Kala Bazaar

At the Mumbai municipal building, the superintendent Thakur learns that permits may be delayed. Ranbir Gupta calls to press for approvals, highlighting the influence-peddling that will follow. Thakur notes that a newly appointed clerk is holding up the file, foreshadowing a hidden network of favors.

The new clerk, Kimtilal Saxena, is introduced and initially refuses a direct bribe for permit approvals. Bribery mutates into a sugar-based scheme run via Kutti the tea vendor, where each spoonful costs 200 rupees. Kimtilal begins collecting payments from Kutti, tying bribes to everyday office transactions and corrupting the workplace.

Ranbir Gupta, Sampath Seth, and Jagan Dhamaliya corner Kimtilal with a fat bribe to fast-track permits. He accepts, seeing a route to power that extends beyond his modest clerk’s duties. The arrangement effectively brings muscle, money, and official complicity into the system.

Kimtilal builds a comfortable home for his wife and son Kamal, while nurturing friendships with Girdharilal and their families. Kamal falls for Kamini, Sampath’s daughter, and Kamal’s friend Vijay becomes involved with a bar owner’s daughter, expanding the social web around corruption. Personal bonds deepen as the corrupt network grows.

An anti-corruption investigator arrives to probe the collusion between the government office and Gupta/Sampath. Jagan kills the officer, escalating the danger around the bribery nexus. Thakur begins to realize how deep the corruption runs and the risk to anyone who digs too far.

Thakur worries about Gupta’s Nirmal building, which has apparent structural faults. Kimtilal brushes aside concerns, saying they are only the lower rungs of a larger ladder. Nevertheless, Thakur signs off on the project, normalizing the scheme in the eyes of the bureaucracy.

Kamini asks her father for permission to marry Kamal, triggering a clash with Sampath over status and hierarchy. Sampath storms Kimtilal’s home to rebuke him, but Kimtilal defends the couple and implies the decision came from Kamini and Kamal alike. The family tension exposes the social dimensions of the corruption network.

Kamal’s application to the Indian Police Service is approved, a result Kimtilal engineered at the admissions board. Vijay learns that his own higher exam scores were ignored and feels betrayed as his application is denied. Girdharilal hints at exposure, heightening risk for the entire racket.

Kimtilal stages a fake bribe involving Girdharilal, framing him for corruption. Unable to bear the shame of an arrest, Girdharilal commits suicide and leaves a note proclaiming his innocence. The suicide amplifies the crisis and prompts Vijay to search for the real culprits.

Vijay confronts Kamal about their different upbringings and opportunities, revealing the moral rift created by bribery. He joins a grassroots campaign to publicly identify and shame corrupt officials, gaining public support. Kimtilal’s position begins to weaken as whistleblowers rise.

The Nirmal building finally collapses, killing residents and triggering panic. Thakur panics and Jagan silences him to contain the fallout, revealing how the system tolerates catastrophe as long as profits flow. The tragedy forces a public reckoning with the bribery network.

A taped conversation between Kutti and Kimtilal surfaces, exposing the bribery network. Kamal returns home to arrest his father, confronted with the stark truth about how his life’s milestones were purchased with bribes. The family is ripped apart by the revelation.

Kimtilal is prosecuted by Kamini, but he uses clever legal tactics to negotiate around the evidence and attempt to exonerate himself. The court drama highlights the slow, flawed nature of a system dependent on bribes. The public confronts the reality that the corruption runs deep.

Vijay discovers Kimtilal framed his father and rushes to the courthouse. He stabs Kimtilal in the courtroom, and Kimtilal finally reveals the roots of the nexus before dying. The film ends with signs of reform and Vijay’s release into the arms of his family, suggesting cautious optimism for change.