Thariode tells the story of gold mining in Thariode, one of the most ancient cities in a long, narrow coastline on the southwestern shoreline of the mainland Indian subcontinent called Malabar. Along with the accounts of Thariode, the film also explores the history of gold mining in the other areas of the Malabar district, which, in the 19th century, was part of the Madras Presidency in British India. Moreover, the film analyses the impact that gold mining - still one of the dirtiest industries in the world - had on the development of the country, the local livelihoods, and the environmental repercussions on nature and the territory. The film also discusses the current feasibility of gold mining in Thariode town, which was evacuated in order to create the reservoir for the Banasura Sagar dam.