Palaivana Roja (2011)

Aswathi (Kavya Madhavan), who is a lower mid-class Malayali woman from Pattambi, Kerala. Due to the financial constraints of her family and the untimely death of her husband, Ashwathy is forced to be the bread earner of the house and opts to go to the gulf. Usman (Suraj Venjaramood), who is the chauffeur of an Arab family. Originally from Aswathi's village, he arranges the Aswathi's visa and brings her to Saudi Arabia. Many surprises await her, starting at the airport itself. She is forced to wear a burqa at all times, as part of the dress code of the country. She is subsequently exposed to a rigid culture and a slavery-like vocation, and is taken up under a sponsor to work for him as a maid. She joins as house-maid in the Arab villa along with an Indonesian woman (Fatma). Aswathi had to face numerous troubles - sexual abuse and battery in the sponsor's house. Ashwathy is accompanied by Usman, who actually brought her to all the miseries. However, he indulges in a sexual affair with the Indonesian maid there and gets caught and is kicked out of the sponsor's house. Aswathi helps the other maid to escape the premises and in turn is tortured as punishment. One night, when the sponsor and his family go out, she jumps over the huge walls of the villa and escapes. The story follows Razak, who tries to trace Aswathi, and Aswathi's attempts to leave Saudi Arabia.