A Kuala Lumpur-based don Kabaleeswaran alias It (Rajinikanth) is released after spending 25 years in prison on a false charge of starting a massacre at a local Hindu temple that killed many, including his wife Kumudhavalli alias Kumudha (Radhika Apte). He immediately resumes charge of his old gang and soon confronts Loganathan alias Loga (Mime Gopi), a drug smuggler. Loga insults Kumudha, saying that she would have been sold into prostitution had she been alive. In retaliation, It rams his car into Loga, killing him; however, the incident makes It believe that his wife may be still alive. Later that night, It survives an assassination attempt by Tamizh Kumaran alias Kumaran (Kalaiyarasan), whose father Tamilmaaran (Charles Vinoth) was killed by It when he was a young boy. The next day, at a function organised by the Free Life Foundation School, a school started by It''s friend Ameer (John Vijay) to reform youngsters involved in criminal activities, It talks about his past.
It was the protege of Tamilmaaran''s father Tamilnesan (Nassar), a don who fought for the rights of the Tamil Malaysians. Tamilnesan was killed by Veerasekaran alias Veera (Kishore), who was also a part of Tamilnesan''s gang, but disliked his rules such as not involving in illegal activities like drug smuggling and prostitution. Following Tamilnesan''s death, It took charge of his gang. However, Veera manipulated Tamilmaaran by telling him that he, being Tamilnesan''s son, should lead the gang and not It. Tamilmaaran invited It and a pregnant Kumudha for a temple function. However, this was revealed to be a trap as Veera and his men confronted It and Kumudha. In the ensuing scuffle, It was brutally attacked while Kumudha was shot and seemingly killed. It then killed Tamilmaaran for his betrayal in front of a young Kumaran and was soon arrested on a false charge of instigating the massacre.
Kumaran, after hearing It''s speech, realises his mistake and apologises to It. He tells him that Velu, one of Veera''s henchmen who had shot Kumudha, is aware that Kumudha is still alive and had given birth to a baby girl after the massacre. It then leaves for Thailand, where Velu is residing. On confronting Velu, he learns that his daughter is still alive. At this juncture, It is confronted by Yogi (Dhansika), a contract killer hired by Veera and his boss Tony (Winston Chao), who heads the rival Gang 43 in Kuala Lumpur, to eliminate It. But Yogi instead kills the men who had come with her and reveals herself to It as his daughter, who had been raised by Velu. She also tells him that Kumudha is still alive and is living with a French family in Puducherry, India. It and Yogi then leave for Puducherry, where they reunite with Kumudha and spend a few days with her there.
It and his family soon return to Kuala Lumpur, where It is told that Ameer has been severely injured in a car acciden