Aagadu

Story:

Aagadu, a 2014 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by Srinu Vaitla, revolves around Shankar, an encounter specialist transferred to the village of Bukkapatnam as its circle inspector of police. He is tasked with stopping the construction of a power plant by Damodar, an influential crime boss, due to its detrimental impact on the local resources. Seeking revenge for his brother Bharath’s death, Shankar discovers Damodar’s involvement and sets out to avenge his brother. The film, produced by 14 Reels Entertainment, stars Mahesh Babu, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Sonu Sood, with supporting roles played by Rajendra Prasad, Ashish Vidyarthi, Nassar, and Brahmanandam. Aagadu, with a budget of ₹650 million, was shot mainly in Hyderabad, along with some scenes filmed in Mumbai, Gujarat, Bellary, Kerala, Ladakh, Switzerland, and Ooty. Despite opening to a decent critical reception and an impressive initial response at the box office, the film faced competition from other releases and negative word of mouth, resulting in it being deemed a box-office failure. However, Aagadu achieved a significant milestone by crossing the US$1 million mark at the United States box office within two days, including previews. It was also dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.

PLOT

Shankar, an orphan raised by a dedicated police officer named Rajarao, is blamed for his friend Bharath’s accidental killing of a child. Imprisoned, Shankar is warned by Rajarao to stay away from him. After completing his education, Shankar becomes a circle inspector of police known as “Encounter” Shankar due to his expertise in encounters.

Shankar is transferred to Bukkapatnam in Tadipatri, where his task is to disrupt the illegal activities of Damodar, a powerful crime boss determined to build a power plant. Through clever tactics, Shankar dismantles Damodar’s three main businesses by gaining the trust of their respective leaders: Lion Seenu, Ferocious Firangee, and Super Sampangi. These individuals become Shankar’s allies. Shankar manages to secure a court order to halt the power project by presenting crucial witnesses, which infuriates Damodar. Meanwhile, Shankar develops feelings for Saroja, a sweet shop owner, who eventually reciprocates his love.

A person named Shekhar approaches Shankar and claims to be a witness to the murder of environmentalist Prakash by Damodar. Before Shankar can arrest Damodar, the crime boss manipulates all the witnesses, including Shekhar. Shankar later discovers that Bharath, the former district collector and Rajarao’s son, committed suicide with his wife due to defamation and personal attacks when he opposed the power project.

Damodar owns half of the project shares, while Mallikharjun, the local Superintendent of Police, and central minister Nagaraju hold the other half. Bharath reveals the truth about Shankar’s imprisonment to Rajarao before his death, bringing them closer. Seeking revenge, Shankar, aided by a lawyer named Database Danayya, uncovers information about the power broker Delhi Suri, Mallikharjun, and Damodar’s conservative girlfriend Sukanya, who was previously an actress in explicit films.

Through blackmail and manipulation, Shankar exposes Delhi Suri’s involvement, causing a rift between Damodar and Nagaraju, leading to Nagaraju’s murder. By threatening to expose Sukanya’s past to Damodar, Shankar traps Mallikharjun with her help, falsely accusing him of attempting to rape Sukanya. However, Mallikharjun’s concealed homosexuality remains unknown to others. He is poisoned to death.

Damodar kills his brother Durga after Shankar plants doubts in his mind about Durga’s intentions. Meanwhile, Shankar and Saroja become engaged. Delhi Suri discovers Danayya’s role and destroys his office, prompting Danayya to expose Delhi Suri’s involvement in the murders. When Damodar tries to kill Delhi Suri at his guest house, Shankar confronts him and defeats him in a duel, resulting in Damodar’s death. Bharath is posthumously recognized for his integrity, and Delhi Suri becomes a police informant working under Shankar.