Lingaa 2014

In the small village of Solaiyur, the Solaiyur Dam stands as a beacon of hope and prosperity for the people. A corrupt MP, Nagabooshan, is determined to destroy it and replace it with a new project that promises him millions in a construction contract. When a determined dam inspector refuses to sign off on the dam as safe, [Nagabooshan] kills him. In the inspector’s dying moments, he secretly hides a pen drive containing the official inspection report inside an abandoned temple and warns the village head, Karunakara, to open the temple only when the time is right.

Karunakara firmly believes that only a descendant of Raja Lingeswaran can unlock the temple. He sets out to locate that lineage, and his granddaughter Lakshmi, a fearless journalist, takes on the mission to find the kin.

Her quest leads to Lingaa, a clever thief who resents his grandfather for leaving his family on the edge of poverty. Lingaa initially balks at helping, but Lakshmi persuades him to accompany her back to Solaiyur. The villagers greet Lingaa with open arms, unaware of his past plans.

Back in the village, Karunakara reveals a startling secret about the temple’s lingam—the emblem is carved from an exceedingly valuable emerald stone. Tempted by its wealth, Lingaa hatches a plan to steal it. His ruse almost works, but a diligent security guard catches him in the act. Quick on his feet, Lingaa pretends to perform a religious ritual to mislead the crowd.

Karunakara recounts the hero’s history: Raja Lingeswaran, a government officer and freedom fighter, who fought against the British to build the dam for Solaiyur’s benefit. Tragedy strikes as Lingeswaran’s allies are killed on a train while trying to protect the project. The British collector even speaks of sending Lingeswaran to the palace under any circumstance, a hint of the power he wielded and the danger he faced.

Jealous of the truth, Lingeswaran is unjustly banished by outsiders who crave the dam’s resources; Mani Bharathi, a merchant who loves Lingeswaran, is entangled in the construction work. The villagers, realizing the truth, want Lingeswaran back, but he refuses to return, certain that his work will endure. His vow remains that the sacred temple Lingeswaran built would stay closed until his hero ancestor returns.

With the truth dawning on the present, Lingaa decides to change his ways and joins Karunakara to safeguard the dam. Nagabooshan makes a last-ditch effort—paying off another inspector—but Lingaa, Karunakara, and Lakshmi stand firm. Lingaa uncovers the pen drive that the earlier inspector hid in the temple, which he had discovered when he had broken in. The evidence is already circulating online, ensuring the dam’s protection cannot be erased. He also exposes Nagabooshan’s plan, gathering proof with Lakshmi’s help; the schemer is finally unmasked and falls.

Desperate, Nagabooshan abducts Lakshmi and escapes in a hot air balloon rigged with a bomb, aiming to obliterate the dam. Lingaa climbs aboard, forcibly ejects the villain, and tucks the bomb into the reservoir, saving the dam from destruction. Lingaa starts to leave Solaiyur, seeking a respectability like his grandfather, but the police decide to release him, recognizing his heroic act. Lakshmi joins Lingaa as they begin a new chapter together.