Dharma is the local hoodlum in a small town in India, who terrorizes everyone in the town and forces them to pay him "protection money". No police officer has dared to stand in Dharma's way, except for Inspector Dilawar, only to be subsequently subdued and publicly humiliated by Dharma. When drug dealer brothers, Gorakh and Paras, hear about Dharma, they invite him to join them, but Dharma refuses. They decide to teach him a lesson by asking Jaggu to molest his sister, Kamla, which he does, but is severely beaten by Dharma. Kamla is in love with Vijay, and Dharma permits them to get married. Then Dharma is arrested, tried in Court, convicted of assault, and the prosecution main witness is none other than Vijay. An angered Dharma escapes from police custody and brutally rapes Laxmi, Vijay's sister. After the marriage, Vijay is killed at the hands of Jaggu, who is eventually hunted down and killed by Dharma. When Dharma goes to deal with Gorakh and Paras, he is surrounded by the police, arrested, tried in court, and sentenced to prison for life. After 30 years he returns home to find that Laxmi has sired his son, Mangal, who has grown up to be another "Dharma" who is now working for Gorakh and Paras; his sister is widowed, and has a son, CBI Inspector Vikrant - who has been instructed to arrest Mangal - dead or alive.