Imlie 23 August 2022: Somewhere in a village, a baby girl is born. Midwife congratulates baby’s maternal grandmother that she got a moon-like granddaughter. Grandmother shouts she is a black dot on moon and illegitimate child is not welcomed. Family lady brings sweet/batasha. Grandmother angrily throws it saying one shouldn’t celebrate illegitimate child’s birth. Baby’s mother says her daughter doesn’t any legitimate certificate and she will be more powerful than batasha, her name will be Imlie. After a few years, grown up Imlie runs on street and drives her cycle with plantain leaves greeting all villagers to wedding venue. In city, a teacher Mansi reaches her school. Everyone greet her. Imlie reaches wedding venue and serves leaves for guests.
Groom’s father shouts that he will not have food unless its served in steel plate or will cancel this wedding. Bride’s mother cries what will happen to her daughter now. Imlie walks to him and asks if he wants to have food in steel plate. He nods yes. She asks a kid to bring steel plate, then asks to bring brass plate, then asks to bring silver plate from sarpanch’s house. He gets happy. She says asks to bring gold plate as their temple’s god idol is of gold and there is nothing purer than gold. He gets more happy. She asks panditji what is served to god. Panditji says Belpatra as nothing is purer than it. She says that is why they were serving food on leaves and asks to serve food on leaves to guests. He stands speechless. She makes him sit and asks to not serve sweet to him as she is worried for his health now.
Mansi over phone tells her mother that she is ready for marriage, but will marry only Aditya as they know each other since 7 years and understand each other, till then maa can try to find fault in Aditya.`Bride calls her to come and apply her mehandi. Imlie says she will not, else her hand will be colored and she doesn’t want to marry. Bride says its just a marriage and not diarrhea.Aditya Kumar Tripathi, a reporter, is introduced who reaches his new channel office. He gets a call that the person whom he is searching since Pagdandiya. He then walks into editor’s cabin who is busy in a meeting and sending client away says the person whom everyone is searching since 28 years is in Pagdandiya.
Editor says he needs story which can be hastagged. Aditya says but country runs on farmers and he wants to know why a farmer Satyakam became maoist. Editor permits him. He goes for shoe shopping with Mansi and picks a shoe. Mansi picks same shoe and says she knows his choice in 7 years asks him to try them. He tries shoes and says he would be spending days in jungles and dust, how will she adjust without him after marriage. She says she will accompany him wherever he goes and his love is enough for her.
Imlie’s mother who is a potter looks at doll instead of making lamps. Mother yells at her that she gave birth before marriage with illegal affair and trashing her shouts to earn money instead of wasting time on doll, she wants a shower of currency notes. Imlie showers fake currency notes on her and she gets happy, but then seeing fake notes yells at Imlie. Imlie argues with her trying to save her mother. Grandma trashes her with broom. Mother asks Imlie to go from there and slaps her. She then gets emotional and asks why she gets hurt trying to protect her and who will protect her after she gets married and leaves her. Imlie says she will not go anywhere and emotionally hugs her. Rain starts. Imlie happily jumps in rain. Aditya while traveling on a bike with Mansi stops under a shelter seeing rain and thinks who enjoys rain.
A car splashes water and he protects Mansi bearing it on him. Imlie dances on Barso Re Megha Barso…song.. She touches mehandi by mistake and reminiscing earlier incident wipes it repeatedly from her hands and runs crying.At Tripathi Bhavan, Aditya’s chachi/aunt tells Aditya’s mother she ironed Aditya’s clothes and kept it, asks mother to rest and let her work. Mother busy preparing laddoos insists to let her work. Nidhi brings face pack and insists chachi to apply it. Chachi denies. Phone rings. Mother asks her another daughter to pick call. Daughter taunts that she is busy and not free like Nidhi to apply face pack. Moher scolds her. Daughter says a daughter is a burden on mother if she is ransacked from sasural.
Imlie runs to borewell and washes her hand obsessively. Mother walks to her and stops her. She emotionally tells mother that once she gets a prize money tomorrow, she will take her to city and show her cinema, mall, etc. Mother says she doesn’t want to go to city as she had dreamt about it once with his father, but his father went to city and forgot her. She says father is ill fated to not take such a beautiful girl along. Mother reminisces dancing in front of her boyfriend in a group and falling for him. Back in city, Aditya drops Mansi and says its time to go. She asks him not to go alone and come with someone else. He says he will never betray her. Imlie’s father walks in and asks Mansi if she saw his daughter. Mansi happily hugs him calling papa.
Imlie opens her mother’s trunk and finds dolls in it. She reminisces her mother’s words that she dreamt of city and city boy, but he took all her dreams along. She then looking at her mother near borewell thinks once she gets wazeefa/scholarship money, she will take her mother to city and with her hard work will buy a 2 bedroom big house for her, which would be like a palace. Malini’s father Chaturvedi takes her and Aditya home. Malini’s mother Anu walks in yelling who was making so much noise and seeing Aditya says his bike makes lots of noise pollution and asks why don’t he use their cars. He says her cars won’t go on the path which he travels on. She says then he should change the path then.
When he calls her mummy, she warns him to wait for sometime as alliance is not yet fixed. Malini interferes and informs that Aditya was working on a story since 2 years and after getting lead he is going tomorrow to cover the story. Father asks where is he going. Malini says Pagdandiya. Father gets tensed hearing Pagdandiya. He says he is coming to Aditya’s house tomorrow to discuss alliance. Aditya leaves greeting him and Anu as Mrs. Chaturvedi. He reaches home and while packing bags informs family about his trip to Pagdandiya. Family panics hearing Pagdandiya and say its a dangerous area and they will not let him go. He says even soldier’s parents get worried when he goes on battlefield, but someone has to serve the nation. Mother says why him.
He says he can’t hide from his responsibilities. He then informs them about Malini’s parents visiting home tomorrow to talk about alliance. Father says he knows Malini’s mother’s nature and should stay here. He says he already spoke to her and cleared his views, so the need not worry. Family drama continues and he leaves.At night, Chaturvedi picks Imlie’s mother’s painting and gets emotional reminiscing she requesting him not to leave her alone, but he walking away. Imlie’s mother also cries remembering him and picks water to drink when her stepmother pulls her hair and shouts why she is enjoying water here instead of working, she should go and check where her daughter is sinning around.
Mother asks her not to speak like that, but stepmother continues yelling. They reach outside school and seeing Imlie on the other side of gate, stepmother/naani pulls her hair and starts yelling. Imlie warns her to leave her hair, but naani continues Imlie says tomorrow she will get wazifa and doesn’t want to be late for school. Naani yells that girl’s shouldn’t be out of house at night, she is characterless, ,etc. Mother insists Imlie to return home and gives her promise. Imlie helplessly returns home.
Aditya reaches Pagdandiya and meets his coordinator Janedra who says reporters usually run away hearing about Pagdandiya, but he looks to be strong willed. He takes him to a tea stall where he says he is coming tonight. Aditya asks Satyakam? People hearing that angrily ask what did he say. Janendra manages situation and taking him away says in Pagdandiya, there are 2 gods, one in sky and another Satyakam, he should wait to meet Satyakam and giving his scooty keys asks to go on sightseeing.
Imlie wakes up late and scolding Naani rushes towards school. Aditya is busy clicking pic when she clashes with him and runs away. Aditya stands amazed. Imlie reaches school and seeing teacher already teaching tries to hide, but teacher catches her and punishes her. She informs that Imlie got scholarship and made their village and whole district proud. Students clap for Imlie while emotional Imlie hugs teacher and thanks her. She says she is feeling good. Teacher says her story and opportunity are both big.
