is Sookshmadarshini about?
Sookshmadarshini features the story of Priyadarshini alias Priya (Nazriya Nazim Fahadh), a homemaker who lives in a closely-knit suburban neighborhood with her husband and daughter.
The film starts off with someone damaging Priya's car, hitting out its bumper, leaving her question who was responsible. Coming to her daily life, Priyadarshini is your average woman desperately looking for a job.
As she is known for her sleuth skills, Priyadarshini's life takes an interesting turn when Manuel (played by Basil Joseph) and his mother, Grace, enter their suburban neighborhood.
Manuel and Grace were old residents in the neighborhood who moved out a few years ago, with the former running a bakery store in the city. From the onset itself, Manuel exhibits a facade of positivity, hiding his true intentions within himself.
While everyone is impressed by him, Priya seems to consider him a shady person who is trying hard to bury a secret. At the same time, it is revealed that Manuel, his uncle Roy, and cousin Dr John are planning to commit a big crime inside the seemingly average home.
Moreover, Manuel's mother, Grace, is said to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease and is unaware of the events happening inside the house.
During this time, Priya and her husband decide to host a party on account of their wedding anniversary. At the party, Manuel's home catches on fire, with his mother missing.
As Grace goes missing, her daughter Diana also returns home, only to go back to New Zealand due to the lack of progress in the investigation.
The events and the timing sow a seed of suspicion within Priyadarshini, only for her to see Grace one night. However, no one believes her. As she is fed up with the tense situation, Priya decides to use her sleuth skills to unravel the mystery.
How does Priyadarshini solve the mystery?
After being convinced of seeing Grace, Priyadarshini informs her gang of friends in the neighborhood, with all of them banding together to solve the crime.
On multiple accounts, Priya is caught by Manuel, accusing her of troubling him while he is dealing with his mother's missing. However, the real twist comes when Grace returns to her home, still unable to speak about what happened to her.
In a final attempt, Priyadarshini tries to have a conversation with Grace, only to be interrupted by Manuel once again. Still suspicious about everything, Priya reaches out to Grace's daughter, Diana.
What happened to Grace, and how does Priyadarshini find out the truth?
As Priyadarshini tries to gather information from Diana, inside Manuel's home, Dr John tries to use medical utensils to do something nefarious.
Suddenly, Diana stops responding to her texts, leading Priya to snoop on the former's social media handle. Soon, it is revealed that Diana is a lesbian, leading a life with a Tamil woman, Aditi Thyagarajan, with whom she intended to adopt a child in New Zealand.
Priya engages in a conversation with Aditi, only to learn that she is in India in search of Diana, and Manuel has offered to receive her at the airport.
Priyadarshini realizes her suspicions were right, but the true victim was not Grace but Diana. As Manuel tries to kidnap Aditi and kill her, Priya figures out their location and rescues her.
Taking us back through the events, it is revealed that Grace was the true perpetrator, and she isn't suffering from Alzheimer's. Disappointed that her daughter is a lesbian, she, her brother, and her son decide to end Diana's life, making her believe Grace has gone missing.
It is then revealed that Manuel was the one misleading Priya, texting her as Diana. The movie ends with all of them being arrested, leaving everyone except Priyadarshini shocked to the core.
In a final callback moment, it is shown that Priya's car, which was hit in the film's beginning, was done by Manuel, indicating a thematic connection of their lives to cross.