Guide

Raju walks out of jail and re-enters civilian life as a freelance guide. The film uses flashbacks to reveal his past and his resolve to start anew. He faces social stigma while seeking steady work and dignity.

A wealthy aging archaeologist named Marco arrives in the city with his young wife Rosie and hires Raju as his guide. Raju senses the tension between Rosie’s charm and her hidden pain. Marco remains focused on research, largely ignoring Rosie’s desires.

During the tour of the newly discovered cave, Raju notices Rosie’s grace and resilience and learns about her background as the daughter of a courtesan. Rosie has earned respect through marriage, but at a cost: she must give up dancing. Marco’s attention stays fixed on the cave and the science of discovery.

Rosie tries to poison herself as a desperate plea, but she survives. Marco returns from the caves to confront Rosie and accuses her of staging the act, calling it drama. This crisis strains their already fragile marriage.

Rosie learns that Marco has spent time with a native tribal girl, undermining their marriage. She leaves the caves and contemplates ending her life again. Raju calms her and urges her to live for her own dreams.

Rosie is labeled a prostitute by Raju’s community, a stigma tied to classical dance. Raju’s mother rejects Rosie, and his friend and driver desert him. He also faces the loss of his business as the town turns against him.

Despite the backlash, Raju helps Rosie pursue singing and dancing, and she rises to fame. In response, Raju succumbs to gambling and drinking, letting his own life unravel. Marco resurfaces, seeking to reclaim Rosie.

Marco sends an agent to release jewelry from a safe deposit box, hoping to reconnect with Rosie. Raju, in a moment of jealous protection, forges Rosie’s signature to block the release. This act binds him to a crime he doesn’t fully understand.

Rosie and Raju drift apart as she tortures him with emotional distance and demands. She recalls Marco’s claim that a man should not live on a woman’s earnings, while Raju defends that her success is built on his support. The emotional breach deepens and trust frays.

Raju is tried and convicted for forgery, receiving a two-year sentence. He endures prison time; the punishment weighs heavily on him as Rosie’s fate and his own feelings intertwine. Rosie struggles to understand why he forgave Marco’s intrusion into her life.

On the day of his supposed release, he is told that he was released six months earlier due to good behavior. His mother and Rosie come to pick him up, only to learn this twist. He wanders again, filled with a sense of loss and aimlessness.

After wandering, a farmer mistakes him for a holy man and the village embraces him as Swami Ji. He begins offering guidance to farmers and becomes a local figure of respect. His speaking of humility marks a turning point in his self-view.

A drought and famine strike the region, and the villagers urge him to fast for 12 days to end the drought. He reluctantly begins the fast, despite not believing it will bring rain. His devotion broadens his fame as thousands seek blessings from him.

Rosie, his mother, and friends come to witness the fast and the ceremony. Bhola initially blocks others from entering the temple due to religious tension, but Raju declares that humanity is his true religion. The moment hints at possible reconciliation and closure.

Amidst thunder and a heavy downpour, Raju’s body dies, but his soul seems to endure. The crowd rejoices in the life he led, while Rosie and others grieve for the man who helped her realize her dream. The scene reinforces a spiritual message about the immortality of the soul.