‘Rocky Handsome’ is an action-thriller movie. The film’s story revolves around a man who sets out to take vengeance against drug mafia after they take away an eight-year-old girl, with whom he shares a special bond. The girl’s dearest man sets out on a mission with a view of returning the compliment.
The movie is set in a city in Goa, where Kabir "Rocky" Ahlawat (John Abraham) lives a quiet life running a pawn shop. His next-door neighbour is Anna (Nathalia Kaur), a drug addict and bar dancer. She lives with her little daughter, Naomi, who develops a nurturing relationship with Rocky and affectionately calls him "Handsome." Meanwhile, ACP Dilip from the Anti-Narcotics Department of the police force is after the drug kingpin, Mantoo. Mantoo is supported by two powerful brothers, Kevin and Luke, who not only deal drugs but also control a mass racket in organ harvesting with a professional assassin, Attila.
One night, Anna and her accomplice steal drugs from Mantoo's henchman, Bigshow. Anna hides the drugs in a camera that she pawns to Rocky. The loss of the consignment enrages Mantoo and he gives Kevin three days to recover the stolen drugs. Luke and Attila reach Anna's place, where Luke tortures Anna for the camera. Attila finds Bigshow already fighting with Rocky for it. Rocky is obliged to hand over the camera to Luke when he tells him that both Naomi and her mother are his captives. Rocky gets a call from Kevin to make a delivery to Mantoo and promises that in return he will set Anna and Naomi free. Rocky goes to deliver the drugs to Mantoo, where he finds that police had already raided Mantoo's haven. Mantoo flees and Rocky chases him, but he is arrested by police. They are shocked to find Anna's naked body with all her organs harvested in Rocky's car. Kevin brutally murders Mantoo, taking all his organs, and becomes the new drug lord.
During interrogation, Rocky escapes from the police station. The police are bewildered by his combat skills and find out that he was a former decorated RAW Agent/Special Forces soldier who retired after his pregnant wife, Rukshida (Shruti Haasan) was murdered. Rocky fights with Attila at a nightclub and is shot, but breaks into a medicine shop and performs an impromptu surgery. He then continues on his journey.
Rocky finds and frees several child slaves in a drug-manufacturing plant, and in the process, kills the younger brother, Luke. He tracks down Kevin, who says that he has had Naomi killed. He shows a container that has what he says is her eyes. In a rage, Rocky kills all the gang members, including Attila and Kevin.
As Rocky prepares to commit suicide out of grief, Naomi emerges. She had been saved by Attila before her eye surgery; he took pity on her because she had been kind to him. The eyes in the container belonged to the gangsters' surgeon, who had been killed by Attila when he saved Naomi. Rocky is arrested but the police allow Naomi to ride with him. Rocky asks if they can stop at a convenience store, where he buys Naomi a backpack and school supplies. He asks her if she can manage until he returns, to which she nods. He then asks her for a hug before he leaves. Rocky Handsome is a very average film with some finely executed action sequences on display.