Avane Srimannarayana

In Amaravati, the ruthless bandit king Ramarama of the Abhira kingdom kills a theater troupe after they are accused of stealing a government treasure. He spares and abducts the troupe's bandmaster for his entertainment, but discovers the troupe had already hidden the treasure. On his deathbed, Ramarama passes the throne to his younger son Tukaram, setting the royal backdrop for a long, bitter feud.

Jayaram murders his father and wounds Tukaram, then proclaims himself king. He vows not to sit on the throne until the rightful treasure is found, sowing a conspiracy that drags on for years. The new ruler signals a grim, treasure-driven rivalry within the royal line.

Jayaram declares the treasure must be found before he sits on the throne, but the search proves futile for fifteen years. The royal family remains divided as merchants, fighters, and priests linger behind the throne. The prophecy surrounding the treasure continues to haunt the kingdom.

Journalist Lakshmi and her cameraman Sudhakar report on Harishchandra, a treasure hunter hired by Tukaram, only for him to be kidnapped during the segment. Inspector Narayana, negligent in his duties, initially arrests four of Harishchandra's guards and Tukaram uses the moment to flex his power.

Tukaram forces Narayana to write a bounty on his own head, threatening his life unless he finds Harishchandra. Narayana secretly rewrites it to target the newspaper van to suppress Lakshmi’s reporting, ending up with Harishchandra hidden in the van and planning a fake rescue for publicity.

Jayaram reads about Narayana's staged rescue and captures him, forcing a confession. He spares Narayana only on the condition that he finds the treasure, tightening the stakes for everyone involved.

Narayana learns from the troupe members that they are a religious group devoted to the prophecy of Sri Hari, where an eagle will sit on the chosen one's hand. He and Achyuthanna infiltrate the troupe festival in disguise, and an eagle lands on Narayana’s arm, prompting the troupe to declare him Sri Hari.

Lakshmi warns that posing as Sri Hari is dangerous and reveals she and Sudhakar belong to a faction that does not believe the prophecy. She tricks Narayana into a trap and kidnaps him, but he escapes and seeks more clues about the treasure map from believers.

Back at the Abhira fort, Narayana frames guard Narsi for pocketing Tukaram’s ring and bribes two other guards to seal the frame. Narsi is imprisoned, a move intended to snap the bandmaster out of his trauma and push the treasure hunt forward.

The bribed guards help Narayana escape and he summons Tukaram for a confrontation. Tukaram outguns Jayaram and seizes the fort, while the bandmaster escapes. Narayana confronts the fort’s situation and learns that the troupe’s play might reveal the treasure’s location.

Narayana and Lakshmi decode the troupe’s traditional play, which allegorically describes the ocean’s churn and hints that the treasure lies in a secluded mountain forest. Meanwhile, some of Tukaram’s men split up to search and others abduct the troupe to lay waste to the fortress.

Narayana discovers a decoy chest filled with rocks and is buried alive by Tukaram’s men, only to be rescued by Achyuthanna and other officers. He deduces the real chest’s location and retrieves it, preparing for the climactic exchange.

Narayana brings the real chest to Jayaram and arranges a snipers’ setup around the fort, offering the treasure in exchange for the troupe’s lives. As the fort burns, Jayaram’s loyalties waver and his men flee, forcing a final confrontation.

Jayaram is overpowered and killed as the fort burns, and the troupe is saved. Narayana is celebrated as a hero and ends up marrying Lakshmi, sealing a new alliance. During the credits, Harishchandra meets Narayana’s long-lost father, closing the chapter on the quest.