Ramadasu is a
zamindar who recently acquired the colonial title of
Rao Bahadur, and is also a perennial debtor who believes in leading a luxurious life on credit.
Dewan Bahadur Mukunda Rao, a wealthy, generous but naive zamindar, is always searching for a groom of royal or high social standing for his granddaughter Manjari. While Ramadasu also occasionally borrows from Rao, he secretly wishes to have Manjari married to his son Raghu, so that Rao's wealth becomes his, enabling him to pay his debts. Complicating things is Raghu's earlier marriage in his childhood to Leela, whose brother Raja is in prison for his participation in the
Indian independence movement. In order to get more credit, Ramadasu uses his assistant, Bhaja Govindam, to find more lenders and placate angry creditors with false promises. Behind Govindam's back, however, Ramadasu bribes Govindam's uncle and Rao's assistant, Ramalingam, with the promise of getting Ramalingam's daughter, Usha, whom Govindam is in love with, married. Rao, unaware of the deception, agrees to the alliance. Fed up with his boss's backstabbing, Govindam, Usha, and Manjari conspire to stop the wedding. Raja is released from prison after serving his sentence and is briefed about the situation. Raja and Manjari were in love during their college days, and she tells him about Ramadasu's intentions. Raja confronts Ramadasu about his sister's ill treatment and gets into a scuffle with his bodyguard. Ramadasu offers to let Leela stay in the house on the condition that she becomes a mute servant. After Raghu arrives from London, Ramadasu misleads him into thinking that Leela has died. As part of his plan, Govindam has Raja disguised as Prince Bonkulamarri Raja, a royal prince and businessman, and introduces him to Mukunda Rao. Rao, impressed with Raja, considers him a suitable bridegroom for Manjari. One night, Raghu overhears Leela speaking to Raja and confronts Chenchalayya, Ramadasu's servant, who divulges her identity and Raja's secret. Raghu meets with Govindam and is briefed about the plan, but asks him not to tell anyone. Raghu then continues to flirt with Manjari and play the prospective bridegroom, while also trying to tease Leela, much to Ramadasu's chagrin. The plan nearly goes smoothly until Ramadasu sends his bodyguards to attack and rob Raja, but he dispatches them, leading to his identity being exposed. Forced to leave for his sister's sake, Raja instead dons a new disguise with Govindam's help. In the meantime, Ramadasu forces Rao to accept the former's proposal, threatening to ruin his reputation. Now disguised as Sarva Baksha Swamy, a holy man, Raja first tricks Ramalingam into thinking his daughter has rejected Govindam, leading to Govindam requesting to become an ascetic. As a result, Ramalingam persuades Mukunda Rao to seek Raja's help to convert Manjari to accept Raghu. In the meantime, Govindam has one of his own theatre group members pose as a prospective match and offer ornaments as a sign of alliance, so that he can steal them and place his uncle in a tight situation, forcing him to listen to Govindam. The plan goes awry when Ramadasu, whom Ramalingam told, has his thugs overpower Govindam's assistants and rob Ramalingam themselves. In the meantime, Govindam has one of his other assistants pose as Rose, a woman whom Raghu married in London, to come and demand money for a divorce, which would force Ramadasu to try and rob Rao's safe for the money and also for the creditors. Anticipating this, Raghu, who had identified Raja and now divulged his knowledge of the plan to him and Manjari, plots to replace the money in Rao's safe with blank paper notes. Both Ramalingam and Bhaja Govindam, as well as Ramadasu and his thugs, converge at Rao's house. Ramalingam tries to leave with the fake money, but is caught and knocked out by the thugs, who are, in turn, knocked out by Raja. Ramadasu is forced to disguise himself as Sarva Baksha Swamy's teacher, Sachitananda Swamy, to avoid detection. Converging in the backyard, Ramalingam is exposed when the fake money is discovered in his bag. Raghu, Raja, Manjari and Govindam all come clean to Rao, and a confused Rao turns to ask Ramadasu, only for him to also reveal himself, and acknowledge that the young people have taught them a very valuable lesson. Ramdasu again accepts Leela as his daughter-in-law, as well as Raja and Manjari's relationship, and Ramalingam also accepts Usha and Govindam's relationship, while a still confused Mukunda Rao, now dressed as an ascetic, looks at the camera and smiles awkwardly. == Cast ==