Refugee

Following the Partition of India in 1947, Manzur Ahmad and his family migrate from Bihar to East Pakistan in search of safety. Decades later, after the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, they are forced to relocate again, this time toward the western part of Pakistan. This initial displacement sets up the film's central cross-border journey.

In 1971, after Bangladesh's independence, Manzur Ahmad and others are compelled to move toward the western part of Pakistan. To reach safety they must cross Indian soil, navigating a dangerous route through several Indian towns before reaching Pakistan.

The family plans a treacherous overland trek from Dhaka to Guwahati, continuing toward Delhi, Ajmer, and Bhuj before attempting entry into Pakistan. The journey requires evading border checks and relying on a moving chain of guides across unfamiliar terrain.

From Guwahati they push westward toward Delhi, hoping to pass into Ajmer and Bhuj as part of their plan. The route remains perilous, with the constant risk of pursuit by security forces.

Continuing the journey, the group travels from Delhi to Ajmer, staying under the radar as they move closer to the intended crossing. The distance and danger heighten their dependence on opaque routes and wary improvisation.

At Bhuj, near the India–Pakistan frontier, the family hits a turning point. The proximity to the border makes their plan fragile and precarious.

Drawn into Bhuj's border-zone, Refugee agrees to guide them across the Great Rann of Kutch toward Pakistan. He treats his clients with cold practicality, seeing them as luggage rather than people.

Nazneen Ahmed, Manzur's daughter, meets Refugee and a romance develops. She seeks safety and a future, asking him to take her with him rather than marry a Pakistani Rangers officer.

Police on both sides are aware of the illegal refugee traffic and regularly question Refugee and his elderly father Jan Muhammad. The scrutiny adds pressure and danger to everyone involved.

Refugee assists four men to slip into the Indian side, and they enlist his brother to help them reach Delhi. The operation underscores the scale of the refugee network and the risks of border hopping.

Shortly after, explosions erupt in trains, buses, and buildings in Delhi, signaling a terrorist attack and heightening security along the border.

Refugee travels again to visit Nazneen; she pleads to accompany him, seeking a life beyond the frontier.

As they attempt another crossing through the Rann, Refugee and Nazneen are captured by Pakistani Rangers. He is beaten and sent back to India on a camel.

The Indian BSF captures Refugee, has him treated in a hospital, and discovers that he had unknowingly aided terrorists cross into India. In a twist, he joins the BSF to fight those terrorists.

The film ends with Nazneen giving birth to Refugee's child at the border, and the Indian BSF and Pakistani Rangers casually debate the child's nationality. The moment underscores the border's absurdity and the human costs of division.