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Timeline

Line of Descent (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 108 min · English
Echo score 43
Directed by
Rohit Karn Batra
Starring
Brendan Fraser, Ekavali Khanna, Ali Haji, Abhay Deol, Ronit Roy, Neeraj Kabi
Budget
$5M

Three brothers, heirs to India's most infamous crime syndicate, find themselves embroiled in a fierce struggle over their father's inheritance. As the will's fate remains uncertain, tensions escalate, leading to a dangerous power struggle. Complicating matters, an undercover police officer attempts to infiltrate their operations, and a ruthless arms dealer manipulates events, putting everything at risk.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Line of Descent
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Line of Descent (2019)

Where can you watch Line of Descent? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome and Hoopla: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Line of Descent Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Line of Descent (2019) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Nya's Birthday Celebration

    The Sinha mafia family gathers in the vibrant streets of Delhi to celebrate the birthday of their newest member, Nya. The festivities are lively, filled with joy and family bonding, showcasing the close-knit nature of the clan amidst their criminal backdrop.

    Where
    Delhi, India
  2. Suraj's Desire for Normalcy

    Suraj Sinha, the youngest brother, expresses his longing to escape the family's criminal legacy. He dreams of leading a normal life with his beloved Seema, highlighting the internal conflict between his personal aspirations and familial obligations.

  3. Seema's Honor Defended

    When a rowdy group of youngsters begins to harass Seema during the celebration, Suraj instinctively leaps into action to defend her. This courageous act marks the beginning of the brewing tensions within the family and sets the stage for further conflict.

    Where
    Delhi, India
  4. Prithvi Takes Control

    Following Bharat Sinha's succession, Prithvi Sinha assumes control of the family's operations. His leadership comes at a tumultuous time, as the family's dynamics begin to shift in light of Suraj's reckless actions.

  5. Accidental Shooting Incident

    As tensions rise, Suraj accidentally injures a bystander during a confrontation. This disastrous event escalates the family's internal conflict and attracts unwanted attention from law enforcement.

    Where
    Delhi, India
  6. Officer Raghav's Investigation

    Officer Raghav, determined to unravel the Sinha family's criminal activities, collaborates with Deputy Commissioner Daniel Bates. They examine Bharat Sinha's notorious involvement in real estate piracy, aiming to bring down the mafia's operations in Delhi.

    Where
    Delhi, India
  7. Flashback to Bharat's Grief

    A haunting flashback reveals Bharat Sinha's tragic past, detailing the moment he lost his twin brother, Prithvi, due to financial distress. This loss ignited Bharat's descent into crime, marking a pivotal moment in the family's legacy.

  8. Siddharth's Deception

    As the family's chaos unfolds, Siddharth Sinha seeks to exploit the turmoil with a web of deception. His manipulative actions threaten to consume the entire family, adding layers to the ongoing conflict within the Sinha clan.

  9. Raghav Visits Suraj in Jail

    Days after the chaotic events, Officer Raghav visits Suraj in his cell to deliver critical news. He informs Suraj about his efforts to dismantle the Sinha empire and discusses potential legal consequences regarding Suraj's actions.

    Where
    Jail
  10. Betrayal Unveiled

    During the visit, Raghav reveals Siddharth's betrayal and the tragedy of Prithvi's death. Siddharth's malicious intentions to eliminate Seema surface, highlighting the dramatic stakes within the family.

  11. Covert Meeting Between Brothers

    Raghav uncovers that Prithvi had been secretly helping Suraj by arranging a covert meeting. After Prithvi's death, the ensuing chaos leads to confessions that threaten to expose the family's darkest secrets.

  12. The Truth about Nya

    In a shocking revelation, Raghav informs Suraj that Nya is not Siddharth's child but Prithvi's daughter. This revelation devastates the family, leading to severe emotional consequences for the Sinha clan.

  13. Suraj's Family Dynamics Shift

    As the truth about Nya comes to light, the family dynamics deteriorate further. Suraj's sister-in-law is overcome with grief and is committed to a psychiatric ward, leaving Nya in Suraj's care amidst the chaos.

