Arjun Reddy Deshmukh is a house surgeon at St. Mary’s Medical College in Mangalore, India. Despite being a brilliant student, he has severe anger management problems that earn the wrath of the college dean. Arjun’s aggressive nature also earns him a reputation among his juniors as a college bully. After a brawl alongside his friend Kamal against members of the opposing team during an inter-college football match the dean asks Arjun to either apologise or leave the college. Arjun initially chooses to leave the college, but stays back after meeting first-year student Preethi Shetty.
Arjun and his friend Shiva enter a third-year classroom and announce that Arjun is in love with Preethi and asserts that she is exclusive to him. Initially afraid, Preethi starts adjusting to Arjun’s overbearing attitude. She eventually reciprocates his feelings and they develop an intimate relationship. Arjun graduates with an MBBS degree and leaves for Mussoorie to pursue a Master’s degree in Orthopedic surgery. Over the course of three years, Arjun’s and Preethi’s relationship becomes stronger. Months later, Arjun visits Preethi’s house, where her father sees them kissing and throws Arjun out.
Preethi’s father opposes her and Arjun’s relationship due to Arjun’s brash behaviour and also because they belong to different castes. Arjun demands Preethi decide within six hours otherwise he will end their relationship. Following this incident, Preethi’s parents seize her phone, preventing her from contacting Arjun. By the time she manages to visit Arjun’s house, he is drunk, injects morphine into himself, and becomes unconscious for two days. Preethi is then forcibly married to someone from her caste. Arjun learns about the marriage from Shiva and goes to her house. He is assaulted and gets arrested for making a scene. Arjun’s father throws him out of the family home for ruining his reputation.