As a smuggler rises to power in in 1970s Mumbai, a younger gangster seeks to overthrow him and a police officer is caught in the middle.
In March 1993, after his Ambassador car is being fished out of water, Assistant Commissioner of Police Agnel Wilson narrates to the Commissioner how he commenced his investigation against underworld gangster Sultan Mirza. He details how Sultan survived floods in Madras shortly after Independence; his arrival in Bombay; and his employment which earned him a mere 25 Paisa daily. Agnel's attempts to rein in Sultan fail, but he keeps tabs on him and his romance with Bollywood actress Rehana, as well as his new recruit Shoaib, the son of Sub-Inspector Khan. Agnel will find his investigation slipping out of his hands after Sultan temporarily delegates complete responsibility to Shoaib.—rAjOo ([email protected])
March, 1993. Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is rocked by a series of bomb blasts. The police official investigating the fiasco, ACP Agnel Wilson, feels personally responsible for the tragedy as the mastermind behind the blasts, Shoaib Khan, could've been stopped back in the 1970s when Wilson, tasked with bringing down organized crime in then-Bombay, focused all his attention upon rather than understand the man who could have ensured Shoaib never rose to such a position to execute such a catastrophe: the notorious but honourable deceased crime boss, Sultan Mirza.—ankit-singh92
A suicide attempt by once DCP Agnel Wilson (Randeep Hooda) on pretext of Mumbai Blasts in 1993. Wilson survives. When questioned by his superior over his actions, he breaks down and claims that the bombings are his own fault.
Wilson recounts how 18 years ago he was posted as the ACP in the Mumbai crime branch. Wilson laments that he never took serious actions in rise of Shoaib Khan (Emraan Hashmi) who has a major hand in these blasts. Wilson claims that if on those days of Mumbai had he stopped the rise of Shoaib Khan, Mumbai would not have been deluged in the carnage today.Wilson narrates the time in Mumbai during the days of 1970, when it was ruled by Sultan Mirza (Ajay Devgan), who by his wits had become an underworld smuggler of gold and watches. Sultan was a kind-heart smuggler it was Mirza's eventual downfall that led to Shoaib's rise to power.
After experiencing a flood in his hometown of Madras, a young Mirza arrives in Mumbai, where he lands a job as a coal shoveling labor near the docks. Sultan started by smuggling gold items in his mouth, and despite earning meagerly he never fails to help the poor and needy and earns their support and respect. Slowly he becomes the kingpin of smuggling world in Mumbai. As a result, Mirza has been given the nickname Sultan.
He divides the area among 4 gangsters peacefully & brings peace to Mumbai, thus thwarting police efforts to curb illegal activities. Despite being a criminal, Sultan Mirza is portrayed as a man of principle with a heart of gold and a godfather-like figure to the people, even going to the extent of refraining from smuggling specific contraband like drugs which was against his Muslim faith.
Meanwhile focus shifts on Shoaib Khan, who is very ambitious in reaching the top place in the underworld. He wants to be the 'Don' ruling Mumbai under his feet. He is involved in small robberies. He and his goons beat up a local man injuring him badly and then redirects him to a doctor's house. While the doctor and his wife nurse the injured, Shoaib and his goons ransacks the house and flee with jewelry and household items.His father, Hussain Khan, who is a Sub-Inspector with the Mumbai Police, tries in vain to guide and control his son; his anger against Shoaib began years ago when Shoaib and his best friend Javed were stealing money and got caught red handed by a man, by teaching his son a lesson, Hussain slapped him 5 times. Hussain locks Shoaib in jail, but Shoaib angers him as both Shoaib and Wilson make a deal saying that Shoaib wants to follow another path.
Sultan Mirza has a crush on Bollywood actress Rehana (Kangna Ranaut) and eventually the two date each other causing Mirza to invest money in her upcoming films. At that time police inspector, Agnel Wilson, is given the responsibility to stop Sultan's illegal activities. Wilson targets Rehana's films and stop all the films which were invested by Sultan Mirza, causing a downfall in her career. Sultan hatches a plot with Rehana and the two eventually trick Agnel in taking bribe. The incident is widely published in newspapers, spoiling Wilson's image.
Meanwhile Shoaib is getting notorious day by day which worries his father SI Khan (Asif Basra), and he requests Sultan to take care of him. Sultan visits Shoaib and opens an electronic shop for him. Shoaib works in the shop but never being satisfied, he tells his friends that he wanted to be as rich and respected like Sultan. Shoaib's girlfriend Mumtaaz (Prachi Desai) works in a local Jewelry shop, which Shoaib visits regularly. Shoaib gives Mumtaz a beautiful necklace, which, unbeknownst to Mumtaz, Shoaib had stolen from a lady during a home robbery.
Later, that lady comes to the shop with her husband to buy more jewelry. The lady soon recognizes her own necklace being worn by Mumtaz and accuses her of allegedly stealing her jewelry and publicly insults her. Following this, Mumtaz admits to the outraged customer that her boyfriend had given the item to her. The lady and her husband demand she takes them to her boyfriend's shop, where they confront him. This enrages Shoaib, who beats up the husband and destroys his own shop.
Shoaib goes to Sultan and ask him to take him in his gang. Seeing his ability, Sultan agrees and under Sultan, Shoaib learns the tricks of the trade and becomes Sultan's trusted aide. He also executes one of the police informers who is there with Sultan acting on Inspector Agnel's words. Sultan's business grows and he smuggles gold in ambulances and public transports.Wilson hatches a plan to use Shoaib's reckless ambition for quick money and power as a way to cause the downfall of Sultan. Wilson even refrains from killing Sultan and Shoaib when he has the opportunity, however Wilson's plan backfires.
In 1975, Sultan decides to hand over his power to Shoaib, and opts to enter state politics. He travels to Delhi to meet the Home Minister of India Jeet Kumar Rathi. The twilight of money and over ambitiousness of Shoaib leads him to do all sort of illegal work, which Sultan had never done. He manufactures poisoned Liquor, which kills many people, accepts contract killings, investing in drug peddling and run extortion rackets and becomes stronger and feared in Mumbai. Meanwhile Sultan returns to Mumbai and finds the truth. He finds Shoaib at a party and slaps him in public for his unethical activities and states he can never really be like Sultan.
This infuriates Shoaib and he plots his revenge as he now knows that Sultan and he cannot possibly rule Mumbai together due to Sultan's strong principles and moral ethos. The next day, as Sultan campaigns for his new party, Shoaib appears and assassinates Sultan while he is addressing the people at the rally as a horrified Wilson looks on, thus ending the reign of the smuggler who was loved by his people.
Back in 1993, Wilson laments that he and the police are responsible for the bombings because of their lack of forethought. Wilson also says that 18 years later, Shoaib now rules Mumbai despite living abroad, and the people are now forever at his mercy. As Mumbai's new underworld kingpin, he has since established a global criminal empire, which leaves any and all governments and forces no chance to reach him.
