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Plot Summary

Taxiwala (2018) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 150 mins · Telugu
Echo score 80
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Directed by
Rahul Sankrityan
Starring
Vijay Deverakonda, Malavika Nair, Kaveri, Ravi Prakash, Uttej, Shiju

A job monger, Shiva who ends up as a taxiwala only to realise his ride is a beyond what anyone can expect.

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 Taxiwala
  6. 6 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Taxiwala: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Taxiwala (2018) 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.

In a hospital, a woman, her husband, and her brother-in-law are devastated after she delivers a stillborn baby boy, while another young woman mourns her mother's passing. The story then shifts to a year later, introducing Shiva (Vijay Deverakonda), a young man living in Hyderabad who is struggling to find his place in life. He moves in with his friend Babai (Madhunandan) and tries various jobs before deciding to become a taxi driver. In a twist of fate, Shiva receives news of a potential car sale from an anonymous caller he eagerly accepts, leading him into a series of supernatural events.

Early in his new job with Ola Cab Service, Shiva unexpectedly falls in love with a medical resident named Anusha (Priyanka Jawalkar) after a safe ride home. However, strange paranormal incidents begin occurring during his drives—unexplained occurrences involving a haunted car that seems to have a life of its own. Shiva's attempts to investigate the vehicle's history lead him to a fake fakir (Chammak Chandra), who tries to steal the car through deception but nearly gets himself killed inside.

As Shiva and his friends, including Hollywood (Vishnu Oi), try to make sense of these mysteries, they discover that the car's previous owner was a professor specializing in psychology and parapsychology. This professor had studied astral projection, a phenomenon allowing the soul to leave the body before death, which plays a crucial role in the unfolding drama. The story then reveals that Sisira Bharadwaj (Malavika Nair), a young woman from the prologue, had a tumultuous relationship with her stepfather Raghuram (Shiju) and her mother, who was wealthy but suffered from asthma.

On her birthday, Sisira had a heated argument with her mother when Raghuram tried to replace her old car, a gift from her late father. Later that night, her mother suffocated and couldn’t find her inhaler, leading to her death. Sisira was grief-stricken and deeply depressed, eventually requesting her professor to perform an astral projection ritual to see her mother once more. During the ritual, Sisira’s spirit ventured into the spiritual realm and uncovered the horrifying truth: her mother was murdered by Raghuram, who, with his friend—the doctor—poisoned her to take over her company. They staged her death as a suicide and tried to silence Sisira, capturing her spirit in her old car, which became a vessel for her soul.

In the present, the professor explains that Sisira’s spirit can be brought back to life if her body is recovered. Shiva, motivated by compassion and curiosity, teams up with his friends to break into a hospital and steal Sisira’s body, aided by a former fakir turned security guard. They face danger as Raghuram, now aware of their plans, attempts to eliminate Shiva and his companions. A climactic confrontation ensues at the professor’s lab where the haunted car is kept. During this chaos, Raghuram tries to kill Shiva but is killed in a fiery showdown, burned alive by the car’s protective force. Tragically, Sisira’s body is also destroyed in the fire, thwarting their efforts to revive her physically.

In the aftermath, Shiva learns that his sister-in-law’s baby, who was also stillborn due to a chromosome abnormality, will never survive. However, in a miraculous turn, Sisira’s soul enters the baby girl’s body, granting her a second chance at life. As the new life begins, both Shiva’s family and friends embrace this miraculous gift, bringing hope and closure to their grief. The story concludes with the young girl’s crying indicating her survival and the beginning of a new chapter for everyone involved.

Last updated: August 05, 2025 at 06:59

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Plot questions answered

Taxiwala Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Taxiwala (2018): 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 Sisira's mother killed?

Sisira's mother was murdered by her stepfather Raghuram and his friend, the doctor, who poisoned her to take over her company. They staged her death as a suicide to cover up the murder. Sisira later discovered this truth through astral projection, learning that her mother was suffocated when Raghuram withheld her inhaler during an asthma attack.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Sisira argued with her mother when Raghuram tried to replace her late father's gifted car, setting up the conflict over the vehicle.

  • sisira mother death
  • raghuram murder
  • stepfather killer
Q2

How did Sisira's spirit get trapped in the car?

After discovering her mother's murder through astral projection, Raghuram and his accomplice tried to silence Sisira. They captured her spirit and trapped it inside her old car, which became a vessel for her soul. The car then became haunted, bonding with her spirit.

Foreshadowing: The car was a gift from Sisira's late father, making it emotionally significant and a logical container for her trapped soul.

  • sisira spirit trapped
  • haunted car
  • soul trapped
Q3

What is astral projection in the movie?

Astral projection is a phenomenon studied by the professor, allowing the soul to leave the body before death. In the story, Sisira requested this ritual to see her deceased mother one last time. During the projection, her spirit traveled to the spiritual realm where she uncovered the truth about her mother's murder.

Foreshadowing: The professor was a specialist in psychology and parapsychology, foreshadowing his role in performing the ritual.

  • astral projection
  • soul leaving body
  • spirit realm
Q4

Why did Raghuram kill Sisira's mother?

