Jami is the Gigolo King of Kalkatta. A Bihari smuggled into India from Bangladesh, he is given refuge by his uncle, a leader of the ruling Communist Party, and grows up in Zakaria Street, dreaming of becoming a pukka Kalkatta-wallah.
When friendship with a local gang leads to his dropping out of school, he ends up as assistant to a passport forger, and then as a masseur. Kalkatta opens its doors and Jami is soon drawn into the world of the rich and famous, housewives, tourists and, occasionally, high-paying and dangerous ‘parties’. His life takes a turn when he meets a young boy, Pablo, and his mother Mandira. But his love for the boy threatens to destroy everything, and even drive him away from his beloved city.