Dhadkan revolves around Ram (Akshay Kumar), Anjali (Shilpa Shetty), and Dev (Sunil Shetty). Anjali is the daughter of a rich business tycoon Mr. Sehgal (Kiran Kumar). She is in love with Dev, a poor young man who is plagued by his illegitimacy. Dev's thirst for love makes it his life's ambition to marry Anjali. But unfortunately for them, Anjali's parents do not approve of the match and emotionally blackmail her into marrying a man of their choice. Anjali agrees with a guilty heart. This is when Ram comes into Anjali's life, a man of principals. Their marriage leads to a disastrous start when she refuses to acknowledge him as her husband. Despite this she is soon drawn into the intrigue surrounding Ram's family consisting of his stepmother (Sushma Seth), stepsister (Manjeet Kular) and stepbrother (Parmeet Sethi). Ram treats Anjali's tantrums with utmost patience and respects her privacy. Anjali overcomes her memories of Dev as she gradually discovers the goodness and dignity of her husband's nature and is swept off her feet by Ram's love. Anjali's marital happiness is shattered when Dev re-enters her life with a vengeance and starts the destruction of all that she now holds dear. She is torn between her duties to her husband, and the chance of reuniting with her past love. How Anjali finally decides the course of her destiny and its repercussions forms the climax of the film Dhadkan.