Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal), a highly decorated police officer is posted to Nandighat, after martyrdom of 84 policemen and CRPF soldiers. Within days, he discovers that the Maoists, led by Rajan (Manoj Bajpayee), effectively control the area. They are able to swiftly thwart Adil's most determined efforts. Despite holding a position of enormous power as the SSP of Nandighat, Adil has never felt so helpless in his career.
But then, into his life, re-enters his friend Kabir (Abhay Deol). Rootless, aimless, the quintessential rolling stone. His only anchor in life has always been his friendship with and his loyalty for Adil. The maverick proposes an outrageous plan: He will infiltrate Rajan's group and be Adil's informer, and together they will smash the Maoist organization in Nandighat. In spite of his apprehensions, Adil agrees.
Sure enough, Kabir gets in and craftily wins their confidence, as only he can. He secretly begins informing Adil, who starts attacking the Naxals with great success. An enormous cache of arms is raided; two top national leaders and 63 Naxals are killed at an arms-training camp, and Rajan himself is captured. Within weeks, Adil-Kabir turn the game, pushing the Maoists onto the back foot.
But Kabir also begins sympathising with abject helplessness of the rural poor, brutally displaced in the name of development, the fruits of which never reach them; their land, their forest, their water has been snatched to allow big business to exploit the area and its people further.
Kabir begins identifying and with Naxals. Juhi (Anjali Patil), a dedicated Naxal with a tender heart, who has seen pain like none other. She begins to fall in love with Kabir. The confusion in Kabir's heart intensifies dangerously until he is on the horns of a ghastly dilemma: Who does he support now? Who does he fight? He finds himself in a chakravyuh (labyrinth) from which there is no retreat now.
And yet, before Kabir can make one last desperate attempt to resolve this with his friend Adil, events hurtle him into making choices that would put him at war with him. A war that would change the future of the region. A war that can end only when one of them destroys the other.
Chakravyuh is shot in Panchmarhi and Bhopal.[20][21] The movie was shot at Trinity Institute of Technology And Research, Bhopal and some scenes were shot at IES and MLB college.[22] The entire schedule of shooting was wrapped up in about 57 days.[23] The Madhya Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoist), has expressed gratitude for the film has, however, pointed out a few facts which are not in consonance with "their world". Maoists have given full credit to the film for being close to reality. Jha on his turn has said it was possible because of intense research in finalising the script, costumes and the plot.[24]
Prakash Jha has come up with a unique way to promote his upcoming socio-political thriller Chakravyuh by launching an online comic series. The first episode of the series, 'The Sohble Encounters', starts with a bunch of youngsters rounded up from a party by Inspector Sohble (needless to say a clear dig at Inspector Dhoble). Jha has managed to pitch it cleverly in the backdrop of his film. The first instalment of the series went online.[25][26]
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