Rupa (Zeenat Aman) grew up being cursed as "unlucky" in the village she was born in. Her mother died during childbirth. Then a kitchen accident leaves half her face disfigured. This is an artistic exploration of beauty and disfigurement, society's values and more importantly how a girl, teenager and a bride was treated during the times. Rajeev (Shashi Kapoor) the stereotype male engineer falls in love with the Rupa who has a divine singing voice, and the unscarred left cheek. When he sees the scarred cheek, after marriage, he heads off into a tizzy and continues nightly dalliance with his mistress - the beautiful cheek. Little does he realize that his wife and mistress are two faces of the same person.