Trama

Naive village-born Swaroop comes to Bombay city with a only Rs.80/-, which he loses to a thief. A man named Bhagwaan helps Swaroop recover this amount, and asks him to return back to his village, as the city is not a good place for a simpleton like himself. Swaroop decides to stay, and Bhagwaan assists him to find a roof over his head, as well as employment. Swaroop meets with an attractive young woman named Bijli, and he is attracted to her. What Swaroop does not know that Bhagwaan is a notorious gangster known in the community as Bhagwaan Dada, and that Bijli is a woman of questionable character and means, who works during the night as a prostitute.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

A naïve young man new to the big city -- Bhagwaan (Rajnikanth) -- turns to crime to avoid starvation. He is drawn into the gang of slum crimelord dada Shambu (Danny Denzongpa) where he falls into every crime but one: violence against women. When an impoverished but honourable young widow hangs herself after being raped by Shambu Dada, the cries of her orphaned baby awaken Bhagwaan's soul. He rebels against his former master. Bhagwaan vows to atone for his formerly evil life, and adopts the orphaned baby as his own son. The innocent young boy becomes Bhagwaan's source of personal redemption and the inspiration for all that he does.

Years later the man now lovingly hailed as "Bhagwaan Dada" has transformed the slum where the unfortunate widow had met her evil fate into a poor but honest, safe, and happy neighbourhood where his adopted son Govinda (Hrithik Roshan, aged 12) has become the pride and joy of the whole community. Despite his own dark past, this loving father has worked hard to raise the boy as a good person with sound moral values. Song: Tujhse Pehle Bematalab.

At this time, Bhagwaan chances to rescue another naïve young man new to the big city -- Swaroop (Rakesh Roshan) -- when Shambu Dada's gang steal all Swaroop's money. Impressed with Swaroop's education as well as the similarity of situation to his own arrival in the city years before, Bhagwaan takes the "innocent and simple" village-born fellow under his protective wing. He arranges a good job, even brings Swaroop home to live with himself and his son, young Govinda. Swaroop and Bhagwaan claim each other as 'brothers'.

One day on a roadway nearby the district, members of Shambu Dada's gang assault a beautiful young woman whom Shambu lusts after. Swaroop hears her cries for help and tries to rescue her, believing as Bhagwaan does that: "It is every man's duty to honour and protect women." But Swaroop is a gentle bookish soul who does not know how to fight. He is badly beaten by Shambu's men before Bhagwaan can rescue him in turn. The young woman (Sridevi) who gives her name as Bijli insists on tending the wounded Swaroop who bravely tried to help her. Bhagwaan invites Bijli to come live at their house until she can find a place to stay. After some initial confusion when Govinda mistakes Bijli for his new 'uncle' Swaroop's wife, all four of them -- Bhagwaan, Govinda, Swaroop, and now Bijli -- live happily in Bhagwaan's modest home, Govinda remaining impishly determined to matchmake between Swaroop and Bijli.

However, what neither Bhagwaan nor Swaroop realise is that Bijli is a streetwalker.

Intercepted on her way out to work one evening, Bijli spills Bhagwaan a yarn about how she is secretly an undercover policewoman assigned to pose as a prostitute in order to arrest real prostitutes and their patrons. Bhagwaan believes her. He preserves her 'secret', and all four continue happily in the house just as before, ignorance being bliss.

The audience soon learn, though, that appearances are deceiving: Bijli is not, actually, a sex worker but rather working a fraud scam wherein she bilks potential johns of money through clever ruses.

Meanwhile, Shambu Dada has sworn revenge against Bhagwaan for foiling his plan to abduct Bijli. After brutally beating to death one of his gangmembers who botched the abduction, Shambu dumps the corpse in Bhagwaan's territory seeking to frame Bhagwaan for the murder.

The honest policeman Inspector Vijay (Paresh Rawal), though, is fully aware of Shambu Dada's crime empire activities as well as Bhagwaan's reformation. When Bhagwaan discovers the corpse and duly reports the murder, Inspector Vijay not only fails to arrest Bhagwaan but even goes to the trouble of introducing Bhagwaan to a newspaper reporter -- Madhu (Tina Munim) -- who is researching crime trends in the city, and recommending that she visit the poor-but-peaceful-and-happy neighbourhood, Shantinagar, which Bhagwaan has built from the formerly crime-ridden slum.

The street-savvy Bhagwaan helps Inspector Vijay set a trap that allows the police to capture Shambu Dada in possession of the murder weapon. Shambu is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. All seems well.

Bhagwaan duly invites Madhu to attend a joyous public celebration in Shantinagar. Song: Ishq Ki Hai Bahar. When young Govinda mischievously invites Bijli to garland his 'uncle' Swaroop, we discover that the blushing Swaroop hides a growing attraction to Bijli. Song: Aaj Dil Tu Le.

When Madhu reciprocates Bhagwaan's invitation by inviting him and Swaroop to her birthday party at a fancy hotel, Bijli manages to talk her way along. With comic result. The buxom dancer hired as entertainment for the party sits on Swaroop's lap during her song, whereupon Bijli blows up and slaps the dancer. Hotel management threatens to halt the party. But Madhu herself intervenes along with Inspector Vijay, who is also attending, and smooths things over. Bijli, embarrassed by her earlier spontaneous outburst, now offers to make amends by performing herself. Song: De De Dil. Bijli amazes everyone -- but especially Swaroop -- by singing and dancing a hot song even better than the now departed professional. Peace is restored to the party.

