Chennai Express

Rahul (Shahrukh Khan) is a forty-year old bachelor living in in Mumbai. Rahul's parents died in a car accident when he was eight years old and it was his grandparents who brought him up. His grandfather has a sweet-selling business - Y.Y. Mithaiwala - and he owns a chain of stores in Mumbai. Before his birth centenary celebration two of Rahul's friends suggest going to Goa for a vacation to which he accepts. Right before the birth centenary, his grandfather dies. His grandmother tells him that his grandfather desired to have his ashes divided into two parts and have one part of it immersed at Rameswaram. She politely requests Rahul to go to Rameswaram and immerse the ashes. Rahul reluctantly accepts her request. He was eager to attend the Goa trip, so, he and his friends plan to dump the ashes at Goa. But, they were forced to change their plan when Rahul's grandmother told him that she would be coming to see him off at the station. This forces Rahul to travel by train and he books a single ticket on the Chennai Express. He plans to reunite with his friends at the Kalyan Junction station from where they would travel to Goa by car. Right after commencing the journey from the Bandra railway station in Mumbai, when the train was leaving the platform, Rahul sees a girl running to catch the train. He helps her to board the moving train. Then he notices four men are also running to catch the train. Rahul helps them all to get in. He learns that those four men were the cousins abducting the girl whose name is Meenalochini Azhagu Sundaram (Deepika Padukone) aka Meenamma. She was trying to flee from a forced marriage to Thangaballi (Nikitin Dheer). Her father Durgeshwara Azhagu Sundaram (Sathyaraj), is a powerful headman of the Komban village in west Tamil Nadu. He wants her to marry Thangaballi so that he would assume control of the neighboring village as well. Meena takes Rahul to her father and introduces him as her lover. Thangaballi takes an instant dislike to Rahul and menacingly dares Rahul to fight him. Rahul unknowingly takes up the challenge due to the language barrier. On the night of the fight, Rahul tries to escape with the help of a local Sikh policeman but in the turn of events, ends up back in Komban village. Surrounded by sickle-wielding henchmen of Azhagu Sundaram, Rahul pretends to kill Meena and escapes in her father's favorite car. When the jeep breaks down, they part ways. But, Rahul not knowing which way to go, comes back to Meena who takes him to the Vidhaata village where a wedding was taking place. Meena lies to the people that they are a married couple who have eloped and needed protection. The villagers grow fond of the couple and take care of them as long as they stay while Meena realizes that she has fallen in love with Rahul. When Rahul plans to sneak out, Meena does not want to flee, as doing so earn the distrust of the affectionate villagers. As he is about to take his leave, he is caught read-handed by Thangaballi but the villagers hold them off, allowing them to flee again. Meena who persuades him to immerse his grandpa's ashes travels with Rahul to Rameswaram. There they complete the procedures and on their way back, Rahul realizes that he has also fallen for Meena, but does not to tell Meena where they are heading. He and Meena arrive back at the village to face the wrath of her father and Thangaballi. Rahul tries to talk some sense into Azhagu to make him understand and honor his daughter's wish. He also professes his love for Meena. Rahul confronts Thangaballi and confidently challenges him to fight, for real this time. In the ensuing climactic knock down, drag out fist fight, Rahul is gravely wounded and bleeding profusely. Despite his injuries, Rahul survives and manages to overpower Thangaballi, but refrains from killing him. Thangaballi accepts his defeat graciously and bows out, humbly praising Rahul for his fortitude. Azhagu Sundaram also turns over a new leaf, accepting that the big, strong heart of a common man is a much greater, powerful force than their physical ability and political clout. Meena's father finally allows Rahul to marry his daughter. As Rahul and Meena embrace, the film ends with a voiceover from Rahul narrating that love knows no barriers of region or language barriers and that with a strong heart, there is no limit to what a common man can achieve.