Retired schoolmaster Mussaddi Lal Tripathi (Pankaj Kapoor), the quintessential "Common Man" troubled by his wife's serious illness takes her to the hospital where the utter negligence and vested interests of the doctors result in her untimely death.
Mussaddi then along with his young unemployed, drifter son, Bunty (Gaurav Kapoor) he sets out for his pilgrimage to the four Holy sites for the immersion of his wife's ashes. In his absence, pension officers arrive at Mussaddi's house to enquire his status.
Musaddi's neighbour Gupta tells them that Mussaddi has gone far away, and the Pension Officers interpret that Mussaddi Lal has expired, and report him dead in their files. When Mussaddi returns he discovers to his utter shock that he is dead according to Government Files.