The story of Dr. Mukherjee, a highly respected civil surgeon in a small tribal district headquarters. He is the beloved of the local people, and often comes in conflict with Laxman Lal, the tyrannical son of a local aristocrat. Laxman Lal lusts after a local widow who, in order to escape his advances seeks shelter with Dr. Mukherjee. As Dr. Mukherjee treats the poor he becomes even more entwined with their lives and their little problems. To the tribals he is a godlike figure, but to Laxman Lal he is an enemy.

Bhuvan Shome is a lonely widower, a proud old man and a strict disciplinarian. Looking back on the trodden path, strewn with staunch determination and drab attitudes, Bhuvan Shome, a thoroughly unenchanted man, seeks escape in a holiday.