A story about a poor Marathi village potter who tries to feed his wife and six children in the hope that things will improve when younger brother Shankar completes his education. But they don't and, to foil Shankar's plans to start a porcelain factory, the local moneylender starts legal proceedings to claim the family house.

Wealthy and influential Hindurao Dhonde Patil finds a homeless drunk, brings him home, looks after him, feeds him, finds a room for him, gets him employed, calls him Master, and even finds a woman to look after him. In return, this male steals from Hindurao, is apprehended by the local police, but Hindurao pays for his bail. Hindurao is forced to make a final decision about him after he finds out that Master has been inquiring about a missing army officer named Maruti Kamble.