Set in the early 20th century, India is still under British rule, where a fearless figure, Raja Azad Singh, Dara Singh, thwarts British soldiers from plundering an Indian fort and recovers the stolen jewels. His wife, Rani Durga Nirupa Roy, gives birth to a son, Raju Amitabh Bachchan, and Raja marks him with the word mard (man), a bold symbol of strength and bravery. A sympathetic Englishwoman, Lady Helena, witnesses the soldiers’ atrocities, nudging the authorities to reprimand the wrongdoing.
The story widens as English officers General Dyer Kamal Kapoor and Inspector Simon Bob Christo, joined by the local doctor Harry Prem Chopra, hatch a plan to capture Raja. Harry sedates Raja, leading to his capture and imprisonment, while Rani Durga escapes but is shot in the escape. Their horse tragically delivers baby Raju to a distant orphanage. A blacksmith’s wife bravely adopts the infant, and Rani Durga’s fate leaves her unable to speak, working thereafter as a washerwoman. In a bitter twist of allegiance, Harry is later appointed mayor in reward for his betrayal.
As years pass, Raju grows into a strong, capable young man who earns a living as a tanga driver. He crosses paths with Ruby Amrita Singh, Harry’s headstrong daughter, and their initially rocky encounter eventually blossoms into love. Meanwhile, Harry and General Dyer move to wipe out a precarious slum, but Raju mobilizes the residents to resist. Lady Helena intervenes to halt the demolition and even secures Raju’s release from arrest, while Harry’s attempts to bribe or destroy him repeatedly fail.
Danny Dan Dhanoa, General Dyer’s son, becomes a shadowy figure behind blood camps, slave labor, and the continued imprisonment of Raja Azad Singh. Raju learns his true lineage and makes a bold plan to rescue his father. The conflict intensifies when Danny captures and kills Raju’s adoptive parents, pushing Raju to retaliate by assaulting the camp. Danny ensnares Raju again, staging a brutal gladiatorial challenge between father and son, forcing them to confront each other behind the bars of captivity.
During the confrontation, father and son recognize one another and unite against their shared captors. In the climactic battle, Raju and Raja Azad Singh rout the villains, freeing Lady Helena and Rani Durga, and deal a decisive blow to Harry, Danny, and their crooked allies. The film closes on a hopeful note, with Raju and Ruby reuniting with his parents, signaling the dawn of a burgeoning independence movement in India.
