The Master craftsman of Indian Cinema, Sri Adoor Gopalakrishnan is a great storyteller. He is traveling half a century back in time in order to tell a story of social relevance. The story of executioners employed by the King of State of Travancore. At that time, executioners were brought from Nagarkoil. A family from a particular section of the society was chosen for execution of convicts by hanging. For this cruel act of service to the state they were given hefty amount and land exempted from tax by the King. It compensated their sin and guilt. Every execution made the family richer by another priceless agricultural land.

When the family attained aristocratic status they felt that they are doing something wretched and wanted to get out of it. But they were bond to the State. They cannot backtrack now after all these years they were enjoying the fortunes from the king. The family started engaging economically backward members of the community for meager wages while receiving huge emoluments from the king themselves. The practice of hanging came to a stop gradually and executioners became jobless. Nobody engaged them for any other jobs. Their life became miserable.

Adoor is unveiling a griping story in this background. The last executioner had died a decade ago. He was a proxy executioner to the appointed family. While he had executed a dozen prisoners in Travancore before and after independence he, it was told that, could not even kill a chicken outside his professional life! He died in absolute poverty. He lived to see the death of four of his ten sons. This story of people marginalized thus is the subject of Adoor film Nizhalkkuthu.

The anguish and conflicts of Kaliyappan, the protagonist of this story is presented by Oduvil Unnikrishnan. Sukumari portrays the role of Kaliyappan's wife. Adoor wanted a forlorn area to shoot the film for the family of Kaliyappan who lived in a godforsaken place away from civilization. He did find a place in Kanyakumari district that was a part of Kerala before reorganization of linguistics states in India. Adoor shoots his film in Pottankulam a village with practically no modern facilities.

The dress, customs, beliefs, dialect and many other factors of the period have been studied well by Adoor. Tamil folk music is incorporated in to this film.