Kishen Mohan Girhotra, portrayed by Farhan Akhtar, is a young man from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, with dreams of becoming a singer. He faces setbacks when his attempt to deliver his original songs to a local IAS officer results in a violent encounter, leading to the destruction of his precious CD. In a moment of frustration, Kishen publicly curses and threatens the IAS officer. Fate takes a dark turn when he discovers the officer murdered the following day, making Kishen the prime suspect.
Accused of murder, Kishen finds himself in the Moradabad Jail, where he is sentenced to life imprisonment based on the testimony of a friend who was coerced into being an eyewitness. As the victim's family seeks the death penalty, Kishen is transferred to Lucknow Central. Here, he encounters Gayatri Kashyap, played by Diana Penty, an NGO worker with a mission to start a musical band of inmates for an upcoming competition. When Kishen overhears her request for permission, he passionately pleads for her to come and form the band at the jail, seeing it as his only hope and passion.
Determined to succeed, Kishen earns the friendship of four other inmates, including Dikkat Ansari (Inaamulhaq), Victor Chattopadhyay (Deepak Dobriyal), Purushottam Madan Pandit (Rajesh Sharma), and Parminder Singh Gill (Gippy Grewal). Initially hesitant, they are convinced when Kishen reveals his plan to use the band as a cover for their escape, leveraging his meticulous mapping of the prison.
As they form the band, challenges arise: during their first practice, chaos reigns with no harmony among the singers. Meanwhile, the Jailer, played by Ronit Roy, becomes suspicious of Kishen's intentions, fully aware that the band could be a facade for an escape plan. However, as the band performs, their skills exceed all expectations, leading to the Jailer manipulating the outcome to keep the competition going.
Despite gaining popularity, Kishen remains selfless, not chasing personal gain while others use their newfound fame to obtain paroles. Intrigued by Kishen's situation, Gayatri begins investigating his wrongful imprisonment and discovers the flimsy foundation of the evidence against him. She confronts Kishen about that fateful night, but he refuses to divulge details, feeling it won’t change the course of justice.
In a planned diversion, Kishen engineers a fight that lands the entire band in solitary confinement—the key to their escape route. With everything set for their getaway during the competition, Kishen faces a dilemma. As he prepares to escape, he sees the hopes of the entire prison resting on their success in the contest. Balancing his desire for freedom against his loyalty to his bandmates, Kishen realizes they believe in his innocence.
Ultimately, Kishen makes the extraordinary choice to stay and perform with his band. Their powerful rendition leads them to victory. In a turning point, Kishen’s friend recants his earlier testimony in court, clearing Kishen of all charges. With his name finally restored, Kishen is released, while the Lucknow Central band continues to captivate audiences with their music, a testament to friendship, resilience, and the extraordinary journey from despair to hope.
