The film is a social drama, with its plot around university professor Dr. Kumar (Ashok Kumar), who lives with his wife Padma (Bhanumati), his drunkard son Jyoti (Raaj Kumar), outgoing daughter Chitra (Tanuja) and his friend's daughter Rekha (Mala Sinha). Dr. Kumar and his wife have a different outlook towards life, with him preferring books and philosophy, while his wife Padma prefers social gatherings and society clubs. Padma never considered Jyoti her son, who works as a mill designer, a profession she considers too poor to acknowledge. Chitra is encouraged by her mother to mingle freely in high society, much to the disappointment of her worried father.