‘Satyagraha’ is the story of a corporate, who sees his priorities shift when a personal tragedy brings him face-to-face with political corruption.

It starts with a retired teacher & Ex-Principal Dwarka Anand (Amitabh Bachchan), an idealistic man. His engineer son Akhilesh's friend Manav (Ajay Devgan) is an ambitious capitalist. Manav cherishes his friend Akhilesh (Indraneil Sengupta) - who suddenly dies in a road accident maliciously conducted by Sangram Singh, brother of Minister Balram Singh (Manoj Bajpai), who then announces compensation, which Akhilesh's wife Sumitra (Amrita Rao) cannot get in-spite of submitting daily applications in government office. Incensed, Dwarka slaps the DM and gets imprisoned. Manav starts a campaign to free him, using social media, roping in Arjun Singh (Arjun Rampal) and journalist Yasmin (Kareena Kapoor). As hopeful students, hungry laborers and angry middle class citizens join in the agitation, politicians start panicking. Eventually, Dwarka Anand gets freedom after the DM takes his complaint back upon pressure from Balram Singh.

Dwarka Anand then gives a notice of 30 days to Govt to clear all pending claims of entire district. After a series of dramatic events, he sits on hunger strike and asks the Govt. to bring Ordinance in the district. Meanwhile, Lal Bahadur, a youth, commits suicide to support the agitation. During his cortege, 4 policemen brutally get killed by the mob. Soon after this, riots break out, forcing Balram Singh to send Paramilitary force in the district. His henchman shoots Dwarka Anand who then dies in Manav's lap, requesting the public to stop the riots. Balram Singh is then caught by Police. Manav and Arjun decide to construct a regional Party to eliminate corruption and reconstruct the entire system for the welfare of common man.