Late that same night after returning, Swaroop sits up alone after the household has retired and ponders Bijli's peculiar behaviour at the party. Bijli comes upon him thus, and at his prodding finally confesses how she reacted jealously at the dancer's actions because she has come to love Swaroop, just as he loves her. She tries to explain that no future is possible between them. But Swaroop, ecstatic at learning his feelings are returned, simply won't listen.

Unbeknownst to all, however, the evil Shambu Dada gets his gang to arrange his escape during transfer between prison facilities. The escape is successful, but several policemen are killed in the process. He is now a fugitive murderer, but Shambu is free! Knowing that the police will now shoot to kill, he vows to revenge himself upon Bhagwaan at all costs.

While warning Bhagwaan of his danger at Shambu's escape, Inspector Vijay happens to mention that Bijli is not, in fact, working for the police at all but has actually been arrested, if released, on suspicion of prostitution. Bhagwaan angrily confronts Bijli. Devastated, Bijli humbly confesses she lied about working with the police. Bhagwaan strikes her and throws her out of the house ... and the whole neighbourhood. When Swaroop returns home he wants to support Bijli but it is already too late: Bijli is gone.

All now seems lost for our lovers.

But wait! A chance encounter with a doctor at a local hospital reveals Bijli's true story: she has nobly sacrificed her reputation in order to raise money for the surgery and medicines needed to save the life of her sole surviving relative, a little sister, after the rest of their entire family were killed outright during the Bhopal Disaster. [1984 -- cyanide gas cloud]

Abjectly chastened, Bhagwaan and Swaroop comb the city for the missing Bijli, and almost abandon all hope.

Swaroop finally discovers 'Bijli' -- whole real name is now revealed as Geeta -- at the hospital, and the lovers are reconciled. Bhagwaan then forgives Geeta for having lied to him. Geeta forgives Bhagwaan for having struck her. Bhagwaan begs Geeta to tie a rakhi on his wrist to claim him as her brother. He pledges himself to both pay for the little sister's operation and see his 'sister' Geeta married happily to Swaroop at the earliest opportunity. Swaroop and Geeta fantasize about a blissful wedding night with each other. Song: Aayaa ... Aayaa ... Pyaar.

Swaroop's aged mother comes from his old village to welcome Geeta and bless Bhagwaan and Govinda -- who is jubilant that his matchmaking efforts succeeded -- for their role in getting her son married. Geeta's little sister's operation is successful, so she also joins the household. The whole of Shantinagar eagerly helps with preparations for the upcoming wedding.

Madhu, who is herself becoming romantically interested with Bhagwaan, comes to Shantinagar on the day before the big event "to help with wedding work". Govinda persuades Madhu to help him distribute the last of the wedding cards throughout the community.

Hours later Bhagwaan becomes alarmed to discover that neither Govinda nor Madhu has come back -- that in fact neither is now anywhere to be found in Shantinagar. Bhagwaan borrows a bicycle and sets off in search of them.

Some distance beyond the end of the city Bhagwaan comes across an exhausted and terrified Madhu, who explains how both she and Govinda had been kidnapped by the gang of the fugitive Shambu Dada and taken to a ruined fort hidden in the wilderness. Shambu intended to rape her, but brave young Govinda had attacked Shambu so that she could escape, asking her to "Bring Father" for help.

Now in a panic himself, Bhagwaan bicycles alone deeper into the wilderness. After some distance he comes upon a small bullock cart mysteriously left to wander by itself. A weak voice calls out "Father?" as Bhagwaan passes. It is little Govinda, who has been horribly mutilated and left to die. Govinda explains in a failing voice how he succeeded in overcoming Shambu's gang with the fighting skills his father taught him, but was unable to defeat Shambu himself. Shambu then vented his rage, at being cheated of Madhu, by brutally crushing Govinda's legs -- "There were nails in his shoes, Father ..." -- leaving the boy paralysed and bleeding to death.

After receiving final blessing, Govinda dies in his father's arms ... having sacrificed his own all-too-short life to save the life of another.

As darkness falls in the wilderness, Bhagwaan tenderly burns his son's remains in accordance with Hindu ritual. Song: Main Tujhse Bichhad (melody reprising Tujhse Pehle Bematalab).

Bhagwaan solemnly vows to be avenged upon Shambu, and binds Madhu to silence regarding Govinda's murder lest the wedding be interrupted.

The wedding of Geeta and Swaroop goes forward, attended by the whole of Shantinagar. But part way through the ceremonies someone discovers that they're missing the sendur (vermilion) needed to fill the bride's hair parting for the ritual. Bhagwaan rushes off to buy the essential sendur.

Shambu confronts Bhagwaan in the marketplace. They fight bitterly, until Bhagwaan at last overwhelms Shambu. Remembering poor Govinda's last words, Bhagwaan dons one of Shambu's horrible nail-studded boots and uses it to finish off Shambu. Or so he thinks. At the very last, the dying Shambu manages to hurl a hidden knife that pierces Bhagwaan's chest.

Knowing himself to be mortally wounded, Bhagwaan returns to the wedding just at the point where the ceremony requires him, as the bride's brother, to bless the newly wedded couple -- which he does, using a smear of his own red blood instead of the hard-won sendur. Geeta and Swaroop now realise he is injured and dying, then realise that Govinda, too, is missing. Bhagwaan responds that he is "on his way to join Govinda" ... and dies in their arms in his turn.

Swaroop and Geeta pledge to continue Bhagwaan's legacy at Shantinagar.