Goli Soda

Pulli, Saetu, Sithappa, and Kuttimani work as coolies, lifting and transporting vegetables for shops. They move through the market with a carefree camaraderie, not thinking about the future. Their daily routine is simple, noisy, and full of small adventures.

Aachi, the kind shop owner, tells the boys they do not have an identity and need to earn respect. She pushes them to do something that will give them a standing in the market. Her words spark the idea of creating a space that would bear their name.

Aachi helps them obtain an old godown from Naidu, a powerful market figure. Naidu lets them use the place for free for now and promises to collect the rent later. The boys convert the space into a bustling market mess that becomes their identity.

The new mess attracts patrons and money flows in. The boys gain respect from vendors and customers alike. They start feeling they finally have an identity as market owners.

Naidu's cousin Mayil begins using the mess for his own pleasures during the night. At first the boys overlook it out of respect for Naidu, but the abuse grows more serious over time. The space that gave them power starts to become a source of trouble.

Sithappa confronts Mayil and orders him to leave the mess. Mayil fights back, beating Sithappa, and refuses to leave. The next day, the mess is found locked, with Mayil inside, having turned the space into a mess and arousing the others' anger.

Naidu is furious when he learns what happened at the mess. Aachi pleads for forgiveness, but Naidu refuses and holds her hostage until the boys are punished. The stakes rise as the balance of power in the market tightens.

Naidu sends a posse to beat the boys inside the mess, and Mayil even assaults Yamini and Vanmathi when the opportunity arises. The boys fight back with whatever weapons they can find in the market and push the attackers away. Naidu swears revenge and decides to break them apart by dispersing them across the country.

With help from Vanmathi, the boys reunite and decide to reclaim their identity by reopening the mess. They face delays and danger, but their bond keeps them going. The market begins to see their return as a symbol of defiance.

The boys are saved by a police officer when Naidu moves to kill them. They resolve to strike back by opposing Naidu in the market elections, hoping to strip him of the fear he imposes on others. They begin to rally supporters for a political showdown in the market.

Taking a daring risk, the boys discover Naidu asleep and cut off his hair, paste a coin on his head as a symbol of defeat, and set out to reveal this mark. Naidu wakes to the humiliation and swears to kill them, marching back to the mess with armed men. The boys overpower his men and tie Naidu to a post, threatening to strip him naked if he moves.

The boys make it clear that a man's identity is worth defending, and Naidu is left guilt-ridden by his own actions. They are forgiven by Naidu, and they forgive him in turn. The mess continues to thrive, and the ending hints at budding romances between Sithappa and Vanmathi, and Puli and Yamini.