Ram Shashtri, an upper Caste Hindu Brahmin, lives in a small village in India, but has a very large family, consisting of his wife, Savitri, five daughters and three sons. Ram performs prayers and last rite rituals for the Hindu community, and it is through these meager earnings that the entire household lives on. The eldest is a daughter by the name of Shalini, who silently falls in love with Ashok J. Rao, who is the son of the Village Mukhiya, Jagannath. As the Raos are of a much lower Caste than the Shastris, Ashok is told by his dad that he cannot marry Shalini. One day, after an argument with his dad, he leaves to join the army, and a few weeks later a telegram is received by Jagannath that Ashok is no more. As Ram is unable to get more assignments, Savitri attempts to poison the entire family, but Shalini stops her in time. She gets a job and is able to get the family to get back up on it's feet. Her brother, Gautam, wants to be a doctor, so she arranges for his studies, while ...