Handlung

Indu Sarkar is set during the emergency period between 1975 to 1977 declared by Prime Minister Indra Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi proclaims emergency in 1975. Inspector Mishra (Zakir Hussain) is working for the central government to impose its agenda of population sterilization. Mishra goes from village to village to forcibly sterilize all males.

Indu Sarkar (Kirti Kulhari) was an orphan who dreamed of becoming a poet. She stammers and hence is low on confidence. Navin Sarkar (Tota Roy Chowdhury) is her husband. Due to her stammer, Indu was never adopted from the orphanage and was rejected several times by prospective grooms or their families. Her mentor at the orphanage discouraged Indu from pursuing poetry and focus on getting married instead. She met Navin at the Orphanage, who was there looking for prospective partners. Navin is himself a central government officer who serves Urban Development Minister Om Nath. Navin comes from a poor background and is ambitious to make money in his life. Indu tells Navin that she just wants to be a good housewife and wants to settle down into a pretty home. Due to Om Nath, Navin and Indu are invited to many A-list parties in Delhi and Indu gets to hob-nob with the rich and powerful people of the city.

Indu writes poetry for Om Nath's public functions. Om Nath is close to Sanjay Gandhi (Neil Nitin Mukesh). Om Nath's pet project is to eliminate a Jhuggi cluster at Turkman Gate area of Delhi to create space for a 5-star hotel. This is approved by Sanjay Gandhi. Om Nath assigns Navin as the SPOC for the project. Farzana (Rashmi Jha) is Sanjay's PA. Navin issues a notice to Turkman Gate Jhuggi cluster to vacate the premises. Mishra is called in by Om Nath to handle the demolition of the slum. Indu tells Navin about how the public is angry at the emergency and how they are not even getting their due rations at the PDS shops in the city. Navin is angry at Indu for engaging in rumor mongering and says that emergency is right for the country.

Sanjay Gandhi is troubled by the negative press from his sterilization drive and wants a stirring poem for the Congress convention in Bombay. He gives the task to Om Nath. Meanwhile, Indu is caught in the demolition drive of the Jhuggi cluster and witnesses the carnage firsthand. Many slum dwellers are killed as thousands of slum huts are demolished. She brings 2 kids from the Jhuggi to her home and complains to Navin about police action. Navin is livid with Indu for criticizing the emergency. Indu goes from one refugee camp to the next to try and find the parents of the 2 kids.

Indu runs into NGO activist Mekhla (Sheeba Chaddha) to help find the kids parents. Mekhla had lost her own son a few months ago when he was shot by the police. Mekhla is determined to fight the system to get justice for her son. Mekhla activates her underground connects who find that the parents of the 2 kids were shot by the police. Indu eventually finds that Navin was the top official who had ordered the demolition of the Jhuggi and was directly responsible for the death of the kid's parents. Navin asks Indu to choose between him and the kids. Indu decides to leave the house. She moves in with Mekhla, who gives her, and the kids shelter. But Indu can't find a job. Navin tries to threaten her with a divorce notice, but Indu signs it instead. In retaliation, Navin send the police to take the kids away from Indu (to be taken into state care).

Mekhla introduces Indu to her political guru Nanaji Pradhan (Anupam Kher), who encourages Indu to write revolutionary poems. Nanaji wants his organization to bring the truth about emergency in front of the foreign delegation that the Government is hosting in a few week's time.

As Om Nath realizes the threat from activists, he orders a brutal crackdown on every revolutionary person in the country. Mekhla is also arrested. Now Indu decides to be on the front-line of the protests in front of the foreign delegation and tells Nanaji that she would be the one shouting slogans in English against the government. She does so, in front of Om Nath and Navin, causing extreme embarrassment to both. Indu manages to escape the convention venue.

Sanjay Gandhi is livid and asks Om Nath to eliminate everyone related to the incident. Om Nath fires Navin, who is now livid with the Government. Navin now understands Indu's helplessness as he had been fired unjustly, and yet there is nothing he can do about it, as all his Fundamental Rights have been trampled. Meanwhile IB led by Sahani (Mohan Kapoor) starts tracking Nanaji and his sponsors on orders from Sanjay Gandhi. Indu has to sacrifice herself and get herself arrested in order to ensure Nanaji's escape after one particular raid.

At the trial, Indu makes an impassioned plea to the judge to speak up against the atrocities of emergency. But she is jailed nonetheless. Navin commits suicide after seeing Indu fighting for her rights. In 1977, 19 months after emergency was imposed, it was lifted by Sanjay Gandhi, after being assured by IB that in the next election Congress will get 320 seats. Indu is released from jail, charges dropped and is re-united with the 2 kids.