Master 1997

In a bustling college setting, Janardhan Rao, a principled college head, focuses intently on instilling discipline among students and staff alike. To reinforce his vision, he brings in his protégé, Rajkumar, to take up a Telugu lecturer post at the same institution. From day one, Rajkumar slips into the lives of the students with ease, cultivating a close-knit culture around the campus that feels like a cadre rather than a classroom. He moves through the corridors with a mix of authority and camaraderie, using charm and steadfast rules to sway the crowd and keep order, all while keeping a wary eye on maintaining boundaries.

Among the students, Kanchana finds herself drawn to Rajkumar and gathers the courage to confess her feelings, only to be gently refused. He explains, with quiet gravity, that his heart is bound to a past he cannot easily set aside. This past tension becomes a through-line that colors their interactions and adds a layer of quiet tension to the present day.

Flashback reveals the core of Rajkumar’s past. When he studied in New Delhi, he was in love with Preeti, who is revealed to be Janardhan Rao’s daughter. A complicated triangle unfolds when Preeti’s classmate, Vikram, proposes to her. Preeti declines, and in a flash of rage, Vikram takes her life. In a separate act of vengeance that echoes through the years, Rajkumar kills Vikram and is immediately sentenced to five years in prison. The weight of that decision travels with him as he returns years later to resume his teaching role, seeking a way to live with what he did and who he is now.

Back in the present, Rajkumar speaks of love with a singular and enduring fixation on Preeti, insisting that no one else can occupy that space. Then a startling encounter disrupts the status quo: Vikram—believed to be dead—reappears, forcing Rajkumar to chase answers. Janardhan Rao intervenes, revealing a painful truth: Preeti’s killer was not Vikram alone but D. R., a feared crime boss who happens to be Vikram’s brother. Faced with this revelation, Janardhan Rao confesses that he kept the truth to himself so as not to derail Rajkumar’s fragile life and the fragile hope he clung to.

To protect Rajkumar from spiraling into vengeance, Janardhan Rao asks for a promise: do not pursue D. R. or Vikram. Reluctantly, Rajkumar agrees, choosing restraint over retribution as a path to healing and stability.

A new complication arises when Rajkumar’s student Dilip falls in love with D. R.’s daughter. Afraid of the repercussions but moved by their sincerity, the couple seeks his help to marry. He weighs the risks, secures Janardhan Rao’s consent, and steps into a more dangerous conflict than he anticipated. As he confronts the gang of goons aligned with D. R. and Vikram, his resolve is tested, and his skill is put on full display.

The confrontation does not go quietly. Rajkumar manages to achieve the couple’s aim, but the victory comes at a high price: he ends up killing both D. R. and Vikram, dismantling a dangerous syndicate but triggering a fresh prison sentence of five years. The courtroom and the courthouse doors close behind him as he begins another term, a testament to the cycles of justice and the personal toll of violence.

Five years pass in a quiet, incremental way, and when the prison term finally ends, Rajkumar emerges to a life that has not forgotten him but still offers a chance at happiness. He reconciles with Kanchana, and the couple finds a new beginning together, blessed by Janardhan Rao and his students, who have watched the arc of his life with a mix of caution and hope.

Cast highlights: Brahmanandam, Vijayakumar, Narsing Yadav, Uttej, Satya Prakash, Puneet Issar, Sakshi Shivananda, and Chiranjeevi.