Mankatha

Vinayak Mahadevan, a corrupt ACP of Maharashtra Police, is suspended for saving Faizal from an encounter killing. The decision casts him out of active duty and sets his path on the edge of law. The narrative introduces the murky overlap between crime and police in Mumbai.

ACP Prithviraj Prithvi takes charge to end the escalating IPL betting scandals in Mumbai. The weight of the leaks pushes Kamal Ekambaram to commit suicide. The police vow to clean up the corruption affecting cricket betting.

Prithvi reveals that Kamal faked his death as part of a secret mission to draw attention to the betting scams. He returns under the name Praveen Kumar, reinfiltrating the operation with a new alias. The revelation expands the conspiracy's reach.

Arumuga Chettiyar, a powerful illegal businessman, runs Golden Theatres in Mumbai and uses it as a gambling front to launder money. He aims to route over ₹5 billion into the betting world. The theater network serves as the backbone of the illicit operation.

Vinayak is introduced to Chettiyar through his girlfriend Sanjana, who is in love with him but is deceived by his true nature. The meeting marks Vinayak's deeper descent into Chettiyar's criminal orbit. The relationship adds a personal layer to the unfolding betrayal.

Sumanth, along with Ganesh, Mahat, and Prem, hatches a plan to rob the money stacked by Chettiyar's network. The group aims to steal the huge cash stash and make a clean break from the criminal pipeline. The plan begins taking shape in the lead-up to the heist.

Vinayak befriends the four at Sumanth's wedding to Suchithra and learns of the planned heist when Prem, intoxicated, reveals the scheme. He pretends to help them so he can seize the loot for himself, promising a share. The trust fractures as alliances shift on the wedding night.

After the heist, the cash is stashed in an abandoned godown. The group later celebrates at Mahat's bar, reveling in their supposed victory. The mood grows uneasy as suspicion threads through the crew, foreshadowing betrayals to come. The stage is set for a brutal fall.

Faizal identifies Sumanth, cornering him and triggering Chettiyar to order Faizal to execute him. Ganesh and Vinayak intervene, rescuing Sumanth and escaping with Chettiyar hostage in tow. The escape unfolds amid arrests and shifting loyalties that tighten the noose around the criminals.

On the road, Vinayak brutally shoves Chettiyar out of the car, shattering Sanjana's trust as she witnesses Vinayak's true motives. The moment cements Vinayak's betrayal and his willingness to crush Chettiyar's world. The fallout escalates the stakes for everyone involved.

Mahat and Prem escape the police hunt with the cash, joined by Sona, and are chased by Faizal and Chettiyar's men. They manage to elude their pursuers for a time, painting a chaotic chase across the night. The ensemble drift deeper into a web of murder and greed.

Prithvi arrives at the right moment and takes Sumanth into custody to turn him into an approver against Chettiyar’s network. The move tightens the police grip on the money trail. The balance of power begins to tilt toward the authorities.

Sabitha, Prithvi's wife, is kidnapped by Vinayak, escalating the danger and prompting a desperate response from the police. In the ensuing confrontation, Sumanth dies, removing one of the last loose ends from the operation. The fatalities push the remaining players into a final showdown.

The pursuit converges at a highway resort where Sona kills Mahat, Vinayak kills Sona, and Prem is killed by Prithvi. Vinayak and Prithvi face off in a last duel, culminating in an explosion that seems to end the confrontation. Ganesh and Vinayak survive the blast, leaving the money and the next moves unresolved.

Days later, the police learn Ganesh is alive in Thailand, contradicting earlier reports of his death. Praveen arrives and reveals Vinayak's presence, prompting a call to Prithvi to report back. It is revealed that Prithvi and Vinayak had planned the money scheme together; ₹500 crore is now split, with ₹250 crore each, and the money is supposedly safe in the Bank of England. The final twist ends with Vinayak seizing Praveen's gun and declaring that the game is not over.