Saawariya - Plot

Plot

The story is narrated by Gulabji (Rani Mukerji), a prostitute who frequents RK Bar (the town's most luxurious club). She introduces the audience to the bar's lead singer, Ranbir Raj (Ranbir Kapoor) whom she lovingly calls "Saawariya" (or loved one), who is a free-spirited and kind-hearted guy with no worries at all. One night, while sleeping on the street, he and Gulabji meet. Despite knowing what Gulabji does, Raj still treats her in a friendly manner and, unlike other men, is kind to the other prostitutes and tries to brighten their sad lives. When he tells Gulabji that he needs somewhere to stay and a job for a living, she tells him that there is only one woman who'll give him a place to stay. That woman is Lilian (Zohra Sehgal) - but she allows only those she likes. Raj decides to meet her the next morning.

Raj meets Lilian, and they have a very emotional chat, during which Lillian reveals she had a son who left her many years ago and never returned. After being overwhelmed by the sheer genuineness of Raj, she agrees to let him stay with her because he reminds her of her long lost son. Raj goes out for a walk in the night and meets a mysterious girl dressed in black and holding an umbrella. He tries to talk to her and starts following her, but under the wrong impression, she shouts at Raj and tells him to go away. Raj tells her that he will go away, but on the condition that he'd escort her to safety, lest someone with bad intentions would follow and trouble her. Then, as predicted by Raj, a drunkard begins following her and Raj saves her from him. Raj insists she allow him to escort her to her home, to which she agrees. Raj then discovers that her name is Sakina (Sonam Kapoor), and that night Raj falls in love with her.

After thinking about her all night, Raj decides to confess about his feelings to Sakina. When he calls to her the next night after resigning from his job so he can see her, Sakina ignores him and refuses to speak to him. Raj gets angry with her but the pair reconcile. He takes her to his favorite place, on the top of town clock building. In front of a picturesque scene of the blue moon and a train arriving on the horizon, Sakina reveals that she is in love with someone: his name is Imaan (Salman Khan), and explains to Raj how she fell in love with him when he boarded at her house. Imaan left the house but promised to return on Eid for Sakina. It has been a while and Imaan has still not returned for her, though she has been waiting for him faithfully. Hearing this, Raj does not confess about his feelings and becomes heart-broken.

Although Raj now knows that Sakina doesn’t love him and her friendship was not love but just pure friendship, he readies himself to help her anyhow. However, his love-lorn heart refuses to believe that there is someone called Imaan. He asks Gulabji for advice, who advises him to tell Sakina how he feels. With the entire neighborhood cheering him on, he decides to propose to Sakina on the night of Eid. He takes Sakina to RK Bar and sings his favorite song for her. Sakina remembers that it’s time to meet Imaan at the bridge and leaves. Following her, Raj tells her that he has discovered that there is no Imaan and it's all a myth; upon hearing this, Sakina hurts Raj, telling him to let her go. Raj goes to Gulabji, saying he wants to be with her for the night (referring to her profession), insulting her. Gulabji, who loves Raj but knows that he loves Sakina, gets deeply hurt by this and gets Raj thrown out of the brothel onto the street, where he is beaten up by a few of Gulabji's hench men. She tells one of her colleagues that even though she loves Raj, this is not the way she intends to love him and if he gets entangled in the world of prostitutes, he will forever lose his pure soul.

He returns to the place where Sakina is waiting, where Imaan has still not arrived. Sakina, befuddled and heart-broken, becomes sure that there is no chance of Imaan coming back, so she decides to be with Raj, as she knows how much he loves her. Raj tries to make Sakina happy and succeeds; they enjoy the first snowfall. When they are returning home, they pass the bridge where they first met and see Imaan waiting for Sakina. Torn between the two: her true love and the love of the guy who loves her unconditionally, Sakina hesitates as she steps toward Imaan. Raj, however, tells her to go and reunite with Imaan.

The movie ends as a tribute to yesteryear great Raj Kapoor, where Raj walks and sings exactly like him from Shree 420, retreating into a side street and walks off, remembering the sweet moments he spent with Sakina.