Synopsis
Ten-year-old Cheeku dreams of becoming a filmmaker, spending his days with friends on playful filmmaking adventures in their village. Cheeku’s father, Omkar, a projectionist who runs an open theatre with an old film projector inherited from his own father, is a cinema lover but disapproves of Cheeku’s ambition. Fearing that Cheeku's obsession with filmmaking will harm him, Omkar tries to keep him grounded.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, 32-year-old Akash has been struggling for over seven years to get his break as a director. Passionate and talented, Akash is well-respected by those around him, but his inability to write his own scripts and his overly selective nature hinder his chances. Despite meeting various writers and trying to create something on his own, nothing works. The frustration begins to consume him, but he refuses to fully give up and takes on petty jobs to survive. Even as opportunities arise, they fall apart at the last moment. Adding to his woes, his longtime girlfriend visits him from their hometown, telling him she can no longer wait for him to settle down, pushing him further into despair.
Akash and Cheeku briefly cross paths when Cheeku and Omkar visit Mumbai to repair their film projector. Akash is struck by Cheeku's storytelling ability and the young boy's unyielding desire to make his own film, leaving a lasting impression on him.
Back in his village, Cheeku faces new challenges. Keshav, the village photographer, who has always been jealous of Omkar’s status, buys a film camera. Cheeku, who had been saving money for a long time, approaches Keshav to shoot a film with his friends. Initially hesitant, Keshav eventually agrees, but he deceitfully takes the money without actually filming. When Cheeku confronts him, Keshav humiliates him, leading a desperate Cheeku to plan stealing the camera. One night, Cheeku and his friend sneak into Keshav's house to take the camera, but they are caught, triggering a chaotic chase. Ultimately, Cheeku is blamed for damaging the camera, forcing Omkar to sell all his film reels to pay Keshav back, leaving Cheeku disgraced in the village.
Meanwhile, Akash finally teams up with a struggling writer and develops a script he believes in. He pitches it to a respected director-turned-producer, who approves the project. However, at the same time, Akash’s girlfriend chooses a marriage proposal, unable to wait for him any longer. Akash sacrifices the relationship and tells her to move on. Shortly after, he also loses the film project, as the producer opts for a his nephew director. Devastated, Akash reaches a breaking point and contemplates suicide. In his darkest moment, the memory of his brief encounter with Cheeku resurfaces, reminding him of his passion.
Inspired by Cheeku’s spirit, Akash finds his way to the village, where he discovers Cheeku’s downfall. As a gesture of thanks for rekindling his drive, Akash helps Omkar rebuild his theatre. He then asks Cheeku to return to Mumbai with him to make film