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Pushpaka Vimana (2017) movie poster

Plot Summary

Pushpaka Vimana (2017) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 140 mins · Kannada
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Directed by
S. Ravindranath
Starring
Ramesh Aravind, Juhi Chawla Mehta, Rockline Sudhakar, Ravi Kale, Rachita Ram, Yuvina Parthavi

A loving father, with a developmental disability, shares a passion for airplanes with his young daughter. Determined to fulfill her wish for a toy plane, he inadvertently becomes entangled in a crime and is wrongly imprisoned. The story follows their heartfelt journey as they navigate separation and strive to reunite, exploring themes of love, innocence, and perseverance.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Pushpaka Vimana
  6. 6 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Pushpaka Vimana: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Pushpaka Vimana (2017) 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.

The film opens with a determined, young lawyer who reopens a long-closed case, insisting that the man punished for a brutal rape and murder was innocent and had no fault of his own. When the court demands proof, she reveals herself as the daughter of that man, setting a tense, emotional stage for a battle over truth, memory, and justice.

We are then drawn into the life of Anantaramaiah, a man with an intellectual disability who comes from a family of army workers and longs to continue in the same line of work. He owns a rickshaw and works hard to feed himself and his daughter, a child who glows with hope and imagination. Their world is small but bright, anchored by a dream: to buy a toy plane that the daughter adores. The daughter is seen as a beacon of warmth in his life, with Yuvina Parthavi bringing the young Puttalakshmi to life in those early scenes.

Their life is simple and happy, centered on shoring up enough money to realize that toy-plane dream. But fate threads a bitter note into their days when a shop nearby catches the daughter’s eye, and a plane she desires is bought by another girl—namely, the police chief’s daughter—creating an uneasy tension over possession and pride. The next day, the man is approached again by the same girl, who offers to guide him to another shop that could have a similar plane, a small act of kindness that contrasts with the mounting darkness around them.

Tragically, the same girl is found dead, and a live sighting of a crime by a witness sets off a catastrophic chain of events. The man is accused of rape and murder, arrested, and his daughter is forced to leave home. She ends up in a charity school, yet his memory haunts her and binds her to his side in spirit and resolve. The jailer in charge and the man’s cellmates come to understand that he was trying only to provide first aid and care, not harm, and they show him mercy even as danger and fear swirl around them.

A chilling threat from the dead girl’s father—demanding that the man confess his guilt or face the loss of his daughter—adds pressure to the courtroom drama. The man ultimately confesses in court, accepting punishment and a death sentence that many readers would call unjust. In the aftermath, the jailer who has endured personal pain of his own chooses to adopt the daughter, giving her a chance at a different future and encouraging her to chase her own dreams of the law.

Years roll by, and the daughter grows into a capable, bold lawyer who uses the truth and the weight of evidence to push back against a verdict that never sat right. The trail she follows leads back to her father’s case, a fight that culminates in a formal recognition of innocence. In this turn of events, the daughter—now a professional advocate—becomes the instrument through which her father’s name is cleared, and the gratitude she feels is shared with the people who stood by them.

In the end, the story underscores the enduring power of mercy, the stubborn endurance of truth, and the belief that justice can prevail when a daughter fights for her father’s name. The courtroom becomes a stage for healing, a reminder that families can redefine tragedy through courage, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to what is right.

- Grownup Puttalakshmi Rachita Ram rises as a lawyer who takes up the case anew to prove her father’s innocence and restore a legacy of justice.

- Young Puttalakshmi Yuvina Parthavi marks the early, hopeful chapter of the daughter’s life, a beacon through which the story’s moral compass is guided.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:26

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Plot questions answered

Pushpaka Vimana Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Pushpaka Vimana (2017): 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 was Anantaramaiah arrested for the girl's death?

Anantaramaiah was arrested because a witness reported seeing him with the police chief's daughter on the day she was found dead. The witness claimed to have seen him committing the crime, which led to his immediate arrest despite his innocence.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the man had followed the girl through the streets after she offered to show him another shop with a toy plane.

  • arrest
  • accusation
  • murder
  • witness
  • false witness
Q2

Why did Anantaramaiah confess to a crime he didn't commit?

The dead girl's father threatened Anantaramaiah, telling him to confess or face harm coming to his own daughter. To protect his child from danger, Anantaramaiah falsely confessed in court and accepted the punishment, even though he was innocent.

Foreshadowing: The threat came specifically from the police chief, who had the power to carry out his warning.

  • confession
  • threat
  • father
  • protection
  • coercion
Q3

What happened to Puttalakshmi after her father's arrest?

After Anantaramaiah was arrested, his young daughter was forced to leave home and was placed in a charity school. There she grew up away from her father, carrying memories of him and the injustice done to their family.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early how dependent the daughter was on her father and their shared dream of the toy plane.

