Somen (Rishi Kapoor), a lawyer and son of head priest Swami Dharam Bhushan Maharaj (Anupam Kher), is a man with a very strong character and courage of conviction. He believes in the principles of equality and freedom and often confronts his father on issues of social justice and religion. He especially disapproves of Kedar Nath (Prem Chopra), who uses his father's clout to exploit the treasury in the temple. His uncle Nandlal (Shammi Kapoor) owns a prosperous dairy farm and keeps himself away from the affairs of religion and social obligations, citing them as unjust and outdated.

Somen meets a beautiful young woman Kajri (Madhuri Dixit) at the annual festival and is drawn towards her at first sight — her lower social caste notwithstanding — and that becomes the dawn of their love. They part unexpectedly, leaving the fire of love burning in Somen. He tries his best to find Kajri, but in vain. Kajri and her father Baliram are on their way back to their village Bansipura, where en route Kajri is kidnapped and forcefully raped by a drunken mysterious man. Kajri becomes pregnant with the man's child. Kajri's mother's sister wants to marry her to a shoemaker, but then Kajri leaves the village in secret and gives birth to the baby of the man who raped her. She begged people for food to eat so that her breasts would become full with milk and her child could survive. The baby then dies and Kajri meets Swami Dharam Bhushan to cremate the child, but he refuses. Kajri buries the baby.

A year passes and they meet again. Somen finds Kajri working at his uncle Nandlal's farm and his love blossoms. He tries to express his love towards her, but she remains evasive. Destiny left marks of pain and agony on her soul. She writes a letter to Somen that she was a rape victim, an unwed mother, and unjustly ostracized from her society. She loves Somen as well, but the misfortune of her past weighs on her mind at every moment. Meanwhile, Kedarnath burns a woman alive since she wanted to file a case against a powerful man named Roop Sahai (Govind Namdeo).

Kajri and Somen are engaged in Nandlal's dairy farm, but Dharam Bhushan comes there and reveals that a tearful Kajri came to him requesting to cremate her dead child even though she didn't know the child's father's name. Somen then leaves, but Nandlal reveals the truth that Kajri was raped and it is not her fault. Kajri's aunt reveals that the man who raped her is Roop Sahai, who once raped her aunt as well.

Kajri goes to Shreepur and reveals to Somen that Roop Sahai was the drunkard man who raped her. Kajri, Somen and Baliram then burn Roop Sahai and Kedarnath on Dusshera and then Somen marries Kajri.

• Shammi Kapoor - Nandlal
• Rishi Kapoor - Somen
• Madhuri Dixit - Kajri
• Anupam Kher - Swami Dharam Bhooshan
• Om Puri - Baliram
• Prem Chopra - Kedar Nath
• Reema Lagoo - Parvati
• Himani Shivpuri - Natho
• Sulabha Arya - Laxmi
• Govind Namdeo - Roop Sahai