Shankar (Shahrukh Khan) is a mute man, raised by the powerful Raja Saab (Amrish Puri) who treats him like a slave. The elderly Raja Saab wants to marry Gauri (Madhuri Dixit), a vivacious young girl. Gauri however wants to see a picture of her future husband first and Raja Saab sends her one of Shankar's photographs. Gauri falls instantly in love with him. Gauri accepts the proposal. However, to her horror, she realises she is married to Shankar only on paper, and now must spend the rest of her life with Raja Saabb. She refuses to accept the marriage. When her brother Ashok comes to save her, Raja Saab kills him. But before his death, Ashok pleads with Shankar to save his sister. Shankar and Gauri flee thereafter. After a chase through the woods, Raja Saab's men manage to capture the couple. Shankar gets almost mortally wounded, while Gauri is sold to a brothel. A mysterious healer, however, saves Shankar and operates on his throat. Shankar regains his voice and manages to save Gauri. Very soon he realises that when he was a young boy, it was Raja Saab who came to his village one day and killed his parents. Shankar now sets out to avenge his parent's death.