1962: the newly independent and idealistic India is still class-bound and exploitative. Shankar, a village man with many skills, is an indispensable servant in the house of a senior police officer. His master’s little daughter loves his stories, and they share a close bond. Meanwhile, Shankar’s own daughter gets sick in his village while he is away.

A documentary crew starts to make a documentary about an Auto Rickshaw driver in Mumbai. As they dig deeper into his life they discover angst, sexual frustration and paranoia that leads to a terrible end.