Plot

The movie tells the story of Raj Malhotra (Amitabh Bachchan), his wife Pooja (Hema Malini) and their four sons Ajay (Aman Verma), Sanjay (Samir Soni), Rohit (Saahil Chadda), and Karan (Nasir Khan). Raj and Pooja have been married for 40 years and very much in love even after all this time. Raj and Pooja have provided their children with everything they wanted, often at the cost of Raj and Pooja's own requirements. The Malhotras also have an adopted son Alok (Salman Khan), who is in love with Arpita (Mahima Chaudhry).

Ram Avtaar (Sharat Saxena) & Bedi (Govardhan Asrani) are Raj's friends. Raj lived in a mansion rented to him by Ram Avtaar. Ajay is married to Kiran (Suman Ranganath) and has a daughter Payal (Rimi Sen) and son Rahul (Yash Gawli). Sanjay is married to Reena (Divya Dutta), and Rohit is married to Priya (Arzoo Govitrikar).

Raj has supported Sanjay with Rs 50,000 to buy a new car. Till the times were good, the kids visited Raj frequently and gave the impression of a large and happy family. Raj uses all of his life's savings to support his family and their needs.

Alok was an orphan, and Raj had provided him with money and education, bringing him up as his own son. Now a successful man with a job outside India, Alok worships Raj because of all his help and thinks him as his own father which he never had. Alok plans to relocate to India in a few months. Alok falls in love with Arpita and Raj & Pooja give their permission for them to get married.

Raj has a flourishing job at a private bank, but once he retires, he is no longer able to support himself and has to vacate the house he and Pooja have shared for years. They decide to live with their kids to get their love and affection. Raj calls his family to his home to discuss the matter. The sons arrive believing that Raj would have received the gratuity and provident fund money, and they wanted to get a share of the same. But Raj and Pooja reveal that they have no savings as everything they had was used in helping in the upbringing of their kids. Raj tells his sons that now he and Pooja want to spend time with the kids by living with them in their houses by rotation.

However, their kids do not want them, as they think looking after their parents will be a hassle. The children decide to split the parents up, each parent going to live with one of the sons for the next 6 months. They think that their parents will refuse the offer and remain in their home. However, Raj and Pooja reluctantly accept the offer. As the sons leave, Raj and Pooja go with them after saying a tearful goodbye to each other.

The aged parents endure this separation as well as horrible treatment from their children after all they have sacrificed for them during their lifetime. Raj stays first with Sanjay, and then with Rohit. Pooja stays first with Ajay, and then with Karan.

For Raj the shock starts when he is expected to pick his own luggage. Reena has her own job and a social life and cannot be bothered about taking care of Raj. Sanjay also gives no importance to Raj and is least interested in spending any time with him. While he is living with Sanjay, the only affection Raj receives is from his grandson Rahul. Raj is not even allowed to call Pooja. He is only able to call Pooja from a public telephone booth.

During his morning walk, Raj meets Hemant and his wife Shanti (Lillete Dubey). Hemant runs a music cafe in the neighborhood.

Saddened by the treatment he has received from his children and their families, Raj writes down all his feelings regarding how he fulfilled all his children's dreams and in return how they treat him, as well as his love for his wife, and how much pain their separation has caused, his writing eventually becoming a novel.

Kiran asks Pooja to share the room with Payal, but she refuses. So, Pooja is asked to stay in the servant's room. Due to this, the servant leaves her job and Kiran asks Pooja to take up the housework. Pooja is abused by Ajay, her daughter-in-law Kiran, and her granddaughter Payal. Payal, however, repents when Pooja saves her from being sexually assaulted by her boyfriend and showers Pooja with love.

Changing trains after six months, Pooja and Raj spend time together in Vijaynagar. Raj and Pooja suddenly meet Alok, who takes them to his home and gives them the importance and care which their real sons did not give them.

Raj learns that his writings have been published as Baghban, named after Hemant (Paresh Rawal), a cafe owner whom he befriended, along with two teenagers Kapil (Nakul Vaid) and Nilli (Sanjeeda Sheikh), during his stay with Sanjay. It was Kapil's father Mr Verma (Anang Desai) who published the novel. This book becomes a big hit, selling the first copies immediately. Raj, as a result, gains the money he needs to support himself and Pooja in their old age.

Knowing that their parents are earning more than them due to the launch success of the novel, the four sons and their wives plan to go to their book ceremony event for forgiveness. However, they hold an ulterior motive: to get a hold of their parents' money. Everyone goes except Rahul and Payal because of the pain their grandparents went through and that the four sons are only going there just for their money not forgiveness.

Raj is honored for his work, and the four sons attend with their wives. When they ask Raj to forgive them, he refuses and instead disowns them. Not even Pooja will forgive her children for the pain they have put them through.

Raj stays with Pooja in their home, near Alok and Arpita, and enjoy the company of their grandchildren, Rahul and Payal, while disowning their sons and daughters-in-law.