Rajaratha

On a bus named Rajaratha, Abhi [Nirup Bhandari] is a lighthearted, poetry-loving youth who secretly falls for Megha [Avantika Shetty], a person whose mixed roots—Tamilian mother, Telangana-origin father, born in Kerala and raised in Bangalore—mirror the layered world around them. Their romance begins in college during his admission, but fear keeps him silent. By the fourth semester, he learns that Megha loves another classmate, Suraj, and this truth shadows his present-day interactions as she slowly befriends him again, reopening old feelings and possibilities.

A parallel thread follows Vishwas [Arya], a rising figure in the Praja Rakshana Dal, a party overshadowed by corruption scandals at its top. The leaders push a provocative claim that Periyapelli rightfully belongs to Tamil Nadu, stirring protests and political drama. As the demonstrations intensify, Apanna, a senior leader, is slapped by a Tamilian, and Vishwas steps forward to lead the charge, balancing ambition with a complicated loyalty to his broader world.

The narrative converges when the bus becomes stranded deep in a forest. Megha and Abhi decide to step out to record a song, only to lose their way. It’s here that a revelation lands with quiet force: Vishwas and Abhi are brothers. Though Vishwas loves his brother dearly, he often hides it behind a composed exterior. During the detour, Abhi spots Megha in a jeep with two men whom he suspects are kidnappers. He bolts after them, only to be confronted with a softer truth: they are in fact the assistants of Megha’s uncle [P. Ravi Shankar], and a lighthearted exchange leads to an uneasy détente as Megha is dropped back at the bus.

The group retreats to a resort for a day, and the road that seemed straightforward reveals how intertwined the lives aboard the Rajaratha really are. Back in the present, it’s clear that most of the passengers share a common thread with Abhi’s world, weaving a tapestry of connections that surprise them all as the night unfolds.

A phone call from Vishwas lures Abhi to Bangalore with a lie about his father’s illness, a deception that is quickly uncovered by his mother [Aruna Balaraj]. Realizing he’s been led astray, Abhi returns to the bus, now nearing Periapelli. In a bittersweet moment, Abhi is about to propose to Megha, presenting a plastic ring from a jewelry shop, when chaos erupts: rioters burn the vehicles, and Avenger-like violence spills into the scene—an act that implicates Vishwas in the unrest.

Amid the upheaval, Abhi fights to protect the vulnerable. He and Megha shield passengers from danger, and when a baby boy is found trapped inside the burning bus, Megha moves to rescue him while Abhi stands by, helping to safeguard both him and the others. They pass the child to Vishwas, but the bus explodes, leaving everyone to mourn what they believed were losses.

The story closes with a stark message: violence destroys lives and tears apart the people we love. Media exposes the politicians tied to the Periapalli massacre, and candlelight vigils sweep Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Five years later, Vishwas lights a lamp before a photo of a fallen friend, and Megha and Abhi live together, their bodies bearing the scars of that night. They have become guardians to a young boy named Aadhi and run an orphanage named Rajaratha, using the bus’s own board as the nameplate for the home they built—an enduring symbol of resilience born from tragedy.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:05