Set in Maloor, a village in Kerala, while farmers suffer and politicians continue their manipulative games, A lazy young resident of the village, Ravi, rises against political bullies to protect his fellow villagers and their farmlands from being usurped.

Based on a true incident, the film is about four men, who call themselves Ayyankali Pada, holding the Palakkad collector hostage demanding tribal land rights.

"Shades of Life" is an introspective and melancholic anthology that threads together different stories, all set against the backdrop of Indian village life