Challenge

Gandhi steals medicine for his mother, who is on her deathbed, hoping to ease her pain. He reaches the hospital only to find she has already died, leaving him penniless and desperate. The ward boy Prakasam demands payment to preserve the corpse in the mortuary, setting the first pressure point of the story.

Ram Mohan Rao rushes to the hospital seeking treatment for his ailing wife. Gandhi plays a cunning numerical trick with Rao's daughter Harika, and her sympathy leads her to pay ₹501 for Gandhi's mother's funeral. However, the ward boy accepts the money under their arrangement, leaving Gandhi without funds.

Left homeless and penniless, Gandhi saves a young woman named Lakshmi from drowning after she jumps from a bridge. He pulls her to safety and they head toward Lakshmi's house, where a bond begins to form.

Gandhi discovers a newspaper job advertisement and decides to respond. He goes to Ram Mohan Rao's house for an interview, where a heated argument erupts about making money. Gandhi stakes a five-year bet: he can earn ₹50 lakh lawfully, Rao challenges him, and they sign an agreement; Gandhi leaves on 19 April.

Gandhi begins his plan and earns his first ₹100 through gambling, a milestone he treats as a legitimate win. He explains to Lakshmi the difference between law and justice and insists that money can be earned honestly.

Rao tries to push his daughter Harika toward a marriage arranged with someone else, hoping to settle the bet. Gandhi learns of the plan and spoils the marriage arrangement, invoking the bet to justify his stand.

Rao sends goons to kill Gandhi, but Gandhi fights them off and warns that Rao should inform him that Gandhi is intelligent and physically capable as well.

Gandhi buys a new house and moves in with Lakshmi, who becomes his secretary, signaling a stable partnership as his business expands.

Lakshmi gives Gandhi a letter that he must read only after the five-year challenge completes, regardless of the outcome. The letter promises encouragement and hints that there are things money can't buy, like love and peace.

Hanumantha Rao arrives with his wife Priyamvada, posing as homeless and trying to defame Gandhi while leaking his secrets to Ram Mohan Rao. Priyamvada even attempts to seduce Gandhi but learns her mistake after his guidance and reveals her husband's scheme.

Gandhi plans to start a paper mill to compete with Rao and meets Vidyarthi, a former Rao employee whose experience helps run the venture. Harika supports him during the hard times, admiring his resolve.

Hanumantha Rao escalates problems in the paper mill, and Lakshmi resigns in protest as Gandhi remains relentlessly focused on profits rather than worker welfare. The rift widens between them as tensions mount.

Facing mounting trouble, Gandhi pivots to launching a new scooter, which captures public imagination and brings in large advance bookings. The crowd response injects substantial cash into his operation.

On the last day of the bet, Gandhi is ₹500 short of ₹50 lakh; the ward boy returns the ₹500 he had taken earlier, closing the gap. En route to the airport to confront Rao, he is attacked by Hanumantha Rao's goons but defeats them. Harika reads Lakshmi's letter and hands it to Gandhi, advising him not to miss her before she leaves.

Having proven the point of his mantra, Gandhi returns to Lakshmi and marries her, realizing that money cannot buy love, peace, or happiness. The union marks the moral center of the story, validating the lessons learned during the challenge.