Chalo

A man in a jail cell is visited by another inmate who starts recounting the life story that led to Hari. The tale centers on Hari's father and how his violence shaped his son's love of fighting. The narrator sets a feud-driven tone that threads through the village and college.

Hari's father would delight in letting his crying son beat someone to feel happy. This cruel dynamic trains Hari to see fighting as a path to approval and power. As Hari grows, his fists become the primary language of respect in their world.

The police warn Hari's father that any violence will be punished, signaling consequences for fighting. Fed up, they decide to send Hari to Tiruppuram upon the insistence of Hari's father's friend. The move places the boy in a border-town environment where two communities clash.

Upon arriving in Tiruppuram, Hari is drawn into the Tamil faction and quickly escapes back to the Telugu side, avoiding major conflict. He befriends an auto driver named Bose who explains the village's tense dynamics. This marks his first step into the town's communal feud.

Hari enters his college governed by the authoritarian principal Paramatma who aims to shield the campus from the feud. He attends classes but witnesses fights behind the college shed, hosted by the canteen owner. His encounter with Karthika, a Tamil girl, sparks a first attraction.

Hari befriends Sathya, a Tamil student, while he pursues Karthika. Sathya remains unimpressed at first, but Hari's persistence and actions begin to soften her stance. The budding dynamic becomes a focal point amid the ongoing feud.

Karthika's love for Hari depends on her father Veeramuthu's approval, the Tamil faction leader. A mix-up of names leads Hari to seek approval from Keshava, the Telugu faction leader, complicating loyalties. The tension between two fathers intensifies the village divide.

To get into Veeramuthu's good books, Hari humiliates Keshava by forcing him to set up posters of Hari and Karthika together. This public humiliation deepens the feud and widens the rift between leaders. The act cements Hari's entanglement in the political games of the village.

Paramatma uncovers illegal fights taking place behind the college and contemplates resigning from his post. The students, reformed by Hari's influence, ask for forgiveness and convince him to stay. This moment tests the stability Paramatma has tried to maintain.

Hari's parents arrive to help and understand the feud's origins by joining Hari, Sathya, and Paramatma in uncovering the history. They learn that the village once lived in harmony before the two leaders escalated tensions. The discovery shifts the focus from personal battles to historical grievances.

In 1953, central government officials arrive to finalize Tiruppuram's division for the creation of Andhra Pradesh, but Veeramuthu Sr. and Rao Bahadur refuse it. After confrontations, their injuries and alleged betrayals spark clashes, and the border is created the next day as villagers sign the new orders.

On the night of Karthika's marriage, Hari learns that half of Veeramuthu Sr. and Rao Bahadur's assets were transferred to the zamindar. He also uncovers that both leaders had an affair with Diana, a British woman, and that her death followed a scuffle between them. The zamindar's son witnessed the deaths and kept the truth hidden for years.

Veeramuthu and Keshava arrive, learn the truth from Hari, and are compelled to settle their feud to prevent further chaos. Hari uses the revelation to demand Karthika marry him, threatening to expose their fathers' rivalry. The village edges toward reconciliation as old grievances surface.

Constrained by the revelations, Veeramuthu and Keshava end the feud and become friends, restoring a precarious peace to the village. Hari finally marries Karthika, linking the new alliance to the personal reconciliation. The community shifts from vendetta to unity.

With the feud resolved and marriages secured, the village returns to a semblance of unity and Hari's role as peacemaker is cemented by his union with Karthika. The story closes on a note of reconciliation and the triumph of understanding over bloodlines.