  14. Raghav's Heartfelt Proposal

    Raghav presents Suraj with a hopeful proposal, suggesting that he welcomes Nya into his family. This offer opens a new chapter for Suraj, allowing him an opportunity to create a positive legacy.

  15. Embracing a New Beginning

    The film concludes on an uplifting note as Suraj accepts Raghav's proposal to take care of Nya. This decision represents hope and renewal, symbolizing Suraj's commitment to forge a new path away from the family's criminal past.

Last updated: November 17, 2024 at 20:36

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Timeline questions answered

Line of Descent Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Line of Descent (2019): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Suraj Sinha want to escape the family business?

Suraj dreams of leaving the Sinha mafia family's criminal legacy to pursue a normal life with his girlfriend Seema. He wants to break away from the violent and illegal operations that have defined his family's history, seeking a legitimate and peaceful future away from the dangers of organized crime.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, Suraj expresses his desire for normalcy during Nya's birthday celebration, hinting at his internal conflict between familial loyalty and personal aspirations.

  • suraj sinha
  • seema
  • escape crime
  • normal life
  • family legacy
Q2

What caused Bharat Sinha to become a criminal?

Bharat descended into crime after tragedy struck his family. His twin brother Prithvi suffered injuries in an accident, but due to lack of funds for crucial medical treatment, Prithvi died. Overwhelmed by grief and remorse, Bharat sold his restaurant to pay for his brother's care, but the money never arrived in time, leading to Prithvi's death. This loss drove Bharat to ally with British gangster Morris Burns and establish his criminal empire.

Foreshadowing: The flashback reveals that Bharat's transformation was driven by desperation and loss, establishing the tragic foundation of the Sinha family's criminal legacy.

  • bharat sinha
  • morris burns
  • crime origin
  • prithvi death
  • flashback
Q3

Why does Siddharth Sinha betray his family?

Siddharth exploits the family's turmoil during the power struggle following Bharat's succession. Seeking to take advantage of the chaos, he weaves a web of deception that threatens to consume the entire Sinha clan. His betrayal includes hiring a marksman to kill Seema and orchestrating events that put the family at risk.

Foreshadowing: Timeline events show Siddharth's deception emerging as the family tensions escalate, revealing his opportunistic nature.

  • siddharth sinha
  • betrayal
  • marksman
  • seema
  • family conflict
Q4

Who really killed Prithvi Sinha?

Siddharth hired a lethal marksman to kill Prithvi. The hit was carried out near a witness's home, making Prithvi's death appear as an execution. This calculated murder was part of Siddharth's scheme to seize power within the family.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Siddharth manipulating events and seeking to exploit the chaos, hinting at his darker intentions.

  • prithvi sinha death
  • siddharth
  • marksman
  • killed
  • murder
Q5

Why is Nya's true parentage so significant?

Nya is revealed to be Prithvi's daughter, not Siddharth's child. This shocking truth devastates the family dynamics, causing Suraj's sister-in-law to collapse from grief and ultimately leading to her commitment to a psychiatric ward. The revelation also shifts the inheritance and loyalty structures within the Sinha family.

Foreshadowing: Earlier hints about family secrets and hidden relationships set the stage for this pivotal revelation.

  • nya
  • prithvi daughter
  • parentage
  • siddharth
  • family truth
Q6

What were the consequences of Suraj's accidental shooting?

During a confrontation with rowdy youngsters harassing Seema, Suraj's hasty display of gunfire accidentally injured a bystander. This incident escalated the family's internal conflict and attracted unwanted attention from law enforcement, specifically Officer Raghav, who was already investigating the Sinha family's criminal activities.

Foreshadowing: The shooting occurs during the birthday celebration, immediately drawing police scrutiny to the family.

  • suraj
  • shooting
  • bystander
  • injury
  • police investigation
Q7

Why does Officer Raghav help Suraj instead of prosecuting him?

