Ramaiya (Rajesh Khanna) lives with his family in a small Indian town, which is also home to his love, Geeta (Asha Parekh). Ramaiya's father is a mill worker who encouraged his son to get an education. But when hard times hit, Ramaiya is unable to find a suitable job. Instead, he finds employment at the mill, from which his father was recently fired. Ramaiya is elected union leader by his frustrated co-workers, which puts him at odds with management, leading to an elaborate murder plot.