Set in 1947 during India’s partition, Umber Singh, played by Irrfan Khan, a Sikh Punjabi is upset at having three daughters and no sons. He believes that since the son will carry his legacy and be the heir to the family name, he tries for the fourth time hoping badly for a boy. His wife Mehar, played by Tisca Chopra gives birth to a girl but Umber declares it a boy without even looking at the baby. He names her Kanwar Singh, played by Tillotama Shome, and even has a turban ceremony once she’s older.
At the ceremony he meets a girl called Neeli, played by Rasika Dugal, who is Umber’s friends daughter and they strike a friendship. Over the course of many days they bond and like each other. Seeing this Umber asks his friend to get them married and he agrees. However, Neeli soon realizes that Kanwar is not much of a man and tries to runs away but is caught by Umber and he attempts to rape her. Kanwar tries to stop him, but is told that it’s the only way the family will ever have a son. Infuriated Kanwar shoots his dad, killing him.
At Umber’s funeral Mehar advices Neeli and Kanwar to go far away and restart their life together. Not revealing Kanwar’s gender they live together as sisters. One day when she comes to see Mehar and her sisters, she finds the house burned down with everyone dead except her older sister. She sees her father’s spirit who follows her back to her house. She drowns with her father spirit consuming her. Neeli commits suicide by jumping off the balcony, leaving Umber’s soul to wander alone in greed for a son.
