Retired teacher and ex-principal Dwarka Anand (Amitabh Bachchan) in Ambikapur is an idealistic man who lives with his engineer son Akhilesh and daughter-in-law Sumitra. Akhilesh's friend Manav (Ajay Devgn) is an ambitious capitalist. Manav cherishes his friend Akhilesh (Indraneil Sengupta) who suddenly dies in a road accident maliciously conducted by Sangram Singh, brother of India's minister Minister Balram Singh (Manoj Bajpayee), who, unknown to all of India, is the mastermind behind Akhilesh's murder. Balram Singh announces compensation, which Akhilesh's wife Sumitra (Amrita Rao) cannot get in spite of submitting daily applications in the government office. Incensed, Dwarka slaps the DM and is imprisoned. Manav starts a campaign to free him, using social media, roping in Arjun Singh (Arjun Rampal) and journalist Yasmin (Kareena Kapoor). As hopeful students, hungry laborers and angry middle-class citizens join in the agitation, politicians start panicking. Eventually, Dwarka Anand gets freedom after the DM takes his complaint back upon pressure from Balram Singh.
Dwarka Anand gives a notice of 30 days to the government to clear all pending claims in the entire district. After a series of dramatic events, he sits on hunger strike and asks the government to bring ordinance in the district. Meanwhile, Lal Bahadur, a youth, commits suicide to support the agitation. During his cortege, four policemen brutally get killed by the mob. Soon after this, riots break out, forcing Balram Singh to send paramilitary force. His henchman shoot Dwarka Anand who dies in Manav's lap, requesting the public to stop the riots. Balram Singh is then caught by the police. Manav and Arjun decide to construct a regional party to eliminate corruption and reconstruct the system for the common welfare.
