Amiran is sold to a brothel by a corrupt cop after her father testifies against him. Many years later, she grows up to be an accomplished poetess and a renowned courtesan, Umrao Jaan.
Nirmala Gupta rules her household with an iron fist. While most of her family resents it, they do comply and try to appease to her. When her daughter-in-law's free-spirited sister comes over to stay for a few days, things in the Gupta family start to change, agitating Nirmala.
Sudarshan Sahni would like his son, Raju, to marry his Europe-based friend's daughter, Rita, but Raju is in love with Anu, and both plan to marry each other. Anu's dad, Pradeep Rai Choudhry, does not approve of Raju, and warns Anu not to have anything to do with him, in vain though. Both Anu and...
Ravi, a wealthy model, leaves his father's business after unsatisfactory modeling work and returns to his parents' home to join struggle students and revolutionary Manohar.