Raghuram killed Sisira's mother to take over her company. He poisoned her and staged her death as a suicide, then tried to silence Sisira when she began investigating. His motive was financial, access to the wealth and business her mother owned.

Foreshadowing: Raghuram's attempt to replace Sisira's car (a gift from her father) revealed his greed and willingness to control the family's assets.

  • raghuram murder motive
  • company takeover
  • financial greed
Q5

Why did the car kill the doctor?

The doctor killed was Raghuram's accomplice who helped poison Sisira's mother and staged the fake suicide. The haunted car, guided by Sisira's spirit, fatally threw him onto train tracks as retribution for his role in the murder and the cover-up.

Foreshadowing: The car exhibited protective behavior from early on, suggesting it was actively hunting those responsible for Sisira's death.

  • doctor killed
  • car revenge
  • supernatural justice
Q6

How did Sisira's soul enter the baby?

After Raghuram destroyed Sisira's body in the fire, her soul needed a new vessel. Shiva's sister-in-law gave birth to a stillborn baby girl due to chromosomal abnormalities. In a miraculous turn, Sisira's soul entered the newborn's body, granting her a second chance at life.

Foreshadowing: The film opened with a stillborn baby, establishing the theme of lost life that would be reclaimed through supernatural intervention.

  • rebirth
  • soul transfer
  • second chance life
Q7

Why did Shiva help Sisira's spirit?

Shiva was motivated by compassion after learning about Sisira's tragic story, her mother was murdered and her own spirit was trapped. His curiosity and desire to help a lost soul drove him to investigate the car's mystery and ultimately work toward freeing her spirit.

Foreshadowing: Shiva's empathetic nature was shown early when he helped Anusha safely home and later when he rescued the imprisoned professor.

  • shiva motivation
  • helping spirit
  • compassion
Q8

What happened to the professor?

The professor who studied astral projection was the previous car owner. He had been imprisoned in his own storeroom by Raghuram's men after investigating Sisira's case. Shiva and his friends found him and took him to the hospital, where he explained the car's connection to Sisira's trapped spirit.

Foreshadowing: Shiva's investigation into the car's previous owner led directly to discovering the professor's location.

  • professor parapsychology
  • astral projection expert
  • imprisoned
Q9

What is the connection between the two stillborn babies?

Both babies were stillborn, Shiva's sister-in-law's first baby (a boy) and her second child (a girl). The first stillborn opened the film with tragedy, while the second became the vessel for Sisira's soul, transforming a moment of loss into miraculous rebirth.

Foreshadowing: The film began with a stillborn baby and ended with a crying newborn, creating a complete cycle of death and renewal.

  • stillborn baby
  • rebirth cycle
  • new life
Q10

Why did the car become haunted?

The car became haunted because Raghuram trapped Sisira's spirit inside it after she discovered her mother's murder through astral projection. The car, being her father's gift and emotionally significant to her, became the vessel for her trapped soul, giving it supernatural properties.

Foreshadowing: Early paranormal incidents occurred during Shiva's rides, hinting at the car's dark history before the full truth was revealed.

  • haunted vehicle
  • spirit car
  • supernatural car

Movie threads

More Movies Like Taxiwala, by Mood & Story

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

Supernatural Thrillers with Heart like Taxiwala

Where spooky chills meet emotional healing and a hopeful resolution. Find more movies like Taxiwala where supernatural horror and thrilling mysteries are balanced by a hopeful tone and an emotionally satisfying ending. These films explore grief and loss but ultimately offer stories of redemption and second chances.

  • supernatural
  • hopeful
  • mysterious
  • thrilling
  • unsettling
  • redemptive
  • Tone: hopeful, mysterious, thrilling
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically involves an ordinary protagonist who becomes entangled with a supernatural force, often linked to an unresolved past tragedy. Their investigation uncovers a story of loss, but their actions lead to resolution, healing, or a miraculous outcome, turning a frightening premise into a journey of emotional repair.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are grouped by their unique blend of genre elements: they deliver the chills and mystery of a supernatural thriller but are anchored by a fundamentally hopeful and heartwarming emotional core, preventing the experience from becoming purely bleak or horrifying.

Comedic Horror Investigations like Taxiwala

Everyday people solving supernatural crimes with a dose of humor. If you liked the mix of comedy and supernatural crime-solving in Taxiwala, explore these movies. They feature ordinary protagonists thrust into eerie mysteries, where the scares are balanced by humorous characters and situational comedy.

  • thrilling
  • mysterious
  • humorous
  • unsettling
  • investigative
  • lighthearted scares
  • Tone: thrilling, humorous, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The story follows a relatable, sometimes down-on-their-luck protagonist who stumbles upon a strange mystery. As they dig deeper, often reluctantly, they uncover a supernatural or criminal plot. The serious stakes of the investigation are punctuated by comic relief, creating a balanced and entertaining ride that isn't overwhelmingly dark.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their specific tone mix: they are investigative stories with horror or thriller elements, but they maintain a steady, accessible pace and use humor to keep the overall intensity at a medium, enjoyable level.

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Movies Like Taxiwala

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Every angle

Taxiwala (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Taxiwala 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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