The story is a family drama that revolves around the lead pair, played by Rekha and Farooq Shaikh, who play a married couple. It's about how the character Shalu overcomes all obstacles in her married life to win over the acceptance of her domineering mother-in-law Kamla (Bindu).

Bhandaris are an affluent upper-class family. The household is fiercely dominated by Kamla (Bindu) who is the matriarch of the Bhandari family. She takes care of the family business while her stay-at-home husband Kailash (Kader Khan) is a ghar jamai. Kamla wants her eldest son Suraj (Farooq Shaikh) to marry a girl whose social status matches theirs.

However, contrary to her wishes, Suraj follows his heart and marries the not so rich, yet talented village belle Shalu (Rekha), which infuriates Kamla to no end. Together with her comical, but scheming secretary (Asrani), Kamla vows to throw her out of the house with their shrewd and cunning tactics deployed against her.

Meanwhile, Shalu tries to be a dutiful daughter-in-law by trying to win the heart of Kamla. She has the full support and understanding of her father-in-law, Kailash, who treats her like a daughter, and of her young brother-in-law Vicky (Salman Khan), who sometimes cannot bear the atrocities meted out to his sister-in-law and gets vocal in protests against his tyrannical mother.

After endless attempts at humiliation and personal attacks, Shalu hits back in her style and her true identity is revealed towards the climax. She shocks everyone with her diction and articulate speech in sharp contrast to her crude village belle identity.

Her father Ashok Mehra (a family friend of the Bhandaris) reveals her true identity. Kamla learns that Shalu is the Oxford-educated daughter of Mehra, who, in connivance with her father-in-law Kailash, had won her way into the family, in order to teach her a lesson in humility and humanity. Kailash gets vocal against Kamla for the first time.

Kamla realises her error and repents for her behaviour towards the family when they all decide to leave her and the house. Kamla sincerely apologises to all and happiness finally enters the Bhandari household.

• Rekha as Shalu Mehra
• Farooq Shaikh as Suraj Bhandari
• Salman Khan as Vicky Bhandari
• Bindu as Kamla Bhandari
• Kader