Prassthanam 2019

Set against the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh, Baldev Pratap Singh Sanjay Dutt is a four-time MLA from the Malihabad constituency, riding on a rising wave after a stay order against businessman Bajwa Khatri Chunky Pandey. With this momentum, he eyes a fifth term, while Majid Maqbool Zakir Hussain—a party loyalist—is also in the fray and hopes to secure the party ticket from Malihabad. The backdrop is thick with ambition, betrayal, and the messy lines where family loyalties blur with political gain.

In a tightly wound flashback, Baldev and Badshah Khan Jackie Shroff confront goons who insult Jaiprakash Kedar M. K. Raina during local village elections. Jaiprakash’s son Shiv Anup Soni decides to step into the political arena after his father withdraws amid communal tensions. The violence of those early days takes a darker turn when Shiv is killed at a rally by Kishen Yadav, prompting Baldev and Badshah to track down Kishen and his gang and eliminate them. On Jaiprakash’s deathbed, he entrusts Baldev with the duty of marrying his daughter-in-law Saroj Pratap Singh Manisha Koirala and taking care of Shiv’s children—Ayushmann Singh Ali Fazal and Palak Chahat Khanna.

Fast-forward to the present, where Ayushmann Singh works alongside Baldev and is groomed as the heir to the family political legacy. Palak—now a doctor—has severed most ties with her mother Saroj and with Baldev, deeply resenting his remarriage and the new child that followed. She maintains only a bond with her brother Ayushmann, and when Palak introduces Ayushmann to her friend Shivi Amyra Dastur, a new chapter of his personal life begins.

Baldev and Saroj’s son Vivaan Satyajeet Dubey is a hot-headed figure who dreams of steering the family empire, but Baldev doubts his political suitability and prefers that he study abroad before returning to lead. Vivaan overhears his mother confess regret about having him, a sentiment that fuels his rebellious temperament and fuels tensions within the family. Badshah Khan remains the loyal lieutenant under Baldev’s command, with his daughter Asma Divinaa Thackur recently completing an MBA and taking on the role of manager at Baldev’s hotel.

As the political season intensifies, Baldev appoints Asma to oversee the hotel operations, and a clash arises when Vivaan’s behavior toward Asma forces him to apologize publicly. To cultivate discipline, Baldev puts Vivaan to work under Asma, and the two gradually form a wary, working relationship. The political machine continues to churn as Majid Maqbool uses blackmail to secure a party ticket for Malihabad, pushing Baldev to consider contesting as an independent as the electoral clock ticks down. Yet a coalition of adversaries—Majid and Bajwa—unites to complicate Baldev’s bid, and an assassination attempt tests the strength of his campaign.

Amid the escalating chaos, a chain of violent moves follows: Vivaan’s reckless actions feed public anger, Ayush publicly confronts the failings of the party, and Durga—the leader of the farmers—faces scrutiny for her group’s effectiveness. A pivotal moment arrives when Bajwa releases Vivaan from jail and colludes to seize Baldev’s legacy by eliminating Ayush, while Baldev and Badshah conspire to remove Badshah’s opposition. Vivaan, directed by ulterior motives, dispatches assassins toward Ayush while he’s at the movies with Shivi and Palak’s children. A brutal home invasion results in Palak and her husband’s murder, a crime that Baldev attempts to shield by labeling it a robbery gone wrong, much to the fury of Durga, who suspects a cover-up.

Ayush, increasingly disillusioned, attempts to confront Vivaan but fails, and Badshah ultimately kills Vivaan. Baldev then orders SP Sarang Deepraj Rana to eliminate Ayush and Badshah, while Bajwa broadens the hit list to include Durga in a bid to clear the way for Baldev’s next electoral push. The truth comes to light when Badshah reveals to Ayush that Baldev had killed Shiv on the road to the hospital to secure his political ambitions. The tension peaks as Ayush, Badshah, and Baldev gather at Baldev’s house, where Baldev asks Ayush to kill him. Ayush, however, refuses and walks away with Badshah, choosing a different path from the family’s long, brutal history of political dominance.

This is a story of power, bloodlines, and the costs of ambition, told through the intertwined lives of a patriarch, his heirs, loyal lieutenants, and the many voices that seek to shape Malihabad’s future.