A journey through the life of an aged Bengali poet, Shashibhushan. Shashbhushan, now blind, reflects on his past. Stimulated by sounds - songs, crows, traffic, and an electronic lighter - he recalls the now-vanished arts and literature scene of post independence Calcutta. The old man lives in a crumbling aristocratic mansion in the heart of town, which he shares with his teacher's daughter, Sarama, and her young son Shumon. During a vacation in the country another man enters their lives. Gangan was born blind and is a talented singer. Gangan and Sarama engage in a secret affair as Shashibhushan recalls his own wife, who he lost because of his uncontrollable sexual appetite.
When a middle-aged divorcee returns to Kolkata to visit his ailing father, long-buried memories resurface, bringing new discoveries with them.
In this Indian drama a young man must cope with a job he is not really suited for. Lakhinder captures exotic birds from the Bengal forests. He is to sell them in Calcutta. Unfortunately he cannot bear to see them caged and always sets them free. He does not earn a lot of money as a result. His wife is angry at him, and begins having an affair with the man who takes the birds to the market. Lakhinder's partner's daughter understands his relationship to the birds. They come to visit him in his lonely hut.