Raincoat

Raincoat

Year: 2004

Runtime: 120 mins

Language: Hindi

Director: Rituparno Ghosh

DramaRomance

An afternoon reunion proves more profound than a lifetime, as two former lovers, once torn apart by fate, cross paths again. Their unexpected meeting forces each to confront the reality of their current lives, revealing hidden truths and the lingering weight of past choices.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Raincoat yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Raincoat (2004)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Raincoat (2004). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Bhagalpur, Calcutta

Manoj lives in Bhagalpur, a modest town where money is scarce. He travels to the city of Calcutta in a relentless downpour to seek financial help, exposing the contrast between his rural origins and urban pressures. The rainy urban setting underscores the story’s tension between appearance and reality as Manoj navigates wealth, debt, and deception.

🏙️ City life 💸 Poverty 🌧️ Rain

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:10

Main Characters – Raincoat (2004)

Meet the key characters of Raincoat (2004), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Manu (Ajay Devgn)

A countryman with very little money who travels to the city in search of funds to start a business. He spins a careful web of lies about his wealth while relying on friends for leads, yet remains emotionally vulnerable. His encounter with Neerja reawakens memories of a past love, and his desperation leads to both manipulation and tender concern for others. By the end, he loses the money he had collected and is faced with a choice between deceit and honesty.

💼 Desperation 🧭 Calculating 🫶 Vulnerable

Neerja 'Neeru' (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan)

A woman whose home appears secure and luxurious but is revealed to be financially precarious. She is paranoid about burglars and wary of outsiders, yet she shows warmth toward Manu and offers help in a moment of vulnerability. Her past and present choices shape the emotional undercurrents of the story, culminating in a gesture of support that alters Manoj’s path.

💞 Love 🛡️ Protection 🔒 Suspicion

Alok (Sameer Dharmadhikari)

A TV serial producer who has grown wealthy and uses his resources to aid Manoj, including giving him an address book and a phone. He embodies urban success and practicality, yet his wealth also comes with a pragmatic, sometimes detached view of others’ struggles. His involvement underscores the theme of appearances versus reality in the pursuit of money.

💼 Wealth 🧠 Strategy

Sheela (Mouli Ganguly)

Manu’s friend’s wife who provides practical support, including giving Manoj a raincoat and a phone. She is grounded and caring, offering help in a moment of need, while also navigating the complexities of loyalty, friendship, and the pressures of a difficult situation. She acts as a stabilizing presence in the immediate crisis.

🤝 Support 🧭 Practical

Landlord (Annu Kapoor)

The house owner who is revealed as a conman exploiting the vulnerable. He exposes the truth about Neerja’s financial circumstances and the precariousness of her home, catalyzing Manoj’s decision to intervene. His entrance shifts the story from personal desperation to a moral reckoning about deceit and responsibility.

💸 Debt 🕵️ Manipulation

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:10

Major Themes – Raincoat (2004)

Explore the central themes of Raincoat (2004), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💸 Poverty & Desperation

Desperation drives Manoj to attempt to secure funds through friends and allies, highlighting how financial strain can push people toward risky, morally gray decisions. The pursuit of money becomes a central engine for action and conflict throughout the story. The rainy, urban backdrop amplifies the precariousness of Manoj’s position and choices.

🎭 Illusion vs Reality

The film juxtaposes outward appearances of wealth with hidden debts and eviction threats, revealing how characters project status to mask vulnerability. Manoj’s lie about his fortunes and Neerja’s seemingly luxurious life are peeled back by the landlord’s revelation. Objects like the raincoat and jewelry become symbols that blur truth and illusion.

💞 Love & Memory

Manoj’s long-ago romance with Neerja resurfaces, shaping his emotional decisions and adding a layer of longing to his desperation. The memory of happier times clashes with current hardship, influencing how he treats Neerja and whether he clings to past affection or faces present reality. The ending ties material help to a deeper emotional connection.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:10

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Poignant reunion dramas like Raincoat

Stories where a single encounter with the past reshapes the present.Find movies like Raincoat that explore the bittersweet nature of reunions. If you enjoyed the quiet, dialogue-driven encounter between former lovers revealing hidden truths, you'll appreciate these similarly intimate and emotionally resonant stories.

nostalgicintimatereflectivemelancholicquietsomberatmospheric

Narrative Summary

These narratives often unfold in a contained time and place, focusing on a pivotal meeting that forces characters to confront their past choices and present realities. The story is driven by revelation, memory, and the poignant gap between what was and what is.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a focus on a central, emotionally charged reunion. They create a similar intimate, reflective mood through slow pacing, atmospheric settings, and a narrative that prioritizes emotional revelation over complex plotting.

Movies with urban melancholy like Raincoat

Character studies set against the backdrop of rain-soaked cities and quiet struggle.Discover films with a similar feel to Raincoat, capturing a mood of quiet melancholy and urban alienation. These stories often feature characters navigating financial struggles and emotional isolation within a realistically portrayed city setting.

melancholicrainyoppressiveurbanalienationsomberquietrealistic

Narrative Summary

These stories follow characters grappling with financial precarity, societal pressures, and a sense of alienation within a city. The plot is often straightforward, prioritizing emotional realism and character depth over complex twists, leading to conclusions that are honest and bittersweet.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by their shared atmosphere of urban melancholy, a focus on class disparity and quiet struggle, and a somber, reflective tone. The setting is integral to the mood, often featuring rain or overcast visuals that mirror the characters' inner states.

Unlock the Full Story of Raincoat

Don't stop at just watching — explore Raincoat in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Raincoat is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Raincoat Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Raincoat, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Raincoat Summary

Raincoat Timeline

Track the full timeline of Raincoat with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Raincoat Timeline

Raincoat Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Raincoat that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Raincoat Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Raincoat

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Raincoat: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Raincoat