A remake of Mani Ratnam's successful Tamil film 'Nayagan', 'Dayavan' tells the real-life story of a don who lived for the poor. Shakti Velu (Vinod Khanna) runs away from his village after killing a policeman who implicates his father in a false crime. On reaching Bombay he befriends another homeless boy Shankar (Feroz Khan) who grow up in the slums only to become the messiah of the poor and needy. The remaining story narrates how Shakti becomes one of Bombay's most kindhearted don and what sacrifices he makes in the bargain.