Queen Kaikeyi exiles Rama and demands Bharat be king. Bharat, devoted to Rama, refuses the throne and goes to the forest, urging Rama to return. Rama insists on upholding his father's vow. Bharat then rules Ayodhya as Rama's regent, placing Rama's sandals on the throne until his return.

A village boy seeking work in the city falls for a mill owner's daughter, but their love is tested by escalating labor disputes and class conflict.