  • daughter
  • orphan
  • charity school
  • separation
Q4

Why did the jailer adopt Anantaramaiah's daughter?

The jailer in charge of the prison had lost his own child and personally understood the pain of losing a daughter. Moved by Anantaramaiah's innocence and the daughter's plight, he chose to adopt her and encouraged her to pursue a career in law.

Foreshadowing: The jailer is shown experiencing personal grief, which explains his empathy toward the daughter.

  • adoption
  • jailer
  • guardian
  • compassion
Q5

How did Puttalakshmi become a lawyer?

After being adopted by the jailer, Puttalakshmi was encouraged by her adoptive father to study law. She grew up determined to prove her father's innocence and eventually became a lawyer who reopened his case in court.

Foreshadowing: The jailer's support and her childhood experience of injustice drove her toward the legal profession.

  • lawyer
  • education
  • career
  • justice
Q6

What was Anantaramaiah doing with the police chief's daughter?

Anantaramaiah was following the girl because she had offered to show him another shop that might have the same toy plane his daughter wanted. He was trying to buy the plane for his own daughter, not intending any harm.

Foreshadowing: The scene where the girl offers to guide him to another shop sets up this tragic misunderstanding.

  • toy plane
  • shop
  • innocent
  • intention
Q7

How was Anantaramaiah finally proven innocent?

Years later, his daughter Puttalakshmi became a lawyer and reopened the case. Using new evidence and the truth about what actually happened, she proved in court that her father had no fault in the girl's death, leading to his formal exoneration.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene shows the daughter in court fighting to reopen the case, revealing her identity as the accused man's child.

  • exoneration
  • retrial
  • evidence
  • vindication
Q8

What caused the confrontation at the toy plane shop?

A confrontation erupted when the police chief's daughter bought the toy plane that Anantaramaiah and his daughter had been saving to buy. The incident created tension between the family and the police, leading to harsh feelings that later contributed to the wrongful accusation.

Foreshadowing: This scene establishes the conflict between the father and authorities before the tragic events unfold.

  • toy plane
  • police chief
  • confrontation
  • tension
Q9

Why did the prison guards and cellmates believe Anantaramaiah was innocent?

While in prison, the jailer and Anantaramaiah's cellmates observed his genuine character and realized he was only trying to help the girl by providing first aid, not committing a crime. Their understanding of his善良 nature led them to show him mercy despite the wrongful conviction.

Foreshadowing: The film shows the prison community gradually recognizing his true intentions through his behavior.

  • prison
  • mercy
  • first aid
  • cellmates

Movie threads

More Movies Like Pushpaka Vimana, by Mood & Story

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

Wrongful conviction redemption movies like Pushpaka Vimana

Stories of innocence lost to injustice, but found again through perseverance. If you were moved by the fight for justice in Pushpaka Vimana, explore more movies like it. This list features powerful dramas where an innocent person is wrongly imprisoned and must fight to clear their name, blending heavy emotional stakes with a hopeful, redemptive arc.

  • tense
  • heartfelt
  • inspiring
  • somber
  • hopeful
  • emotional
  • Tone: bittersweet, tense, hopeful
  • Pacing: variable, procedural
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically begins with an ordinary life shattered by a false accusation and arrest. A significant portion of the story is set within the justice system—courtrooms, prisons, and legal strategizing—building immense tension toward a climactic revelation or verdict that restores the protagonist's freedom and honor.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared focus on a profound injustice, the psychological trauma of imprisonment, and a dogged pursuit of truth. They balance bleak circumstances with a core of hope, creating a powerful, bittersweet emotional journey centered on redemption.

Movies about parent-child resilience like Pushpaka Vimana

A profound love endures through separation and unimaginable hardship. For viewers who loved the powerful father-daughter relationship in Pushpaka Vimana, this collection highlights similar films. Discover stories where a parent and child's love is tested by severe adversity, focusing on their emotional journey and resilient spirit against all odds.

  • heartfelt
  • emotional
  • tragic
  • hopeful
  • resilient
  • inspiring
  • Tone: heartfelt, tragic, hopeful
  • Pacing: variable, emotional
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a simple, loving relationship that is violently disrupted by an external force—often a crime, accident, or societal injustice. The story then alternates between the perspectives of the separated parent and child, highlighting their individual struggles and enduring hope, building toward an emotional reunion that serves as the story's climax.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their emotional core: the theme of familial love as a source of ultimate strength. They deliver a heavy emotional weight through the pain of separation, but are ultimately defined by hope, perseverance, and the joy of reconnection, creating a deeply resonant bittersweet experience.

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Every angle

Pushpaka Vimana (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Pushpaka Vimana 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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