The film opens in a kingdom where two boys, Narendra Dev and Narisigadu, are born as doppelgangers. Narendra Dev is the heir to Emperor Surendra Dev, while Narisigadu is born to the impoverished Poligadu, a beggar and thief. Twelve years later, Emperor Surendra Dev falls gravely ill and transfers royal authority to his son, aware that his brother-in-law, Vikram, is scheming to seize the throne. Meanwhile, Narisigadu lives with his mother, Achamma, and sister, Malli, in dire poverty. Poligadu forces Narisigadu to beg and prevents him from attending school, prompting Narisigadu to run away.
One day, while wandering near the palace, Narisigadu meets Narendra, who invites him inside. Narendra, aware of their identical appearance, hides the royal assent and suggests they temporarily swap places. Mistaken for Narisigadu, Narendra is expelled from the palace, while Narisigadu is assumed to be the prince. As Narendra experiences the hardships of common life, Narisigadu's strange behavior in the palace is attributed to memory loss. Emperor Surendra Dev repeatedly asks for the royal assent, but Narisigadu, unaware of its location, is unable to produce it.
Narendra eventually ends up at Narisigadu's home, where he faces mistreatment from Poligadu. He escapes and meets Sudhir, a noble soldier who is in love with Malli. Though initially skeptical of Narendra's claims of royalty, Sudhir agrees to help him.
After Emperor Surendra Dev passes away, the prince's charge is given to the loyal Vijaya Varma. Meanwhile, Poligadu and his gang plot to rob the royal treasury, with Narendra joining them in order to gain access to the court. Narendra confronts Narisigadu, accusing him of usurping his position, but Narisigadu humbly admits the truth. Overhearing this, Vikram plans to assassinate the prince, using his ally, Subedar, to carry out the scheme. Subedar captures Narendra, but Poligadu and Sudhir intervene, thwarting the plot.
Just before the coronation, Poligadu and Sudhir arrive with Narendra, shocking the court with the identical appearances of the two boys. Vikram tries to discredit Narendra, but he correctly answers the nobles' questions and reveals the location of the missing royal assent. Vikram attempts to kill Narendra, but Narisigadu defends him, and Poligadu ultimately stops Vikram.
In the end, Narendra is crowned king and rewards Narisigadu with an honorable rank, restoring his family's dignity. The film concludes with Narendra's crowning ceremony.
