Set in colonial India in the year 1856, this satirical film traces the fate of Awadh, one of the last independent kingdoms of India ruled by Wajid Ali Shah (Amjad Khan) and his team of disinterested governors. While the ruler secludes himself in his palace and indulges in poetry, music and other creative endeavours, his kingdom deals with mounting political pressure. Two noblemen in his court, Mir (Saeed Jaffrey) and Mirza (Sanjeev Kumar) go a step further and devote themselves to endless rounds of chess as the British proceed to annex the kingdom and oust its ruler.