Bhrastachar tells the story of a disparate group of characters whose lives overlap- Bhavani, a journalist fighting injustice and corruption; Janki a widow who becomes the mistress of local hoodlum Fatte to save her blind daughter; Inspector Ashutosh, to whom Bhavani entrusts Janki's safety and who maintains that even the police can take no action against Fatte, because politicians need hoodlums to remain in power; Purushottam, Fatte's political godfather who tries to win votes by promising the people a fair and an ideal government and Sattar, who, although himself a Don of the underworld, is not a vicious and depraved person like Purushottam and tries to help Bhavani.