Swag 2024

Bhavabhuti's plan to overturn matriarchy

In the 16th century Vinjamara kingdom, Bhavabhuti plots to replace the matriarchal rule with a patriarchal one. With the rajaguru's help, he seeks to force Rukmini Devi to grant their son Ajeya the Swaganika surname rather than Vinjamara, so a male line can be created. They justify this by tying succession to a male heir and controlling lineage.

The rajaguru documents Ajeya and fears extinction

The rajaguru records Ajeya in the family tree and warns that Bhavabhuti's line could vanish if male heirs are not produced. As they argue over the legitimacy of the change, they curse each other that the descendants must guarantee male offspring or risk extinction for both families. This curse plants the seed for generations of obsession with bloodlines.

The curse's enduring motive

The curse embodies a belief that the Swaganika lineage will disappear without a male heir being recorded. The idea drives characters across centuries to pursue the registered male line and control the clan's wealth. It sets up the tension that echoes into the present.

Present-day retirement and a mysterious letter

SI Bhavabhuti retires from the police amid misconduct complaints. He receives anonymous letters claiming a Swaganika descendant will appear at Vamsa Vruksha Nilayam to claim the clan’s wealth. The last known descendant, Yayathi, failed to register his children's names, leaving the legacy unclaimed, while Maharishi hopes the descendant is a woman.

Arrival of Anubhuti and Singa at the mansion

Bhavabhuti arrives at the mansion with two others: Anubhuti, a cynical misandrist constructor-entrepreneur, and Singareni 'Singa', an unemployed social media influencer. Astrologer Ekambaram predicts Singa could succeed if he fathers a son, but later opposes their marriage when he learns Singa's girlfriend is his daughter Kaluva. The trio's presence unsettles the Swaganika legacy.

Vibhuthi's reveal and arrest

Vibhuthi, Bhavabhuti's transgender twin, emerges as the mastermind behind the letters. Bhavabhuti orders the arrest of Vibhuthi and Singa, while Vibhuthi shares her life story, including her gender transition and rise as a celebrated Kathakalli dancer. The revelation reframes the Swaganika saga as much a personal history as a dynastic one.

Yayathi’s family and the birth of twins

In the late 20th century, Yayathi, a stage dancer, longs for a son to secure wealth for his seven daughters. His wife Kausalya bears twins, Dhanubhuti and Bhavabuti, with Bhavabuti later given to Vasudeva to adopt. Vasudeva’s family flees to Kolkata to avoid future claims on the Swaganika lineage.

Dhanubhuti's feminine awakening and the escape

During adolescence, Dhanubhuti begins showing feminine traits and a love of classical dance. Yayathi, fearing marriage prospects for his daughters, enrolls Vibuthi in a dance class and then departs with the family, leaving a plate bearing the Swaganika emblem behind for registration.

The birth of Vibuthi and the dancer's rise

Dhanubhuti undergoes gender affirmation, becoming Vibuthi, who becomes a celebrated yet ostracized Kathakalli dancer. This transformation complicates the Swaganika lineage and its control of wealth and status across generations.

Revathi's pregnancy and Bhavabhuti's dark secret

In 1990s Vizag, Bhavabhuti and his wife Revathi have a baby boy, Singa. Bhavabhuti allegedly spiked Revathi’s abortions when the fetus was female, and when Revathi finally learned the truth she fled with Singa, unable to reconcile her beliefs with his methods.

Reunion on a bus and Singa's origin

Vibhuthi helps deliver Revathi’s baby on a bus, revealing a lineage connection to Singa. The boy born that day grows up to be Bhavabhuti’s son, a fact that ties the present to the past in surprising ways.

Adoption and the schoolyard pain

Vibhuthi adopts Anubhuti from an orphanage, hoping to provide a family. Anubhuti faces bullying at school because of her mother’s transgender identity and dreams of escaping to build her own business, deepening the family’s sense of fracture.

The letters bind the family and the truth surfaces

Vibhuthi’s anonymous letters draw Yayathi and Vasudeva back into the fold, linking generations through the Swaganika wealth. Yet Vibhuthi ultimately acts to protect Anubhuti, ensuring she can claim the family’s wealth and dignity while choosing not to force a male registration.