In a little village in pre-Independence Gujarat, Lali grows up amidst a loving family, neighbours, and friends, their daily lives marked by devotion to the village deity, weddings and festivals, and occasionally punctuated by the visits of a Bahuroopi, a street performer skilled in the art of disguise. When Lali gets married and moves to Bombay, she finds herself up against her formidable mother-in-law, Jamna, who is still steeped in the social mores of her generation. The Bahuroopi appears to hold the key to resolving Lali’s problems – but will his ploys and disguises work? Is everyone’s role set by destiny, or can it be changed? And how far will the Bahuroopi go to alleviate Lali’s distress?