Shivnath Choudhary lives a wealthy lifestyle in Chandanpur, India, along with his wife, Leela, and 8 year old daughter, Neena. He likes to mingle with poor folk much, especially Baiju, to the chagrin of his wife, who shuns them and only tolerates them as long as they continue to pay taxes. When Shivnath steals money to help dwellers, Leela has the huts burnt down, and forbids him from seeing Neena ever again. Hurt and confused, Shivnath flees to Bombay, where he befriends a man named Mahadev and makes some money entertaining young children, including a girl named Neena. When Neena passes away, Shivnath returns to Chandanpur only to find the village in ruins, and Rukmini, the daughter of Baiju, abducted and being held by Ramdas, Leela's Munim. Shivnath tracks Ramdas down, kills him, and is subsequently arrested and sentenced to prison for 14 years. He passes his time writing poems for Neena and hopes to see her one day when he gets released.