While walking out of the theatre after watching Kappiri Thuruthu, one cannot help but wonder whether the subject matter wouldve better suited a documentary than a feature film. It is evident right from the start that this movie relies on meticulously done research to bring out the history of Kochi that the new generation is unfamiliar with. The movie begins with an introduction to how and why Kochi was once called Kappiri Thuruthu. The scene then cuts to a news crew covering poet Mirza Ghalib in old Delhi. The crew stumbles across a ghazal musician, who is identified by their editor as someone who was popularly known as Samovar Sadhu in Kochi back in the 70s.