Ahimsa in Sanskrit means non-violence. A chance encounter between two widows who lost their husbands and sons to violence sets the story going. Birju (Sunil Dutt) has received the highest military honour in battle. He returns home to his village and promptly becomes an outlaw leader (dacoit). He crosses swords with a vicious dacoit called Raka. There is a slapstick comedian - Asrani who is the village priest who performs many a wedding. There is the usual mix of violence, attempted rape, forced marriage, theft, set in the 1960's when men were men and rode horses. The tangle of family break-ups, the effect on children, single parenting, narrow minded rural India are all skillfully woven into the story.

Ahimsa is a young man who is haunted by his karma, which takes the form of a mysterious red-haired man who dishes out abuse when Ahimsa runs afoul of morality.