The story begins in 1999, with Saket Ram, an 89-year-old Hindu man, on his deathbed in Madras.

He is being taken care of by his grandson Saket Ram Jr. who is a famous novelist who writes
historical fiction, and their family doctor, Munawar. The younger Ram explains how he grew up
listening to his grandfather's stories and proceeds to narrate one of his grandfather's strange stories
that he plans to use for his next novel. As his grandson narrates the story, the dying Saket Ram
relieves it.
The scene cuts to 1946, when Ram and his Pathan Muslim friend, Amjad Ali Khan are
archaeologists working together under Mortimer Wheeler, in Mohenjo-daro in the Sindh province, in
what was then North-West India. Relations are good between the Indians and the English. Ram and
Amjad do not approve of the planned partition and the upcoming creation of Pakistan. Although
many Indian Muslims plan to move to Pakistan, Amjad decides to stay in India as he believes it is his
homeland.
After the archaeological site is shut down out of fear of riots, young Ram returns to Calcutta to be
with his wife, Aparna. On his way home, he witnesses the riots and chaos during Direct Action Day.
While out to get some food, Ram manages to save an innocent Sikh girl from a Muslim mob. When
he returns to his house, he is attacked and held hostage by his family tailor, Altaf and a group of
Muslims. They rape Aparna, but upon discovering that the police are entering the building, slit
Aparna's throat and flee. Unable to cope with his tragic loss, Ram takes his gun and attempts to
follow them. He manages to find Altaf, who begs for mercy, although Ram kills him.
Ram continues to shoot at Muslims committing violence in the streets until he runs into Shriram
Abhyankar, a Thanjavur Marathi who is leading a group of Hindus. Realizing that they are both
Hindu and thus not enemies, Abhyankar offers Ram a chance to join his militia. Abhyankar informs
Ram that the individual responsible is none other than Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and gives
him a banned book on anti-Gandhi rhetoric to read.
In 1947, now having returned to his hometown of Thanjavur, Ram's brother Bashyahm and sister
Vasantha urge him to remarry. He is then married to the daughter of family friends, Mythili. While his
wedding is being celebrated across the village, Ram tells his childhood friends Vedha and Yegham
that he has no reason to be happy since the world's biggest political divorce is going on with the
partition of India. During his first night, he learns that Mythili, like her family, are supporters of Gandhi
and that the Mahatma will be visiting Calcutta a few days later on the anniversary of the bloody riots.
Ram travels to Calcutta alone, where he visits his old home and laments at his loss. Then he joins a
mob that confronts Gandhi and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the Chief Minister of Bengal, about
the bloody riots. When questioned about whether they take full responsibility for the riots, both of
them accept it and ask for forgiveness. The mob forgives them, but Ram refuses to.
Although Ram remains aloof at first, he slowly falls in love with Mythili. However, on their
honeymoon in Maharashtra, Ram and Mythili bump into a disguised Abhyankar, who introduces
them to a dethroned Maharaja. During a hunting trip with Abhyankar and the Maharaja, Ram is
reunited with his old Sindhi friend from Calcutta, Manohar Lalwani, who lost his family and home in
the riots. After seeing Lalwani's misery, Ram realizes he has still not gotten over Aparna's murder
and his hatred is reignited. Abhyankar and the Maharaj's group hold the belief that Gandhi is solely
responsible for the division of India and the violence between two religions, and believe him to be a
traitor for supporting and protecting Muslims rather than his own Hindu people. As extremist Hindu
fundamentalists, they plot to murder Gandhi and task Ram with performing the deed. Due to a
horse-riding accident, Abhyankar is left quadriplegic and has Ram swear that he will renounce
personal relationships and carry on his work of killing Gandhi.
Back in the present, Ram's situation worsens. His grandson and Dr. Munawar take him to the
hospital, but are stopped by the police since there are bomb blasts in Madras due to Hindu-Muslim
communal riots, as the day is anniversary of demolition of the Babri masjid, prompting the elderly
Ram to remark how the Hindu-Muslim violence is still rampant in present day. A police officer makes
them hide in an underground shelter for their safety. As they try to stay silent to avoid being attacked
by the mob, Ram reminisces about how he plotted to kill Gandhi many decades ago.
Back in newly independent India, Ram begins to prepare to assassinate Gandhi once he returns to
Madras. A pregnant Mythili becomes worried as her husband grows more distant and invites her
parents and in-laws over to cheer him up. However, Ram has made up his mind to kill Gandhi and
leaves Mythili, traveling to Varanasi where he goes through a purification and renouncement ritual.
Then, he heads for Delhi and unknowingly stays at the same hotel as another fundamentalist
planning to kill Gandhi, Nathuram Godse. When the police arrive to question Godse, a paranoid
Ram hides his gun on a delivery truck, which departs from the hotel. Later on, Ram goes to the soda
factory in Chandni Chowk in order to retrieve his gun.
In Chandni Chowk, Ram is reunited with Amjad, who takes him to the soda factory. It is revealed that
many Muslims civilians, including Amjad's wife Nafisa and their children, are hiding there out of fear
of being attacked by Hindus during curfew. When it is discovered that Ram came there for a gun, the
Muslims, suspicious that he might be out to kill them, attack him. A fight ensues that triggers a series
of violent events in the area. While trying to escape both Hindu and Muslim mobs, Amjad finds out
that Ram is in Delhi to assassinate Gandhi and he tries to convince his friend to not do it. He reveals
that his father did not die of natural causes, but was murdered by a Hindu mob and asks Ram to end
his hatred.
Just then, they are cornered by a Hindu mob who try to kill Amjad. Despite Ram's attempts to protect
him, Amjad is struck on the back of the head with a hammer and Ram takes him back to the soda
factory. Together, they then help protect the Muslims hiding in the soda factory until the authorities
arrive to control the situation, although Amjad is shot.
While in the hospital, Amjad is questioned by a police officer about the Hindu man whom
eyewitnesses state started the violence. Amjad lies that he has never seen that man before, and all
he knows is his brother Ram who despite everything, saved his life. He then dies holding Ram's
hand.
Subsequently, Ram runs into his father-in-law and his friend who are there to meet Gandhi. He
learns that his uncle and elder sister have died after learning he has left. Gandhi requests to see
Ram to invite him on his long walk to Pakistan after finding out he helped save innocent Muslims.
Ram ultimately changes his mind about Gandhi after seeing that his teachings are all about love and
non-violence. He decides against assassinating the leader, and attempts to confess the truth to him
in order to beg for forgiveness. Gandhi interrupts him, informing Ram that they can talk about it
during their long walk to Pakistan. However, seconds later, Gandhi is assassinated by Godse. Ram
then attempts to shoot Godse, but is moved by how one person prevents the people from attacking
Godse, who is arrested. Then on, Ram lives by Gandhian principles.
As the situation on the streets starts to cool down, Ram whispers his last words to his grandson and
eventually dies. During Ram's funeral, Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi comes over and
visits Ram's private room, which is full of historical photos. Ram's grandson hands over Gandhi's
footwear and spectacles which his late grandfather had previously collected from the place of the
shootout and had treasured throughout his life.