American doctor Max Lowe (Patrick Swayze) travels to Calcutta, India, to search for meaning in his life. His outlook is forever changed when he crosses paths with poverty-stricken Hasari (Om Puri) and his family and Irish clinic volunteer Joan (Pauline Collins). Fighting deplorable living conditions and the local crime boss, Max and Joan team up to provide aid to the sick and dispossessed people of Calcutta in this Roland Joffé-helmed drama.