Kapata Nataka Sutradhari ending explained: What happens to Mohammad Ismail under the elephant?

Debutant filmmaker Dhiraj MV’s political satire explored the aftermath of a Muslim man getting caught in a sticky situation at a historic Hindu temple

Dhiraj MV in a still from Kapata Nataka Sutradhari

Kapata Nataka Sutradhari a political satire, di rected by Dhiraj MV, who also played the lead in the film, is currently streaming on Sun NXT (via OTTplay Premium also). The film’s trailer had hinted at it being about a Hindu-Muslim conflict at a temple, Dhiraj insisted that was not the case and that his exploration was about how society reacts to a particularly tricky situation.

In the pursuit of a miracle...

In this case, it was about a historic temple that is opened only for a couple of days in a year, during which devotees throng it, as it is believed that miracles do happen there. The firm belief is that if devotees crawl under a particular elephant statue in the temple premises and fervently wish for something, it will come true. Dhiraj’s character, who visits the temple while on a visit to Raybag village with a colleague, decides to try his luck, despite some apprehension about his size.

He is goaded on to squeeze through, but as luck might have it, he gets stuck and despite efforts by other devotees and villagers to push him through or pull him out, he doesn’t budge an inch. A rescue operation is set in motion, which then grinds to a halt, when a rather innocuous question about his name has everyone in a tizzy.

Also read: Kapata Nataka Sutradhari movie review: Dhiraj MV's gutsy political satire has too soft a landing

The man stuck under the statue is Mohammad Ismail and the sympathy that people had for his predicament has quickly evaporated. A plan to remove one of the elephant’s legs, which was in need of repair, and use this situation to get the work done is quickly discarded, as calls to protect the statue at any cost arise.

Ismail's 'situation' splits the villagers, with one half only worried about the 'welfare' of the stone elephant, and the other about the living soul trapped under it. What unfolds thereafter is nothing short of a circus, as media, cops, politicians and more descend, each with their own agenda. Will Ismail make it out in one piece amid the machinations of all these people?

Dhiraj's film then turns into a social commentary as he exposes the selfish motives of everyone around, and how each tries to make the most of the situation. Even when Ismail manages to free himself after an 'assassination" attempt gone wrong, he is forced to go back to being stuck to suit others. The filmmaker-actor presents several hard-hitting points, but instead of ending the film on a high, he chooses to take a soft approach while decrying divisive religious politics, using children to advocate harmony. And suddenly, all is well with the world!

FAQs

Q. Is Kapata Nataka Sutradhari about a Hindu-Muslim conflict?

A. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is not about a Hindu-Muslim conflict, but provides socio-political commentary on how people react to the situation at hand – a Muslim man stuck in a Hindu temple.

Q. Is Kapata Nataka Sutradhari on OTT?

A. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari dropped on Sun NXT (als o via OTTplay Premium) on August 22, 2025.

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