The film tells the story of a wealthy, aristocratic, land-owning Christian family's descent into evil and the twin threads of revenge and remorse. The film met with critical acclaim upon release. It received several accolades including the state awards of that year. Irakal is an in-depth exploration of the psychology of violence. A ruthless rubber baron, Mathukutty, disregards the prevailing moral standards and spawns criminal sons as well as a sexually wayward daughter, Annie. His son, Baby is expelled from college as a result of a criminally violent behavior and gradually he becomes a psychotic strangler. His brothers are alcoholics and they are into many illicit trades. They also use violence as a means to reach their goals. The film won two Kerala State Film Awards: for Second Best Film and Best Story.
