Rangasthalam

Chittibabu is a partially deaf and grumpy farmer living in Rangasthalam. The village's cooperative is controlled by the Society, which seizes Erra Srinu's maize for a delayed loan repayment. Srinu ends up drowning, a tragedy that villagers interpret as suicide and that reveals the brutal power of Bhupathi's faction.

Kumar Babu returns from the Persian Gulf and is appalled by the high-interest loans and seizures that enslave the illiterate villagers. He resolves to challenge the Society and protect his brother and neighbors from exploitation. This marks the beginning of a political fight that destabilizes the status quo in Rangasthalam.

Chittibabu encounters Ramalakshmi, falls in love, and keeps his hearing impairment a secret. He navigates his feelings while masking his disability from Ramalakshmi and the village. His affection is tested by social barriers that accompany his condition.

Ramalakshmi proposes marriage, but Chittibabu pretends not to hear and leaves. He later sneaks into her home at midnight, but his impairment accidentally alerts her family. Misunderstandings push them apart, and he ends the relationship.

Ramalakshmi and Kumar Babu rally villagers against the Society's deceit, sparking a Panchayat confrontation. During the hearing, Kumar Babu is provoked and assaults a Society employee, leading Bhupathi to fine him heavily. The clash exposes the power imbalance and sets the stage for a broader political contest.

Seshu Naidu humiliates Chittibabu and Kumar Babu's father in public, while others stay silent. Enraged, Chittibabu slaps Naidu and is arrested, but he reconciles with Ramalakshmi before being taken away. The incident deepens the community's fragile alliances and strengthens Chittibabu's resolve.

Unable to tolerate Bhupathi's rule, Kumar Babu seeks Dakshina Murthy's advice and decides to contest the Panchayat elections against Bhupathi. This marks the opening gambit of a high-stakes political fight that could end Bhupathi's 30-year reign. The move mobilizes villagers who finally begin to voice their grievances.

Kumar Babu exposes the Society's fraudulent deeds, winning village support and convincing people to nominate themselves as ward members, including Kasi and his brothers. Rangamma denies her support, upsetting Chittibabu. She then reveals that Bhupathi murdered several villagers who opposed him, including her husband Ramprasad and Erra Srinu.

Confronted with Bhupathi's manipulation, Chittibabu accepts a bribe to undermine Kumar Babu's campaign but later repents, returning the money and choosing to confront Bhupathi directly. The act exposes the corrupt ties that hold the village in thrall. The return of the bribe rekindles the villagers' faith in Chittibabu's integrity.

While returning home after meeting Padma, Kumar Babu is ambushed and fatally wounded by Bhupathi's men. Chittibabu intervenes and subdues the attackers, but Kumar Babu dies at the hands of a veiled killer as Chittibabu goes to fetch first aid. Before dying, Kumar Babu tries to name the killer, but Chittibabu cannot hear him.

Fueled by vengeance, Chittibabu leads the villagers to Bhupathi's house and finds Bhupathi has fled. With a hearing aid and the guidance of a soothsayer, he and Kasi organize a village-wide search to track Bhupathi. The chase marks a turning point as the community unites to contest Bhupathi's escape.

Kumar Babu's cremation clears the way for Rangamma to be unanimously elected President of the Panchayat. Chittibabu realizes the dying word was Srimannarayana and races to reach Dakshina Murthy, only to find him injured by a truck and hospitalized. The village mourns as leadership changes hands.

Chittibabu tends to Dakshina Murthy in a two-year coma, refusing to give up on him and waiting for recovery. Murthy eventually wakes, and the town prepares for his ministerial ascent, while Chittibabu observes the shifting power dynamics. The themes of caste, loyalty, and ambition come to a head.

In a final confrontation, Chittibabu admits that he killed Bhupathi but reveals that Dakshina Murthy killed Kumar Babu over Padma. Murthy confronts his contempt for their relationship, and Chittibabu eliminates him. He leaves Rangasthalam with Ramalakshmi as Padma and her husband approach, closing the chapter with uncertain implications.