Raghav recognizes that Suraj is different from his criminal family members. After playing a vital role in dismantling the Sinha empire's reign of terror in Delhi, Raghav advocates for Suraj's reduced sentence. He believes Suraj deserves a chance at redemption, especially after Suraj's cooperation and his desire to break free from the family's criminal legacy.

Foreshadowing: Raghav's visits to Suraj in jail and his discussions about the family's crimes show his growing trust in Suraj's intentions.

  • raghav
  • suraj
  • help
  • reduced sentence
  • redemption
Q8

What is Charu's role in the investigation?

Charu is an undercover officer working within Raghav's investigation to infiltrate the Sinha family's operations. After Prithvi's death, Charu sets a trap that ensnares both Siddharth and Suraj, leading to confessions and dramatic consequences that expose the family's darkest secrets.

Foreshadowing: Suraj reaches out to Charu during the escalating conflict, hinting at Charu's dual identity.

  • charu
  • undercover officer
  • raghav
  • investigation
  • trap
Q9

Why does Suraj's sister-in-law end up in a psychiatric ward?

Upon learning that Nya is not Siddharth's child but Prithvi's daughter, Suraj's sister-in-law is overwhelmed with anguish and collapses under the weight of this devastating truth. The emotional fallout from this revelation leads to her commitment to a psychiatric ward.

Foreshadowing: The revelation about Nya's true parentage directly follows the earlier betrayal revelations, creating the emotional breaking point.

  • sister-in-law
  • psychiatric ward
  • nya
  • prithvi
  • emotional breakdown
Q10

What does Raghav's proposal at the end mean for Suraj's future?

Raghav, who struggles with fertility issues, offers Suraj the opportunity to welcome Nya into his family as his adopted daughter. This proposal gives both Suraj and Nya a fresh start, allowing Suraj to create a new legacy away from the family's criminal past while providing the child with a hopeful future.

Foreshadowing: The ending symbolizes Suraj's potential to break free from the criminal cycle and build something positive.

  • raghav
  • nya
  • adoption
  • new beginning
  • future

Movie threads

More Movies Like Line of Descent, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Line of Descent tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Dynastic crime dramas like Line of Descent

Gripping sagas of legacy, betrayal, and the high cost of a family name. If you enjoyed the tense power struggle in Line of Descent, explore more movies like it. This collection features gripping crime stories centered on family empires, inheritance wars, and the deep-seated betrayals that threaten to tear a legacy apart.

  • betrayal
  • power struggle
  • claustrophobic
  • gripping
  • tragic
  • melancholic
  • Tone: tense, tragic
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically centers on a successor's crisis, often triggered by a patriarch's death or incapacitation. It follows the ensuing power vacuum, where siblings or rivals engage in psychological and physical warfare, revealing hidden paternities, past grievances, and conflicting visions for the future of the empire.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their core focus on the destructive nature of dynastic succession within high-stakes criminal or corporate worlds. They share a tense, claustrophobic mood, complex character webs, and themes of legacy, loyalty, and the burden of inheritance.

Crime dramas with bittersweet redemption like Line of Descent

Stories where ruin offers a fragile chance at a new beginning. For viewers who liked the ending of Line of Descent, this list gathers similar movies about crime and consequences. Discover stories where the collapse of a criminal world leads to a bittersweet but hopeful chance for characters to forge a new, positive path forward.

  • redemption
  • hopeful
  • tragic
  • melancholic
  • bittersweet
  • heavy
  • Tone: bittersweet, heavy
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The journey involves a protagonist confronting the full destructive consequences of their life of crime, often resulting in the loss of everything they held dear. The narrative arc culminates not in pure victory or utter defeat, but in a painful yet clear opportunity for personal atonement and a meaningful new start.

Why they belong together: This thread connects films that balance the heaviness of crime and tragedy with a ultimately hopeful, if bittersweet, conclusion. They share a high emotional weight, a steady pacing that builds to a poignant climax, and a central theme of finding light after immense darkness.

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Movies Like Line of Descent

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Every angle

Line of Descent (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Line of Descent in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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