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Plot Summary

Power (2016) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 140 mins · Bengali, Bangla
Directed by
Rajiv Kumar
Starring
Kharaj Mukherjee, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Supriyo Dutta, Jeet, Rajatabha Dutta, Nusrat Jahan

Being a policeman’s doppelganger is a mixed blessing in this action-packed caper.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Power
  5. 5 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Power: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Power (2016) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Bir Pratap Chowdhury is a corrupt yet valiant ACP in Kolkata who walks a fine line between duty and danger. He aims to bring down the dreaded Joykrishna Ganguly, but his mission ends in tragedy when Bir Pratap loses his life and Joykrishna is snatched away by Bir Pratap’s own allies, Biswas and Mukherjee. The news hits hard: the Home Minister Ramkrishna Ganguly worries about the fate of the case, while Bir Pratap’s mother collapses from the shock and is rushed to the hospital. Ramkrishna vows to nail Joykrishna or resign if he fails, rallying the public with a promise that echoes through the city.

In the present day, Kolkata follows a different current. Jeetu, a doppelgänger of Bir Pratap, is a carefree dreamer who longs to wear the police uniform, yet his path to a badge remains blocked. He lives with his brother-in-law Bhojon Bose, a CI who serves as a constant reminder of how hard it is to break in. To change his fortune, Jeetu approaches Anjali, Sayantika Banerjee a charismatic figure who claims to deal in gemstone-based astrology and can supposedly alter a person’s destiny. In truth, Anjali is a con artist, but she still lends Jeetu a ring—one she claims has magical powers, though it really does nothing of the sort.

Jeetu soon finds himself entangled in real police work when he helps his brother-in-law capture a dangerous convict, earning some attention but little credit. Bhojon grabs the spotlight at the press conference, leaving Jeetu feeling overlooked. The twist comes when Bhojon reveals he had previously rejected Jeetu’s dream of joining the police academy. Ramkrishna, watching the news, sees potential in Jeetu and orders him to impersonate Bir Pratap to imprison Joykrishna Ganguly. Jeetu accepts and travels to Selimpur, donning the façade of Bir Pratap and freeing Joykrishna from Biswas and Mukherjee. He escorts the gangster to Ramkrishna, only for Ramkrishna to betray him in a single, brutal stroke, stabbing him and letting the truth spill out: Joykrishna is actually Ramkrishna’s brother. Ramkrishna vanishes, leaving Jeetu reeling. Biswas and Mukherjee rescue Jeetu, rush him to the hospital, and finally reveal Bir Pratap’s past to him.

The backstory unfolds with a procedural sting. Biswas and Mukherjee are appointed as Bir Pratap’s aides by the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s commissioner, Ranjit Kumar Kapuria, to gather evidence of Bir Pratap’s corruption. Bir Pratap is constantly shadowed by Inspector Pradip Kumar Sarkar, a crooked cop who rides with him wherever he goes. A crucial kidnapping plot threads Joykrishna Ganguly with the murder witness Gopal, who could seal the case against the gang. Bir Pratap strikes a deal with Joykrishna for a sizeable ransom to hand over Gopal, deepening his entanglement in crime as he fights to keep the truth buried.

Amid this moral maelstrom, Bir Pratap finds love. He falls for Shruti, a philanthropist who runs the Aasha Foundation and shares his flashes of tenderness. A raid on his house—conducted by Biswas and Mukherjee, who also find the flash drive listing other cops—turns up critical pressure and fuels distrust. Shruti’s faith in Bir Pratap trembles as she witnesses the brutality behind the badge. Bir Pratap’s uncle, Rajat Pratap Chowdhury, reveals a heartbreaking motive tied to his dying mother Nilanjana Pratap Chowdhury: she longed to see her son become a cop, and Bir Pratap’s failed selection becomes the catalyst for a vow. He spends 10 lakh rupees to secure a seat, but receives a bribe-filled reality instead; the next morning, Bir Pratap’s mother dies, having believed the path to a badge was closed. This tragedy hardens him, and he resolves to pay the costs of corruption on behalf of noble candidates who deserve a fair chance. Soon after, Bir Pratap and Shruti become engaged.

The past grows darker as Bir Pratap eliminates Debkrishna and arrests Joykrishna on charges of killing ACP Avinash, with Gopal standing as the chief witness. But Pradip Kumar Sarkar betrays him, selling the evidence and intelligence about Gopal for a bribe. Joykrishna’s gang retaliates by killing Bir Pratap’s uncle and assaulting Bir Pratap and Gopal at the court, while Shruti and Gopal perish in the ensuing chaos. Bir Pratap escapes, rekindling a brutal resolve: he kidnaps Joykrishna from P.K.’s custody with Biswas and Mukherjee at his side, and then crashes in the hills, his car exploding and killing him.

