Year: 1997
Runtime: 126 mins
Language: Telugu
Director: Suresh Krishna
A popular college professor is unable to find true happiness because of his dark past, but the persistence of love and justice ultimately win the day.
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In a bustling college setting, Janardhan Rao, a principled college head, focuses intently on instilling discipline among students and staff alike. To reinforce his vision, he brings in his protégé, Rajkumar, to take up a Telugu lecturer post at the same institution. From day one, Rajkumar slips into the lives of the students with ease, cultivating a close-knit culture around the campus that feels like a cadre rather than a classroom. He moves through the corridors with a mix of authority and camaraderie, using charm and steadfast rules to sway the crowd and keep order, all while keeping a wary eye on maintaining boundaries.
Among the students, Kanchana finds herself drawn to Rajkumar and gathers the courage to confess her feelings, only to be gently refused. He explains, with quiet gravity, that his heart is bound to a past he cannot easily set aside. This past tension becomes a through-line that colors their interactions and adds a layer of quiet tension to the present day.
Flashback reveals the core of Rajkumar’s past. When he studied in New Delhi, he was in love with Preeti, who is revealed to be Janardhan Rao’s daughter. A complicated triangle unfolds when Preeti’s classmate, Vikram, proposes to her. Preeti declines, and in a flash of rage, Vikram takes her life. In a separate act of vengeance that echoes through the years, Rajkumar kills Vikram and is immediately sentenced to five years in prison. The weight of that decision travels with him as he returns years later to resume his teaching role, seeking a way to live with what he did and who he is now.
Back in the present, Rajkumar speaks of love with a singular and enduring fixation on Preeti, insisting that no one else can occupy that space. Then a startling encounter disrupts the status quo: Vikram—believed to be dead—reappears, forcing Rajkumar to chase answers. Janardhan Rao intervenes, revealing a painful truth: Preeti’s killer was not Vikram alone but D. R., a feared crime boss who happens to be Vikram’s brother. Faced with this revelation, Janardhan Rao confesses that he kept the truth to himself so as not to derail Rajkumar’s fragile life and the fragile hope he clung to.
To protect Rajkumar from spiraling into vengeance, Janardhan Rao asks for a promise: do not pursue D. R. or Vikram. Reluctantly, Rajkumar agrees, choosing restraint over retribution as a path to healing and stability.
A new complication arises when Rajkumar’s student Dilip falls in love with D. R.’s daughter. Afraid of the repercussions but moved by their sincerity, the couple seeks his help to marry. He weighs the risks, secures Janardhan Rao’s consent, and steps into a more dangerous conflict than he anticipated. As he confronts the gang of goons aligned with D. R. and Vikram, his resolve is tested, and his skill is put on full display.
The confrontation does not go quietly. Rajkumar manages to achieve the couple’s aim, but the victory comes at a high price: he ends up killing both D. R. and Vikram, dismantling a dangerous syndicate but triggering a fresh prison sentence of five years. The courtroom and the courthouse doors close behind him as he begins another term, a testament to the cycles of justice and the personal toll of violence.
Five years pass in a quiet, incremental way, and when the prison term finally ends, Rajkumar emerges to a life that has not forgotten him but still offers a chance at happiness. He reconciles with Kanchana, and the couple finds a new beginning together, blessed by Janardhan Rao and his students, who have watched the arc of his life with a mix of caution and hope.
Cast highlights: Brahmanandam, Vijayakumar, Narsing Yadav, Uttej, Satya Prakash, Puneet Issar, Sakshi Shivananda, and Chiranjeevi.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:10
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Troubled teachers with dark pasts find purpose and atonement through their students.If you liked Master, explore similar movies where teachers and mentors haunted by their pasts find a chance at redemption. These dramatic stories blend themes of justice, past trauma, and the transformative power of mentorship, often leading to a bittersweet but hopeful emotional arc.
This narrative pattern follows a protagonist with expertise and authority who is secretly tormented by their history, which often involves crime, loss, or injustice. The story unfolds as their past resurfaces, forcing a confrontation that intertwines with their present role as a guide, leading to a cathartic resolution where they pay a price but find a new beginning.
These films are grouped by their shared focus on the student-teacher dynamic as a crucible for healing. They blend heavy emotional weight with a driven, purposeful mood, creating stories about the cost of the past and the hard-won peace found through responsibility and connection.
Characters achieve a measure of justice and peace, but at a significant personal cost.Find movies similar to Master that explore the heavy toll of past violence and the pursuit of justice. These films feature high-stakes drama, themes of revenge and organized crime, and emotionally complex characters who achieve a hard-won, bittersweet peace after a difficult journey.
The narrative typically involves a linear progression punctuated by flashbacks, revealing a traumatic event that fuels the protagonist's actions. The central conflict pits them against powerful forces from their past, leading to violent confrontations. The story concludes with the protagonist achieving their goal but forever changed, having sacrificed something profound for their final, precarious peace.
These films share a specific emotional mix: a dark, tense tone combined with a melancholic mood, driven by a plot focused on crime and punishment. The experience is defined by high intensity, a variable pace balancing reflection with action, and a profoundly bittersweet conclusion.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Master in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Master is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Master with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Master. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
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