Begum Jaan (Vidya Balan), owner of the brothel is a fierce and stubborn woman who is concerned with only one thing and that is 'dhanda'. Although, she is a strong woman but also has a softer streak for her girls and is like a strict guardian for them.

On morning Begum Jaan and her girls are informed about the partition of the country that the freedom has brought along. Two officers INC leader Hariprasad (Ashish Vidyarthi) and Muslim league leader, Illyas (Rajit Kapoor) from India and Pakistan respectively, visit Begum Jaan's brothel to notify them that due to the partition by British officer Cyril Radcliffe, the brothel will face a division one part of which will go into Hindustan and the other in Pakistan. Now, the girls and Begum Jaan who refuse to leave their brothel are faced with hell thereafter.