Ullarivu (The Awakening) follows a young girl whose deep connection with nature is shattered by the harsh realities of a patriarchal society. She has always found joy and belonging in exploring the natural world, but her sense of freedom is challenged when she realises that her access to this world is restricted by her gender.

Raised in a family with deeply ingrained patriarchal values, she faces a mother who avoids touching plants during menstruation and a father who restricts her movements to protect her. As she observes the limited freedoms allowed to girls compared to boys, she is forced to confront these constraints. Over the course of a single day, she comes to understand the unspoken rules governing her life as a girl and begins to grasp the patriarchal oppression that shapes her world.

The film traces her transition from a carefree child to a cautious young girl, culminating in her awakening to the gendered injustices that dictate her existence. The narrative ends with her first steps into this new, constrained reality, marking the beginning of her journey through the patriarchal landscape.