After destroying his older brother's motorbike in retaliation for his constant bullying, 11-year-old Krishna is sent to a traveling circus to earn money to pay for the bike's repairs, but soon winds up in the streets of Bombay's poorest slums. There, he befriends the drug dealer Chillum and young prostitute Sola Saal, while trying to make enough money at a neighborhood tea stall to repay his debt to his family.

A young woman leads impoverished embroidery workers in a strike against the greedy wholesalers who exploit them.

Amiran is sold to a brothel by a corrupt cop after her father testifies against him. Many years later, she grows up to be an accomplished poetess and a renowned courtesan, Umrao Jaan.

Concerned about the outbreak of plague in a distant rural village in India, Dr. D.D. Sinha asks a number of prominent doctors to go there and treat the ailing and prevent the disease from spreading. No one except his protégé, Dr. Paras, is prepared to go there. Dr. Paras travels there, works with the villagers to prevent the disease and treats the ailing, and is successful in preventing it's spreading to other communities. He meets with village belle, Lajwanti alias Lajjo, and both fall in love with each other.

A forest conservator works with a tribal clan during the British rule over India. He consciously does several marriages to expose the sly men who are playing with the sacred institution of marriage.

The poet, Ravi, haunted by the memory of his former lover Naina is drowning his sorrows in alcohol when he meets Jyoti

In post-Partition India, a Muslim businessman and his family struggle for their rights in a country which was once their own.

Satish, a young professor of philosophy, discovers that his beliefs have far-reaching consequences for his family and friends.

Social film dealing with the topics of child marriage and widow remarriage.

Businessman Sonu Sharma belongs to a wealthy family and lives with his widowed mother. He suddenly becomes ill, is hospitalized and looked after by a young nurse, Heena, who he falls in love with. After he gets discharged both of them get married in a secret temple ceremony. Thereafter, he asks Heena to resign from her job, re-locate to a small town where he has rented a house called "Madhu Villa", and he will join her soon. Upon arrival at Madhu Villa, Heena is met by Sonu's brother, Laalu, and their paternal uncle. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and still Sonu has not arrived. Quite unknown to Heena, Sonu has no brothers nor even any uncles. The two masquerading are actually two escaped convicts, one of who is awaiting the death sentence, and there no guarantee that Sonu may ever return to live with her.