Nautanki Saala!

In a therapy session, RP opens up about a life tangled in personal turmoil and a pattern of self-destructive behavior. He recounts three breakups in as many months, months of sleepless nights, and heavy drinking after a suicide attempt. The session frames the film as a search for meaning behind these events.

RP is a successful theatre artist who portrays Raavan in Ram Leela, a show with a long-running run of 1500 performances. The backstage and stage life create a vivid stage world that contrasts with his fragile personal life. This artistic obsession sets the backdrop for the drama that follows.

Mandar Lele is on the brink of self-harm on a public road when RP intervenes and saves him. RP brings Mandar back to his home, pulling himself into Mandar's orbit. The rescue marks the beginning of a cascading sequence that will destabilize RP's own life.

Chitra, RP's girlfriend, grows anxious about the depth of RP's involvement with Mandar. She fears trouble with authorities or the hospital system and urges RP to step back. Yet RP feels compelled to help someone in need, creating tension in their relationship.

Mandar reveals that he has just lost Nandini and is haunted by the end of that bond, even writing a suicide note to Nandini's grandmother. RP decides to retrieve the letter, leading him to a troubling discovery at the grandmother's home. The grandmother's responses imply Mandar's flawed past and hint at a harsher assessment of his prospects.

An accident in the backstage area sees Mandar injured as props topple around him. The incident heightens the stakes of RP's attempt to help and deepen the emotional stakes for the pair. RP's instinct to shield Mandar exposes cracks in RP's own life.

While Mandar is hospitalized, Mandar asks for morphine and RP steals the drug from another patient to ease his suffering. The hospital charges RP hefty fines, underscoring the moral peril of trying to fix someone else's life. The incident compounds the consequences of RP's intervention.

The events derail RP's personal life, causing him to miss the third anniversary with Chitra. Her anger and frustration mount as the relationship strains under the weight of his secret entanglements. The anniversary becomes a painful milestone that highlights the cost of his choices.

RP resolves to repair Mandar's life, including bringing Nandini back into his orbit. He tracks down Nandini and learns of her upcoming wedding to Lokesh. To demonstrate his devotion, he buys the entire order of Nandini's bouquets, turning a practical act into a dramatic gesture.

The grand bouquet gesture contains a 'Shubh Vivah' card that Chitra mistakes for RP's proposal. She accepts this misread message, deepening RP's web of deception as he joggles two intimate relationships. Meanwhile, Sita flirts with RP, adding to the complexity.

RP flirts with Nandini and then reveals that he is involved because he fears loneliness, sliding into a dangerous triangle. Nandini kisses RP on one date to make Lokesh jealous, and they both fall for each other. Chitra's patience wears thin as betrayal unfolds.

As Mandar recovers, RP shields him from the shock of Nandini's impending wedding by casting him as Ram in RP's play. To prove Mandar can draw a crowd, RP arranges paying audience members to applaud, boosting Mandar's confidence and convincing the producer. The plan marks a turning point in Mandar's arc and RP's loyalty.

RP uncovers Lokesh's infidelity with Nandini and uses the knowledge to shape her choices. He begins dating Nandini himself to block Lokesh's advances, essentially steering the relationship toward his own needs as he navigates guilt.

RP's deception fractures his friendship with Mandar and his relationship with Nandini. He ends things with Nandini and arranges for Nandini and Mandar to meet again, hoping to mend what has been broken. The truth inevitably surfaces, leaving RP without Chitra and without Nandini.

In the present-day therapy sessions, the psychiatrist advises RP to apologize to Nandini, Mandar, and Chitra. Mandar returns to the production as Hanuman, guiding a reconciliation that brings Nandini and RP back together. Mandar ultimately chooses a life with Sita, completing his arc of personal transformation.