The year is 1893 and India is under British occupation. In a small village, the tyrannical Captain Russell has imposed an unprecedented land tax on its citizens. Outraged, Bhuvan, a rebellious farmer, rallies the villagers to publicly oppose the tax. Russell offers a novel way to settle the dispute: he challenges Bhuvan and his men to a game of cricket, a sport completely foreign to India. If Bhuvan and his men can defeat Russell's team, the tax will be repealed.

A successful Indian scientist returns home to his village to take his nanny back to America with him, and in the process rediscovers his roots.

The main protagonist is Chander, a tourist photographer in the Indian city of Nainital who lives with his parents (played by Alok Nath and Kanu Gill) and best friend Johnny (played by Sanjay Narvekar). While on his way to work, he meets a stage dancer (a banjaran) named Nirmala [played by Preeti Jhangiani] and is seduced by her beauty. He takes photographs of her and later befriends her, serenading her with sweet nothings about "taking her across the moon and stars" and promises to take her to the city of dreams, Mumbai. She agrees to be with him, despite objections from her guardians, her uncle (played by (Tej Sapru) and aunt (played by Himani Shivpuri) who had other plans for her. From there her career as a star begins under a new name, Garima.