Savlya, a potter who adores his donkey, goes to heaven. When he returns, he decides to construct a seven-storey building and get his donkey married to the king's daughter.

Located in a seaside village in Maharashtra during the 60s, the film unfolds over two decades. It is a tragic tale of how the best of friendships can rupture over a trivial quarrel. Once a rupture takes place, there are always people who know how to turn a quarrel to their own advantage, even if the main adversaries are completely destroyed in the process.

Aburao, the son of a troupe dancer, has grown-up to become a brilliant clown. His talent brings him fame but also alienates him from his ideals and his loved ones.

A mischievous boy, living with his grandmother in a village that people believe is haunted, meets the ghost "Bhutya". How the "Bhutya" transforms the boy's character and the whole village in the process, forms the rest of the story.