Marai Vaasi (Eng: Man in exile) is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas. The film stars Pawan Kalyan, Keerthy Suresh, Anu Emmanuel, and Aadhi Pinisetty. The film began its principal photography in April 2017. Released on 10 January 2018 during the Sankranthi festival weekend, the film opened to received mixed reviews from critics who praised the performances and production values but cricized its predictable story, citing lack of freshness and emotional quotient.
Govinda “Vindha” Bhargav, a powerful businessman, receives the news of his son Mohan Bhargav’s death in a car accident while he is in Italy. Later, armed gunmen enter his hotel room, one of whom holds up a phone, and on the other end are Vindha’s friends Sharma and Varma, who tell him this was their plan all along, and now with his son dead as well (implying that they planned it), his “empire” has no heir. Vindha secretly records this conversation before being gunned to death by the gunmen.
The news of Vindha’s death, along with his belongings, reaches his wife, Indrani Bhargav, who hears the audio file of Vindha’s alleged killers. She calls her brother Appaji to call for an unknown person. Appaji informs the unknown person, who is none other than Abhishikth Bhargav, Vindha’s “secret” son. After performing his father’s last rites in Varanasi, Abhi makes his way to Hyderabad from Assam, where his father’s possible killers live. He scores a job in his office under the pseudonym Balasubramanyam, and makes friendships with Sukumari, Varma’s daughter, and Suryakantham, Sharma’s secretary who has a daughterly bond with Sharma. However, Abhi learns that the phone conversation must have been fake, since none of them have international calls registered on their phones, and now some unknown people are trying to kill him. Later that night, armed men break into his house and are killed by Abhi one after the other. The last one alive is killed in front of Indrani, only after revealing to them the true killer, Seetharam, Aditya Bandaru’s son.
The police investigation behind Vindha’s death led by ACP Sampath comes to a conclusion when he contemplates about Vindha’s past. Govindha Bharav, a middle-class man, had set up a successful pharmaceutical company that wished to set up a factory in a remote village. However, that plan failed as Vindha refuses to bribe a local politician, who responds by provoking the villagers to attack Vindha’s factory with the help of Vindha’s friend Aditya Bandaru. While escaping in a charter plane with his friends except for Aditya, they discover that the briefcase containing the vile for the medicine has been shot, destroying it. However, Vindha hides the second one in a secret compartment in the same briefcase. After viewing their celebrations, he begins doubting them as well. When he goes to Bali on a holiday with his pregnant wife, there is an attempt on her life. She is presumed dead, although she is alive. Vindha senses danger to her life, thus sending her away to her brother Appaji’s house. She dies shortly after giving birth to Abhi, who is raised as a person agnostic to the concept of wealth acquisition, which Vindha deems as the primary quality for someone to lead his empire after him. With Abhi’s consent, he marries Indrani, who is now a mother to Mohan Bhargav.
Abhi takes over the company, proclaiming he is Vindha’s son. He tortures Sharma, Varma, and Koteswara Rao, who had a habit of harassing women in the workplace. When this news reaches Seetharam, he comes back to India and asks for evidence to prove that Abhi is Vindha’s son. Abhi goes to Bulgaria with Sukumari and Suryakantham to recover Vindha’s will, which stated that his wealth must go to Abhi. However, that will is stolen by Seetharam with Appaji’s help, and by threatening Sukumari and Suryakantham that he would kill Varma and Sharma. Seetharam destroys the will by burning, thus eradicating the evidence that Abhi is Vindha’s son. However, when electing the future CEO for the company, Abhi fights Seetharam’s goons on the roof of the building, after revealing that the will given to Seetharam was a fake one and that Appaji was part of Abhi’s plan. After killing most of Seetharam’s goons, one of the board members of the company reveals to Abhi that he is Aditya’s brother, and that he was part of Vindha’s murder since he wanted to avenge his brother’s death. After confronting Abhi, the board member is attacked by Seetharam’s henchman Parag, and they both slip off the rooftop. While Parag falls, Aditya’s brother hangs by the logo of the company. After fighting Seetharam and telling him why he does not deserve the position of CEO, Abhi tells Aditya’s brother that this company was a tribute to his friend, and the name of the company “AB group” was not named after him, but after Aditya Bandaru. After that, the board member falls to his death. Abhi goes back into the company, takes the position of CEO, and promises Indrani that he will fulfill his father’s duties. At last, after he takes his duty as a CEO, he speaks with Seetharam and tells that he has to stay in an isolated island where there is no accessibility, and hence, the film ends in a happy note.
Directed by Trivikram Srinivas
Written by Trivikram Srinivas
Produced by S. Radha Krishna
Starring Pawan Kalyan, Keerthy Suresh, Anu Emmanuel, Aadhi Pinisetty
Cinematography V. Manikandan
Edited by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Music by Anirudh Ravichander
Production Haarika & Hassine Creations
Release date 10 January 2018
Running time 158 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
