MANDALI is the tale of a man’s arduous journey as he grapples to preserve righteousness in a society plagued by eroding moral values and the decline of cultural traditions. Our central character, Purshottam Chaubey, known as Puru, originates from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. He, along with his cousin Sitaram Chaubey, is schooled in the roles of Lord Laxman and Lord Ram in the Ramleela Mandali, an ensemble guided by Sitaram’s father, Ramsevak Chaubey. Ramsevak staunchly upholds the principles of righteousness in their Ramleela performances, abhorring any form of vulgarity or crass commercialization of this sacred act, emphasizing authenticity and purity.

Their lives take a tragic twist during a performance, leading to their abrupt departure due to Sitaram’s inadvertent error. Swamped by guilt and the shame of tarnishing the name of God, Ramsevak disbands the Mandali and abandons Ramleela forever as an act of atonement. Puru, however, stands resolute against Ramsevak’s decision and refuses to yield. In exasperation, Ramsevak releases Puru, who embarks on a challenging journey to secure the role of Lord Laxman in other Ramleela Mandalis.

Yet, faced with the organizers’ lack of sincerity and their disrespect for the sanctity of Ramleela, incorporating lewd dances within the performance, Puru endeavors to create his own Mandali but is met with failure as the audience’s interest increasingly shifts towards the obscene dances. Despite the profound sense of disappointment and heartbreak, Puru joins another Mandali as a junior artist and encounters even more astonishing events and challenges that further convolute his life. This time, however, Puru stands unwavering in his resolve, determined to restore his family’s honor and perform the sacred Ramleela with authenticity and purity, on his own terms and conditions.