Watching Ranbir Kapoor on the big screen after four years is in itself good enough a bait to draw audiences back into theatres. But Shamshera isn't just riding on its protagonist's shoulders. It has all the elements needed to make a mass masala entertainer hit the right chord. It has action, emotions, well-written characters, and a solid backstory. A warrior lower-caste tribe called Khameerans led by Shamshera (Ranbir Kapoor) is imprisoned in a fictitious city of Kaza. They are enslaved and tortured by a ruthless authoritarian general Shuddh Singh (Sanjay Dutt), who looks down upon them and tells a British officer: Jaanwar hai, gand toh machayega hi (These are animals, will pollute). After a lot of humiliation and physical assault, the tribe loses leader in his quest to free his people and that's where a fresh chapter starts. 25 years later, we are introduced to Balli (Shamshera's son) who looks exactly like this father. When Balli learns the truth about his father's death and how his tribe has suffered, he takes over Shamshera's mantle and begins a new fight for the freedom of his people and their self-respect, and avenge his father's death.