Raanjha, a handsome, carefree young man Raaj Kumar, is the local Romeo of the village Takht Hazara. He shares a large house with his seven wealthy elder brothers and their families, living amid a sense of swagger and ease. He plans to travel to the village of Jhang for the wedding of a close friend, but his family cautions him that Takht Hazara and Jhang have been fierce enemies for generations. Undeterred, he sets off toward the ceremony, driven by a impulse that feels as vast as the river that runs between the two towns.
During the wedding festivities, he crosses paths with Heer Priya Rajvansh, the daughter of a landlord from Jhang. He is immediately drawn to her beauty and grace, and a spark of attraction ignites between them. While playing hide-and-seek with her friends, Heer accidentally catches hold of Raanjha, and he openly confesses his desire to know her better. She learns that he hails from the rival village, and fear for his safety makes her plead for him to leave. Yet he refuses to go, promising to stay as long as the Chenab River flows. Moved by his steadfastness, Heer persuades her parents to hire him as their cowherd, a decision made in ignorance of her deeper feelings. She begins bringing him meals, and a quiet, growing friendship takes root. He confesses his love, and she struggles to respond; when she finally does, a gentle song reveals to him that her heart echoes his.
Raanjha’s happiness deepens as Heer’s mother and friends come to seek her, and Heer, in a moment of danger, nearly drowns while trying to elude their pursuit. Raanjha risks his life to pull her back from the river’s edge, and Bade Choudhary rewards him with a substantial sum that enables him to buy new clothes, jewelry, and gifts to woo her. Their secret meetings continue, coordinated by loyal friends who help them steal moments of tenderness amid the feud.
Trouble arrives in the form of Chote Choudhury, Heer’s jealous uncle, who has long harbored resentment and a hunger for control. He spies Heer and Raanjha embracing and channels that jealousy into a plot to drive them apart. Allying with Heer's mother Veena, he moves to trap the couple and secure Heer’s future with a wealthy suitor named Saida. Bade Choudhary, sensing the brewing storm, frees Raanjha and urges a peaceful resolution between the families, even inviting them to try to reconcile. But Chote Choudhury’s machinations intensify; he hires men to insult and drive Raanjha’s family out of the village, inflaming old wounds and widening the breach between the communities. The elder men of Jhang pressure Bade Choudhary to marry Heer off to Saida, painting Heer as a disruptive example; Bade Choudhary, weighed down by tradition, reluctantly agrees to the match.
On the wedding day, a Kazi accepts a bribe from Chote Choudhury and falsely declares that Heer has accepted Saida’s proposal. Heer is forcibly carried to Saida’s house, while Raanjha, furious at the betrayal, confronts Heer’s father and accuses him of breaking his promise. In that moment, the true instigator behind the plot—Chote Choudhury—becomes clear to both men. In Saida’s house, Heer asserts that the marriage is invalid because she never consented; Saida refuses to listen and tries to coerce her. She resists, reaffirming her love for Raanjha. Saida’s younger sister helps Heer, who remains in Saida’s home as a servant for weeks.
Weeks later, a wandering Raanjha travels into Saida’s village, unaware that Heer is nearby. In a disguise, he finds her and their bond is rekindled. That night, she escapes and reunites with him, but Saida’s men soon catch up and drag them to his home. They are saved at the last moment by soldiers of the king who happen to be passing by and take the lovers to the sovereign to seek justice. The king hears their case and, aided by the testimony of a mute tailor who reveals the bribery plot, rules in favor of Heer and Raanjha.
The two families come together to celebrate a grand wedding, and Raanjha carries Heer home in a palanquin. Yet tragedy shadows the reunion: Heer is found dead, a delicacy poisoned by Chote Choudhury. Grief-stricken, Raanjha dies beside her, and the entire community mourns the loss of the two lovers who dared to choose love over enmity. The village, split by old feuds, is left to reflect on the cost of hatred and the enduring power of love that could not be kept safe from scheming hands.
