Aarakshan is the tale of Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan), the renowned naive principal of a college that he has alone converted into the state\'s finest. It is the tale of his faithful student, Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali Khan) who would do everything for his teacher. Of Deepak\'s love for the daughter of Prabhakar, Poorbi (Deepika Padukone), of his friendship with Sushant (Prateik). It is the romantic tale of their love, their vigorous friendship, their enthusiasm for life, and of their ambitions for the future.
 
Centred on one of the largely hot topics of current years, with the Supreme Court's command on reservations, the tale unexpectedly turns out to be a rollercoaster ride of elevated drama, clash, and revolt, which checks their love and friendship for each other, and their devotion to Prabhakar Anand.