Prafulla Roy

Living an indolent life in a luxurious palace, Prince Gautama (Rai) is insulated by his family from the harshness of the world outside. But he is destined to learn greater truths: shocked to discover the pain and suffering of so many in his kingdom, he abandons his privileged existence, and his wife Gopa (Seeta Devi), to become a wandering teacher, eventually finding enlightenment and founding Buddhism. Featuring superimposed images and deep-focus shots that were highly impressive for the time, Light of Asia astutely combines a deeply felt spirituality with the surefire attraction of Indian exotica, which helped make it a considerable success in Europe.

The film deals with the personal crisis of two different women from two different backgrounds who battle it out and they lend each other's shoulder to cry on. They also are able to come out of their 'cages' at the end.

Navendhu Kumar lives a poor lifestyle with his handicapped father, Mohan, housewife mom, two unmarried sisters, Leela and Rajni, a younger brother, Kundan, and a sweetheart in Meena. He works for Avinash Gupta, however, when differences occur, he is framed by Gupta for breaking and entering, arrested by the police, tried in Court, and exiled from the town for a period of 12 months. After he leaves, the family is almost destitute and are exploited by Gupta. Then some months later, a young man, Anand, comes to visit them, informing them that Navendhu has sent him. He gives them some money for day to day expenses, gets some clothes for everyone, and a wheelchair for Mohan. He arranges the marriage of Rajni with her boyfriend, Ajay, despite strong opposition from Gupta, and falls in love with Leela. What the Kumar family do not know is that Anand is a fugitive on the run from the police in Bombay, and he harbors a dark secret that will change their lives forever.