Embedded with charged emotions, this multi-layered crime drama revolves around the brave battle of Master Dinanth (Amitabh Bachchan), a freedom fighter who had participated in the war against the British in 1942, until independence was eventually won in 1947. But after independence, the people's love for their country seems to be diminishing and corruption begins to take hold, igniting an insidious fire of selfishness, discrimination, and callous indifference for the greater good.
Master Dinanth feels personally violated by the direction in which the citizens of his beloved country are travelling. He begins to resist crime and corruption wherever he finds them, and when he comes to know of a notorious criminal, Thakur Pratab Singh's illegal activities such as smuggling of weapons and ammunition, he wastes no time in getting him arrested. In revenge for putting him in prison, Pratab Singh gets Master Dinnanth's wife, Bharati (Sharmila Tagore) and daughter, Priti (Parveen Babi) kidnapped by Thakur's partner in crime, Sher Singh (Kader Khan) to try to change his ways but to no avail.
Thakur also provokes an attack on Masterji's home by the local villagers who accuse Dinanath of betraying his country and he is forced to flee his home with his young son Raju. His wife becomes a victim of leprosy and escapes from Sher Singh, leaving her daughter Priti in a friend's care. Masterji is informed that his wife and daughter could be dead as they find a necklace of hers near the train tracks. Masterji is devastated by his wife and daughter's loss and he and his son move on with their life.
They settle into a slum called Bharat Nagar which is divided in 4 sections with a don in each one of different backgrounds: Punjabi (Shammi Kapoor), Madrasi (Premnath). Bengali (Uttam Kumar) and Muslim (Parikshat Sahni). All of them love their own section but nobody thinks of themselves as Indian except Masterji. Masterji sets out trying to bring peace between the four dons and once they settle their differences the four underworld dons use the Masterji's stay in Bharat Nagar to cover up their own illegal activities.
15 years later, Masterji's now grown-up son Raju (again played by Amitabh Bachchan) turns out to be the opposite of his father. He starts working for Thakur Pratab Singh unaware that Thakur had once kidnapped his mother and sister. Will Raju find out what Thakur did to his family? Will Master Dinanath find out his son is not who he thinks he is? and will Master ever find his wife and daughter again?