Plot

Kabhi Kabhie is a movie about the love story of generations and how a chain of events brings together old lovers as friends.

Kabhi Kabhie is the story of a poet Amit (Amitabh Bachchan) and the beautiful Pooja (Rakhee). It is the story of how these two visualize a perfect future together. But destiny has other plans, as Pooja bows to the wishes of her parents and marries Vijay (Shashi Kapoor). Amit drifts away from his poetry in a futile and unsuccessful attempt to forget Pooja he marries Anjali (Waheeda Rehman). But just how picture perfect are Amit and Pooja's lives? Some 20 years on... spanning over to the next generation, Pooja and Vijay's son Vicky (Rishi Kapoor) and Anjali's daughter Pinky (Neetu Singh) from a prior relationship, fall in love. A chain of events brings together old lovers as friends. Kabhi Kabhie is a love story of generations.—Official Source

Amit Malhotra (Amitabh Bachchan) recites one of his Urdu poems at a college/university where he meets fellow student Pooja (Raakhee), and they fall in love. But Pooja's parents arrange for her to marry an architect, Vijay Khanna (Shashi Kapoor). Pooja asks Amit to promise her that he will also get married and settle down in life. And to continue poetry. In a twist of fate, Vijay gifts Pooja Amit's first poem's book as a wedding gift. Vijay is a big fan of Amit.

A heartbroken Amit returns home, gives up poetry and joins his father's business-a construction company. He later marries Anjali (Waheeda Rehman). Years pass away. Amit and Anjali have a daughter, Sweety (Naseem). Anjali secretly had a daughter named Pinky (Neetu Singh) from a premarital relationship. Pinky was adopted by childless couple Dr. (Parikshit Sahni) and Mrs. R.P. Kapoor (Simi Garewal) (Shobha). Dr Kapoor is the family physician to Vijay & his family.

Spanning over to the next generation, Pooja and Vijay have a son, Vikram (Rishi Kapoor), also known as "Vicky". Vicky falls in love with Pinky while they are at a college party, and the two plan to get married. Pooja hosts a TV show where she introduces Amit as a famous Poet to the TV audience. This is the first time Amit and Pooja met in so many yrs. Vijay, being a fan of Amit, invites him to his home for a drink. Amit leaves after Vijay talks too much about the old days...

Pinky returns home from college and tells Shobha about her love with Vicky. Meanwhile Vicky also tells Vijay about how he loves Pinky, who is Dr Kapoor's daughter. Vijay is overjoyed. Dr Kapoor tries to convince Shobha to reveal the truth about Pinky's origin to her, but Shobha is against it. Dr Kapoor tells Vijay that Pinky is adopted and Vijay simply laughs it off. Pooja convinces Shobha to reveal the truth to Pinky. When Pinky learns of her adoption and the identity of her real mother, she tries to get close to Anjali. Anjali is shocked to see Pinky at her doorstep and cant admit to Amit that Pinky is her daughter, so she introduces Pinky as her niece. Anjali gives her a room to stay in the house. Sweety and Pinky become good friends. But Anjali shows her bias and affection towards Pinky (offers Sweety's chair at the dinner table, and serves her food with her own hands), which irritates Sweety. Meanwhile Pinky is anguished that Anjali wont let her call mom. Anjali fears for her marriage with Amit and doesn't want to reveal the truth to him.

This is when Vicky arrives to support Pinky emotionally. Pinky is angry and tells Vicky to maintain his distance from her. Vicky gets his friendship going with Sweety to get into her house, so he can continue to meet Pinky. Sweety begs Amit to give a job to Amit in his company, so he can sustain himself while living in the town. Ram Bajaj (Deven Verma) is Amit's construction site supervisor. Pinky starts working as Amit's secretary and Vicky is given a job as a trolley operator. Meanwhile Sweety falls in love with Vicky and invites him for dinner. The theme repeats that Anjali showers her love on Pinky and this angers Sweety.

That night Amit warns Anjali that she is neglecting Sweety. Meanwhile Vicky gets more and more close to Sweety and even kisses her. Pinky sees this and is distraught. Anjali wants to marry Vicky and Sweety and asks for Pinky's opinion. Amit also finds that Sweety is smitten with Vicky and agrees with Anjali's proposal. He gives his consent. Pinky confronts Vicky and tells him not to play with Sweety's life and nor to betray Amit & Anjali's trust in him. Anjali finds Pinky meeting Vicky and confronts her. Pinky admits that she and Vicky are engaged. Anjali understands the situation and tries to convince Amit that Vicky should be married to Pinky and not Sweety. Amit is enraged as Sweety loves Vicky. He wants to know why Anjali is batting for Pinky. Anjali admits that Pinky is her daughter. Her dad was a test pilot for the IAF. Anjali was engaged to him when he died and she was pregnant. Amit is not willing to forgive Anjali's past.

The architect on Amit's site turns out to be Vijay, who comes by for a visit. Amit is thrilled to know Pooja also came with him and invites them both for dinner at their house. When Amit comes to pick Vijay and Pooja, he spends a few moments alone with Pooja. Pooja tells Amit that she realizes that Amit never forgave or forgot her. Vijay overhears this conversation. On the drive over Vijay finds out that Pooja and Amit studied together and that Amit had written his poems in that period. At home, after a drink, Vijay tells Amit that a man degrades himself by thinking about past affairs of a woman who bore his kids and spent 20 yrs of her life with him. In a way, he accepts Pooja, and shows Amit that he is being unreasonable towards Anjali. Amit admits his love for Pooja, which hurts Anjali. After Pooja and Vijay leave, Amit refuses to forgive Anjali for her past. Anjali asks for a divorce. Meanwhile Sweety sees Vicky and Pinky together and starts throwing a tantrum. Amit slaps her, taking her frustration with Anjali out on her. Sweety decides to commit suicide by running into the dynamites laid down for blasting at Amit's site. Vicky goes after Sweety, while Amit, Vijay and Pinky follow. Vijay saves Pinky while Amit saves Vicky and Sweety. Amit realizes that he loves Pinky and stops Anjali from leaving the house.