Thugs of Hindostan(2018)

Plot Summary

• In 1795, the Indian subcontinent was known as Hindustan or Hindostan, and was ruled by the British East India Company. King Mirza Sikander Baig (Ronit Roy) of Raunakpur protected his kingdom from being taken over by the company. Clive is a ruthless British East India Company officer, who covets Mirza's kingdom. Mirza sends his general Khudabaksh and son Aslam (Sharad Joshi) to ask for help from neighboring Kingdom of Durgapur. When Khudabaksh is late, Mirza decides that he can no longer wait to attack the company palace. Before Mirza can attack, Clive enters Mirza's palace with an armed contingent. Clive knew of Mirza's plans and produces Aslam tied to the head of a cannon, to force Mirza to surrender. After Mirza signs the treaty, Clive blows Aslam off. Mirza was killed by John Clive (Lloyd Owen).The residents of his kingdom are massacred, and the land is annexed by the British. The only survivors are his daughter, Zafira Baig (Fatima Sana Shaikh), and general, Khudabaksh (Amitabh Bachchan). Khudabaksh defeats the retreating enemy soldiers, and raises Zafira as his daughter, training her in the arts of warfare.11 Years later in 1806, Khudabaksh, now known as Jahaazi, leads a band of Indian bandits known as Thugs, who specialize in sea-based warfare and expose a serious challenge to the expanding British East India Company which had, by then, seized control of large parts of India. The Thugs steal British ships and uses them to attack British forts across the Indian dominion.John Clive is alarmed and assigns his right-hand Captain James Powell (Gavin Marshall) to counter the rising threat posed by the Thugs. Maharaja Sangram Singh, King of Durgapur (Sharat Saxena) is an ally of Clive who pretends to be against the Thugs. Clive is angry that Jahaazi gets a lot of material support from the people of Durgapur. Sangram asks Clive for arms and ammunition to initiate a war against the Thugs, but Powell suspects that Sangram will supply the arms to the Thugs.Firangi Mallah (Aamir Khan), a good-for-nothing, small-time conman who makes his living by exposing the location of rich merchant caravans to armed bandits and taking a commission off their earnings. Firangi then gets the armed bandits arrested by the East India Company armed forces and takes a commission from them too. Firangi finds solace with a dancer named Suraiyya (Katrina Kaif). Firangi is recruited by the British to help them with information against the Thugs. Firangi aims to be an Englishman himself, and hence dresses up as one in many circumstances. Firangi demands a passage to England, 10,000 gold Guinea, 40-acre farmland and a house by the river. Firangi also recruits Shanichar (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) for this mission and has him released from British prison. Shanichar is an astrologer and can read the stars and the planets to predict events with a great deal of accuracy.Firangi and Shanichar are stowed on a British ship and are discovered and made to walk the plank. This is when Jahaazi appears with his ship and attacks the British. Jahaazi and his crew board the British ship and a battle rages. Firangi appears before Jahaazi when he is attacked. Firangi risks his life to save Jahaazi (This was by mistake, as Firangi had seen the attack coming, and wanted to get out of the way, but was stuck by a swinging iron chain on deck and thrown in front of Jahaazi as the shot is fired). He is injured and is taken to Jahaazi's refuge to recover, where Firangi asks him for his refuge. Jaitumbi (Ila Arun) is Jahaazi's healer. Jahaazi accepts, and Firangi turns into a routine informer for the Company. Zafira still does not trust Firangi. Jahaazi works a barren piece of land in his cove, with the hope that one day it will turn fertile.Firangi betrays the Thugs on many occasions. However, on each occasion, Firangi also plays a big role in rescuing Jahaazi and his band of thugs. This shows he is internally conflicted. Sangram Singh is revealed to be an ally of the Thugs. When Jahaazi travels to Durgapur to pick up arms and ammunition, Firangi meets Powell and communicates Jahaazi's plan to him. Sangram sacrifices himself to allow Jahaazi to escape. Jahaazi knows that Firangi sold him to Powell and engages Firangi in battle. Sangram's warehouse catches fire (due to cannon fire from a British ship) and Firangi once again saves Jahaazi from falling to his death. As Jhaazi sails out to neutralize the British ship and asks Firangi to protect Zafira. Jahaazi's explosives laden boat crashes into the British ship and kills everyone, presumably Jahaazi as well.Zafira vows revenge against Clive. Firangi tells Clive that Jahaazi is an idea and is not dead. Firangi offers Jahaazi's entire army for 50,000 Guineas and 200-acre land and hands over the map of Jahaazi's base to Clive. Thus, Firangi draws Powell into battle, where he leads the Thugs to a famous victory against the British. Firangi is hailed as a hero. Powell is spared and sent back to Clive with the message that the Thugs are alive, and this makes Clive determined to punish him. Zafira finally admits that she was wrong about Firangi and trusts him completely.Clive leads an Armada of ships to attack Jahaazi's base camp. Clive does not intend to take prisoners and bombards the base with cannon fire, obliterating it. The survivors manage to flee in small boats. Firangi takes the survivors to Suraiyya's brothel to provide them shelter and safety. Zafira knows that Clive has asked Suraiyya to perform at the annual Dussehra festival and wants to use that as cover to infiltrate Clive's palace and mount an attack.At the Dussehra festival Clive reveals that Jahaazi is alive and was captured by the British. Now Firangi leads a group of Thugs including Zafira to free Jahaazi, but at the very last moment, ends up betraying the Thugs and gets them all captured by Clive and his men. It seems that Firangi's supposed betrayal of Clive earlier was also planned to help him gain the Thugs trust. Firangi also exposes Zafira as the daughter of Mirza.Clive plans to hang Zafira at dawn the following morning. At the final encounter with the British at Zafira's dad's fort, Jahaazi and Zafira fight the British and find themselves outnumbered and their ranks falling. Firangi and his cronies suddenly appear and turn the tide of the battle. Zafira defeats Clive, and justice is served. Jahaazi looks to the sky and realizes the infertile land has now borne fruit, suggesting that Firangi has now become an empathetic human capable of greatness.But then Firangi steals Jahaazi's ship and sails to England. Suraiya gets on the ship as well and goes with Firangi.

Storyline

• The menacing John Clive has the Indians clenched in his fist. Leading to a revolution by the righteous Azaad (Amitabh Bachchan) Captain James Powell, Clive's second in command contracts the sly thug Firangi (Aamir Khan) to get them Azaad. As destined he finds himself amid Azaad, his rebels and the beautiful warrior Zafira (Fatima Sana Shaikh). Will he forgo his selfish desire for nation's freedom? A story about one man's love for his nation and another's love for power. The menacing John Clive has the Indians clenched in his fist. The Nawab of Raunakpur, Mirza is secretly acquiring gun powder and ammunition to fuel a revolution led by the righteous Azaad (Amitabh Bachchan). Captain James Powell, Clive's second-in-command contracts the sly Firangi (Aamir Khan) to get them Azaad. As destined, Firangi finds himself amid Azaad, his rebels and the beautiful warrior Zafira (Fatima Sana Shaikh). He wins Azaad's trust. He soon realizes that Firangi has double-crossed them. But even as he breathes his last, he has faith in Firangi. Zafira swears to avenge Azaad and win their freedom. Firangi under the guise of warning alert Clive and Powell of this looming danger, gives out their wrong hideout location, eventually wins Zafira's trust. He finds a safe haven for them at Suraiyya's (Katrina Kaif) brothel who helps them get to Clive. But will Firangi forgo his selfish desire for the nation's freedom?