A thief named Shyamu (Amitabh Bachchan) who has made stealing his career decides to go straight after the death of his mentor (Madan Puri). On the run from police for committing a series of robberies in the past, he ends up in a village and he comes across a poet named Deepak (also Amitabh Bachchan) and comes to his aid.

Taking advantage of the fact that Deepak is his lookalike he decides to steal his identity by killing him. He backs out of killing him however when he discovers Deepak is already dying of an illness. Deepak dies a natural death, and Shyamu decides to steal his identity. However a police inspector (Ajit Khan) becomes suspicious that Shyamu is actually alive and masquerading as the poet Deepak. Shyamu in love with stage artist and dancer, Mala Mumtaz but finds that Deepak had a love interest in Rajni (KumudChhugani), who is a women's rights activist and daughter of the same multi millionaire, Seth Harnaam Das, in whose house, he, had committed his last robbery.

He wants to retrieve the letters from Rajni, which Deepak had written to her, for fear, that the police will conduct a handwriting test on him with them, and woos Rajni. Mala is taken aback when she finds out about the man she loves.