Operation Antha 1995

Kanwar Lal, Ambareesh, and his partners were killed by a lookalike, Inspector Susheel Kumar, fourteen years ago, a willful scar on a city already simmering with corruption. Years later, commissioner Kulwanth receives a call announcing the return of his daughter Mandakini from the United States. Mandakini arrives and is shaken by the depth of rot she finds in her homeland; she resolves to rise against it, fueled by a moral certainty that the system itself must change.

Kanwar Lal is released from prison after serving a life sentence. He crosses paths with a seasoned man named Babu who shelters him and dreams of following in his footsteps. Through a middleman, the two forge an uneasy, sometimes unfriendly alliance with a cluster of corrupt politicians. In parallel, Master Hirannaiah and his friend work as social workers and theatre artists, blasting the dirty underbelly of politics through street performances. Their bold message threatens those in power, who respond by ordering Kanwar to eliminate the two performers. Mandakini witnesses the threat and rushes them to a hospital, where, despite the danger, she discovers a shared vision with them. The three of them decide to join forces and fight back.

Mandakini starts recording the truth—videos and photographs of the corrupt politicians in their most sordid acts—and the duo broadcast their critique of the government through plays and newspaper articles. The politicians realize the threat and send Kanwar and his gang to retrieve the incriminating material, delivering him a stark warning to back off. Kulwanth urges Mandakini to stay away from the dangerous world of criminals and criminals-in-power, recounting Susheel’s past to justify his stance. Yet Mandakini chooses to take action: she intervenes on Susheel’s behalf, devising a plan to unmask the real mind behind the chaos.

She orchestrates a plan that reveals Kanwar, the recently released prisoner, to be Susheel, while the true Susheel is the man known as Kanwar. With the truth exposed, Susheel is bailed out, while Kanwar is sent back to prison. Once free, Susheel kidnaps Mandakini and her friends, transporting them to an isolated building. He sells the incriminating photos and videos to the politicians for a hefty sum and aligns with a mid-level broker to build a criminal network, methodically eliminating rival gangsters to consolidate power. He warns Kulwanth not to pursue them while Mandakini’s safety hangs in the balance.

When Mandakini demands an explanation, Susheel reveals a larger mission: to eradicate corruption by taking down unknown influential figures. He has formed a nexus with the politicians to strike at a common rival, even if it means sacrificing close allies. Kulwanth mobilizes forces, but Susheel and his gang overpower them, and Kulwanth is killed in the crossfire. Mandakini witnesses the brutal moment and berates Susheel for destroying lives in pursuit of justice. The trio admits their mistake in freeing Susheel, and Susheel declares that his war is against the very system of India, vowing to go to any length to wipe out corruption, even if it costs lives.

Susheel launches Operation Antha, using television channels to broadcast their mission and compel public opinion to turn against crime. The politicians, alarmed by this unexpected turn, secretly maneuver to replace Susheel with Kanwar, hoping to regain control. As Susheel heads to Mumbai to stock up on weapons, the political machine seizes the opportunity and stages an incident that appears to derail him. Kanwar surfaces on a television screen, publicizing himself as the new face in the anti-corruption crusade and helping the police identify the so-called anarchist. Returning home, Susheel is shocked to discover that Kanwar is somehow complicit in the city’s chaos. A confrontation with Mandakini nearly ends in tragedy as Susheel confronts Kanwar, and in the ensuing struggle, Kanwar meets his end at Susheel’s hands.

Yet the plan isn’t over. The politicians grant themselves the power to terminate Susheel and his gang entirely, and the mastermind manages a dramatic escape by helicopter, promising to return to clean the country once more. In the end, the battle lines are redrawn, and Mandakini, alongside Susheel, remains determined to redefine the fight against corruption, even as the line between justice and vigilantism blurs in the shadows of power.