When she is only a child, Muthu Tikaram is sold as a contortionist to The Great Raman Circus of Chennai.
When her family are evicted from their home, Muthu is sold by her parents to the circus in Chennai, India. In her childish dream-world she believes she will become a star, but instead is transported into extremely challenging and terrifying circumstances, suffering abuse at the hands of the circus ring master and being made to perform several times a day inside the circus ring.
In the midst of all her suffering Muthu learns the truth about something she had never known - why her grandfather killed a man and why she had always felt to blame. Elastic Girl follows Muthu's struggle to break free from her ill-fated life and to make sense of her existence. It is a story of human survival against the odds.