In the present, the truth begins to surface. Jeetu commits to setting things right. Ramkrishna fabricates evidence against the sitting Chief Minister of West Bengal, alleging that he was backing Joykrishna all along; the Chief Minister is forced out, arrested, and Ramkrishna’s bid for power gains momentum. Yet Joykrishna, though imprisoned, continues to run the crime syndicate from inside the system. Jeetu returns to duty and confronts Ramkrishna, seeking to protect his own post. He forms a fragile alliance with Ramkrishna’s PA, Bijoy Sanyal, and is drawn toward Anjali once more, reconnecting through a clever ruse involving a ring-based camera system. The ring, a compact device hidden in a fake gemstone, captures audio and becomes a weapon to broadcast Ramkrishna’s corruption to the media. Ramkrishna and his brother go underground in a panic, and the chaos widens to include Anjali, Biswas, Mukherjee, and Bhojon’s family.

Ranjit Kumar Kapuria, watching the entire cascade, uncovers the jaw-dropping truth: Jeetu and Bir Pratap are the same person. As the car explosion rewinds in memory, Bir Pratap falls from the vehicle into a freight carrier and slips into amnesia. Bhojon’s wife has long searched for her lost brother Jeetu, and Bhojon uses this gap to pass Bir Pratap off as Jeetu, hoping to spare her pain and to shield himself from financial ruin. Kapuria warns that exposing the truth could be deadlier than any crime.

The climax erupts as Jeetu storms Joykrishna’s fortress, defeats the criminal mastermind, and brings Ramkrishna to justice. Biswas, Mukherjee, and the others decide not to shatter Jeetu’s fragile peace by revealing the full truth about his identity and the losses of his uncle and fiancé. In the end, Jeetu marries Anjali, and, though he continues to pose as Bir Pratap Chowdhury, Kolkata has its quiet, uneasy hero—a man who has walked through duplicity and memory loss to restore a semblance of order to a city fed up with corruption.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:27

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Plot questions answered

Power Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Power (2016): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Jeetu impersonate Bir Pratap in Power?

Ramkrishna, the Home Minister, orders Jeetu to impersonate Bir Pratap to capture Joykrishna Ganguly. Ramkrishna sees potential in Jeetu after watching his news coverage and believes a doppelgänger can successfully lure Joykrishna into a trap. Jeetu accepts because it represents his chance to finally wear a police uniform and prove himself.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jeetu is shown longing to join the police academy but is rejected by his own brother-in-law Bhojon.

  • jeetu
  • bir pratap
  • impersonation
  • ramkrishna
  • police
Q2

Q2

Is Jeetu actually Bir Pratap in Power?

Yes, Jeetu and Bir Pratap are the same person. Bir Pratap survived the car explosion in the hills, falling into a freight carrier and developing amnesia. Bhojon's wife had been searching for her lost brother Jeetu, so Bhojon used this opportunity to pass the amnesiac Bir Pratap off as Jeetu to spare her pain and avoid financial ruin.

Foreshadowing: Kapuria notices striking similarities between Jeetu and Bir Pratap, leading to his discovery of the truth.

  • jeetu
  • bir pratap
  • amnesia
  • identity
  • twist
Q3

Why does Ramkrishna betray Jeetu after he brings Joykrishna?

Ramkrishna stabs Jeetu and reveals that Joykrishna Ganguly is actually his own brother. Ramkrishna cannot allow Joykrishna to be arrested and expose their family connection, so he eliminates Jeetu to protect his brother and his political career.

Foreshadowing: Ramkrishna's intense personal interest in capturing Joykrishna despite being Home Minister hints at a deeper connection.

  • ramkrishna
  • joykrishna
  • betrayal
  • brother
  • home minister
Q4

What is the secret of Anjali's ring in Power?

Anjali originally gives Jeetu a ring claiming it has magical gemstone powers, but it's actually a con. Later, Jeetu discovers the ring contains a tiny camera - a gemstone with a hidden lens that can record audio and video. He uses this to broadcast Ramkrishna's corruption confession to the media, exposing his crimes.

Foreshadowing: Anjali mentions her rings can 'capture destiny,' foreshadowing their actual surveillance capability.

  • ring
  • camera
  • anjali
  • corruption
  • broadcast
Q5

Why did Bir Pratap become corrupt in Power?

Bir Pratap's mother Nilanjana died believing her son failed to become a cop because he couldn't afford the bribe. To fulfill her last wish, Bir Pratap spent 10 lakh rupees to get selected, only to receive a bribe-filled position. This tragedy hardened him, and he started accepting bribes not for personal gain but to help noble candidates who deserved a fair chance pay their way into the police.

Foreshadowing: Shruti witnesses Bir Pratap's brutality behind the badge, foreshadowing his moral decline.

  • bir pratap
  • corruption
  • mother
  • bribe
  • police
Q6

How does Bir Pratap really die in Power?

Bir Pratap doesn't actually die. In the past, he kidnaps Joykrishna from P.K.'s custody with Biswas and Mukherjee's help, then drives into the hills. His car explodes, but he falls from the vehicle into a passing freight carrier, surviving with amnesia. Everyone believes he died in the explosion.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Bir Pratap's 'death' as a car explosion in the hills, but Kapuria later reveals he survived.

