Trama

A young man who smuggles illegal weapons and people back and forth over the borders between India and Pakistan falls in love with a young woman whose family he helped.

Bihar-based Manzur Ahmed, his wife, his mother, and his daughter, decide to re-locate to East Pakistan after the partitioning of Hindustan during 1948, following the tussle between Sheikh Mujib Rehman and Pakistan's General Bhutto, which led to the formation of Bangladesh, where Manzur and several other Muslims were forced to re-locate to Pakistan. In order to do this, they cross two borders, one with India and Bangladesh, and the second with India and Pakistan. The route from Bangladesh leads from Dhaka then to Guwahati then to Delhi then to Ajmer then to Bhuj, and then on to Pakistan's Haji Peer. They get as far as Bhuj, but afterward they are assisted by Jaan Mohammad's son, known only as Refugee, who helps them trek their way across the Rann desert to Atta Mohammad's house in Pakistan. Refugee considers his clients as mere items of luggage and refuses to be emotionally involved with them. Then he meets Nazneen and he forgets this rule, and they soon both fall in love with each other. Police on both sides of the border are aware of the refugee traffic and question Refugee and Jaan several times because of this. Then, one day, Refugee assists four men to enter the Indian side of the border. These men then enlist the help of Jaan's other son to get to Delhi. Shortly thereafter, explosions take place in trains, buses, and buildings. And to complicate matters even more, BSF Officer Raghuvir Singh apprehends Refugee with a load of RDX plastic explosives. While Naaz is making preparations for her marriage with Refugee, her parents have arranged her marriage with a Pakistani Ranger named Ashraf Mohammad. The question remains what will be Refugee's fate when Ashraf finds out that he is the truth of his wife-to-be, that is if he ever gets out of the clutches of the Border Security Force.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Bihar-based Muslim Manzur Ahmed (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and his family was migrated to East Pakistan after the partitioning of India in 1947. However, after the formation of the state of Bangladesh in 1971, he and several other people were forced to re-locate to the western part of Pakistan. To do this by land, they will have to cross India. The route from Dhaka leads to Guwahati in India then to Delhi then to Ajmer then to Bhuj, and then on to Haji Peer in Pakistan.

They get as far as Bhuj, but afterward they are assisted by an agent known only as "Refugee" (Abhishek Bachchan), who helps them trek their way across the Great Rann of Kutch to Pakistan. Makkad (Ashish Vidyarthi) is Refugee's handler and brings clients for him, in exchange for a commission.

Refugee considers his clients as mere items of luggage and refuses to be emotionally involved with them and their stories. Then he meets Nazneen Ahmed (Kareena Kapoor), the young daughter of Manzur Ahmed, and he forgets this rule and falls in love with her.

Police on both sides of the border are aware of the illegal refugee traffic and the Indian BSF led by Raghuvir Singh regularly questions Refugee and his old father Jaan Muhammad (Anupam Kher) on border crossings. Jaan is married to Amina (Reena Roy). Manzur and his family stay at Jaan's brother Atta Mohammad's (Avtar Gill) place on the other side of the border. Pakistani rangers led by Ashraf search Atta's house, who tells Ashraf that Manzur and his family have come from another village for Naaz's marriage. Tausif (Mukesh Tiwari) is Ashraf's lieutenant. Manzur's mother dies due to the strain of the crossing. Tausif has his eye on Naaz's younger sister Salma, but Ashraf stops him and asks him to leave the family alone.

Refugee crosses the border regularly to see Naaz. The journey to Pakistan changes the course of Refugee's life -- he falls in love with the pretty Naaz. The girl too reciprocates his feelings. Naaz wants to create a home with Refugee in Pakistan. But the lovers face an uphill task, for: (i) Naaz is now settled in Pakistan, while he stays in India. (ii) The head of the security keeping a strict vigil on the border of Pakistan. Ashraf (Sunil Shetty), a Pakistani, falls for the innocent charms of Naaz and wants to marry her. Naaz's family agrees to this match, not realizing that their daughter's heart yearns for Refugee. (iii) The Border Security Force in India has learned of the illegal activities of Refugee and wants to take him to task. Shadab is the one who is passing information to the BSF rangers, in exchange for money.

On one crossing, Raghuvir manages to spot Refugee crossing the border and shoots him in the leg, but Refugee escapes by hiding in a hole in the ground, covered by foliage. On the Indian side, Refugee is cared for by Sikh priest (Puneet Issar), who hides him in a cave. Refugee crosses the border once again to visit Nazneen Ahmed. Due to a miscommunication, Naaz believes that her parents have agreed to her marriage to Refugee, while they had suggested her wedding with Ashraf.

One day, Refugee assists four men (led by Gul Hamid (Sudesh Berry)) to enter the Indian side of the border. These men then enlist the help of Mr. Muhammad's other son Shadab (Shadaab Khan) to get to Delhi. Shadab is addicted to gambling and liquor and does all illegal things to fund his expensive tastes. Shortly thereafter, explosions take place in trains, buses, and buildings in the Indian capital. Shadab returns home with Rs 1 Lakh in cash, which he was given to place a bomb in train. Jaan throws Shadab out of the house for betraying the nation. After the blasts, villages on both sides are rounded up. Tausif wants to arrest Munzir for being an illegal immigrant, but Ashraf stops him. Tausif informs Ashraf that he is willing to break the law for Naaz, who has already slept with someone else. Naaz also affirms that she has only ever loved Refugee.

Refugee crosses the border again and meets Naaz. Naaz requests Refugee to take her with him since her father wants to marry her to Ashraf. Munzir informs Ashraf that Naaz is crossing the border with Refugee.

While crossing the border through Rann they are captured by Pakistanis rangers. Refugee is beaten up and sent to India on a camel. Ashraf leaves to return Naaz home, while Tausif beats up Refugee mercilessly before sending him back on a camel. Tausif tells Naaz that Ashraf was the one who broke Refugee before returning him to India. Naaz confronts Ashraf for torturing Refugee before sending him back to India. In retaliation, Ashraf confronts Tausif, and kills him after a brutal battle.

The Indian BSF led by Raghuvir Singh (Jackie Shroff) captures him and treats him in hospital. The Indians informs him that he unknowingly helped terrorists cross into India and caused several deaths. Refugee confronts his father Jaan, who confirms Refugee's involvement in helping terrorists to cross the border.

Refugee joins the BSF and fights the terrorists who laid siege to his village. The terrorists led by Gul Hamid plan to capture the village and assimilate in Pakistan. Jaan resists the terrorists and his own brother Atta who was supporting the terrorists. Atta shoots Jaan and he dies, but due to Jaan's death, the villagers refuse to support the terrorists. Shadab escapes the village to inform the BSF but is shot dead as well. Refugee leads the attack on the village and kills both Atta and Gul Hamid.

Naaz tries to cross the border several times but is captured by the Pakistani Rangers. Ashraf agrees to take Naaz to the Haji Peer Mela, which is an event celebrated jointly by Muslim families on both sides of the border. The event is attended by both BSF and the Pakistani Rangers. Naaz runs into Refugee at the event, and Ashraf brings a priest to get them married. Raghuvir allows Refugee to bring Naaz to India, but she is heavily pregnant and goes into labor at the border crossing. The film ends with Nazneen Ahmed giving birth to Refugee's child at the border between the two nations. Indian and Pakistani BSF officers discuss the child's nationality in a lighter vein.