Madhav is sentenced to three months imprisonment for stealing medicines form a shop. He is grief stricken in court because his ailing mother expires without medical care. The kindly, judge, though he passes the sentences on Madhav, does a good turn to him when Madhav comes out of jail he is offered a grain shop to manage in a small town called Sonepore. Madhav can hardly believe his luck. He is told to run the small business on principles of honesty and integrity.
Madhav meets Imli, a banjara bird catcher, who turns out to be a pretty thief. He tries to reform her. In his business, he faces stiff competition from two other merchants, Sadhuram and Santram. He tries to sell good clean grain at reasonable prices but is outwitted by the other two who sell cheaper than him because they mix things. Madhav fights an unequal battle with the two and losses. His honest ways are of no help. Meanwhile, Imli gets truly reformed and falls in love with Madhav.
Sadhuram and Santram manipulate a situation whereby Madhav lands in trouble. They lend him money and take a cheque in repayment which he is not able to honour. The police arrive for Madhav's arrest. Madhav is now a greatly disillusioned man. However, Imli snatches him away before he can land in jail, and he stays in hiding.
Now, Madhav' brother Lakhan appears on the scene. He looks just like Madhav, but is quite different from Him. Lakhan is aggressive, tough and sharp. He takes over the business and proves a success in many ways. He beats the town goonda to subservience. He throws out the leech like relatives who had gathered at Madhav's home and puts those that remain to work. He mixes more stones and the like in the grain than Sadhuram and Santram, and business thrives. He outdoes the two merchants evil ways.
Imli, though in love with Madhav, cannot help admiring Lakhan. A misunderstanding ensues between Imli and Madhav. Meanwhile Sadhuram and Santram find a way to put Lakhan into serious trouble. Many of Lakhan's customers fall ill and are hospitalised.
Madhav secretly helps the victims of Lakhan's evil deeds and spends all the money that Lakhan has piled in providing them medical relief. When Lakhan comes to know of it, he is furious. He sets out to kill Madhav.
Here is a film that brings to the screen the true conflict of our times, a conflict of the individual. How does one live in today's world where, by and large evil triumphs over good.......