  • bir pratap
  • car explosion
  • amnesia
  • survival
  • hills
Q7

What happens to Shruti in Power?

Shruti, Bir Pratap's fiancée who runs the Aasha Foundation, dies in the chaos at the courthouse when Joykrishna's gang attacks. She and Gopal (the witness) are killed during the assault while Bir Pratap manages to escape. Her death fuels Bir Pratap's final desperate mission against Joykrishna.

Foreshadowing: Shruti's faith in Bir Pratap trembles after witnessing the raid on his house, hinting at her tragic fate.

  • shruti
  • death
  • courthouse
  • attack
  • gang
Q8

What happens to Joykrishna at the end of Power?

In the climax, Jeetu storms Joykrishna's fortress and defeats the criminal mastermind, bringing him to justice. Although Joykrishna had been running his crime syndicate from inside prison, he is finally arrested and exposed along with his brother Ramkrishna.

Foreshadowing: Timeline events show Joykrishna continuing to rule from within the system before his eventual downfall.

  • joykrishna
  • arrest
  • fortress
  • defeat
  • justice
Q9

Are Biswas and Mukherjee really corrupt cops in Power?

No, Biswas and Mukherjee are actually undercover Anti-Corruption Bureau officers appointed by Commissioner Kapuria to gather evidence against Bir Pratap. They pretended to be his allies while secretly building a corruption case. They later rescue Jeetu after Ramkrishna's betrayal and help him fight for justice.

Foreshadowing: They conduct a raid on Bir Pratap's house and find a flash drive listing corrupt cops, showing their investigative intent.

  • biswas
  • mukherjee
  • acb
  • undercover
  • corruption
Q10

Why does Bhojon hide Jeetu's true identity in Power?

Bhojon's wife has been searching for her lost brother Jeetu for years. When the amnesiac Bir Pratap is found, Bhojon passes him off as Jeetu to spare his wife the pain of learning her brother was dead, and also to protect himself from financial ruin since he had taken money from Bir Pratap previously.

Foreshadowing: Bhojon's initial reluctance to help Jeetu join the police academy hints at his self-serving nature.

  • bhojon
  • jeetu
  • identity
  • hidden
  • brother-in-law
Q11

Why does Ramkrishna frame the Chief Minister in Power?

Ramkrishna fabricates evidence against the sitting Chief Minister of West Bengal, alleging he was backing Joykrishna all along. This forces the Chief Minister to resign and be arrested, clearing Ramkrishna's path to power while simultaneously protecting his brother Joykrishna's criminal operations.

Foreshadowing: Ramkrishna's political ambition is established early when he vows to nail Joykrishna or resign.

  • ramkrishna
  • chief minister
  • frame
  • political
  • power

Movie threads

More Movies Like Power, by Mood & Story

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

Gritty identity conspiracy thrillers like Power

Protagonists caught in webs of deception, fighting corruption while questioning their own identity. If you liked the high-stakes deception and identity crisis in Power, explore more movies like it. This thread focuses on tense thrillers where characters grapple with stolen identities, political corruption, and complex conspiracies, delivering a similar mix of fast-paced action and heavy emotional weight.

  • tense
  • gritty
  • suspenseful
  • unsettling
  • anxious
  • determined
  • Tone: tense, unsettling, morally ambiguous
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives often center on an amnesiac or impersonator protagonist thrust into a dangerous situation. As they navigate a world of betrayals and hidden agendas, the investigation of an external crime becomes intertwined with the quest for self-discovery, leading to a morally complex and emotionally taxing resolution.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a core focus on the fragility of identity within a corrupt system. They are grouped by their high-tension atmosphere, fast pacing, complex plotting, and the heavy emotional burden placed on protagonists who must fight for justice while piecing together their own shattered sense of self.

Bittersweet crime dramas with moral ambiguity like Power

Stories where justice is achieved, but at a profound personal cost. Movies like Power often feature endings that are more bitter than sweet. If you appreciated the complex moral landscape and emotionally heavy resolution, this thread collects similar stories where victories are hard-won and come with significant personal tragedy.

  • bittersweet
  • gritty
  • melancholic
  • dramatic
  • moral ambiguity
  • emotional
  • Tone: gritty, melancholic, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady to fast
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative journey typically involves a protagonist making difficult, morally ambiguous choices to navigate a corrupt world. The climax may see the antagonist defeated or justice served, but the path taken leaves the protagonist scarred, having lost loved ones, innocence, or a part of themselves, resulting in an ending that feels more somber than celebratory.

Why they belong together: This group is defined by a shared emotional structure: a heavy, often gritty tone, complex character motivations, and crucially, a bittersweet or morally complex ending. The focus is on the emotional residue of the conflict, rather than a simple triumph.

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Movies Like Power

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Every angle

Power (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Power 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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