Govind (Amitabh Bachchan) and Rajesh (Vinod Mehra) (who is limp in one leg) are two brothers who are happy being brought up by their considerably older stepbrother Hari (Sanjeev Kumar). However, when Hari has to leave home for two months to complete his law degree, his newly married wife Seema (Tanuja), jealous of her husband's excessive affection for the two, ill-treats them, forcing them to leave home and escape to Bombay. Hari returns back after 2 months and realizes that Seema drove his step brothers away from the house. He is very angry. After days spent doing menial labor. They are then picked up by a stranger, who puts them to work as beggars. They manage to escape after a few days. The two brothers are finally given a home by the widower Rahim Chacha (A. K. Hangal), who has a son Anwar (Ali Masood) and daughter Farida (Madhu Malini). Govind takes on the responsibility of providing for his brother's education by becoming the taxi-driver Chhotu Ustad. Govind earns all day and then massages Rajesh's legs at night.. The years pass and Rajesh's legs are all better now. Jagan (Mehmood) is Govind's friend, who sells bananas on marine drive. Govind's car has a unique quality that it can sense if passengers are carrying any illegal stuff or not. One day Govind picks up Mary (Parveen Babi) who is heavy pregnant and offers to drop her to Parel. But the car wont start. Later Govind finds that Mary (who had recently moved across the street from Govind) uses her pregnant belly to transport illegal country made liquor across town. Mary is angry that Govind destroyed her stills. She hires Peter and his goons to abduct and trash Govind. But Peter tries to force himself upon Mary and only timely intervention from Govind saves her. Mary apologizes to Govind. Govind and Mary start dating. Rajesh, however, is ambitious and foppish (he tells his friends that his brother is an international business). Manju (Bindiya Goswami) is Rajesh's fellow student and is tired of his boasts. To embarrass Rajesh she invites Govind to the college's annual fest where Rajesh is performing in a play. Rajesh gets really nervous when he sees Govind in the audience and fluffs his lines. The audience turns on Rajesh and Govind starts a fight with the entire auditorium. Govind continues to help the police by chasing and catching criminals involved in transporting drugs and other contraband across Bombay. In one of the chases Govind sees Anwar in the smuggler's car. Anwar convinces Govind that he only works for a transport company and that Govind has a case of mistaken identity. Manju and Rajesh start dating. Rajesh is good at cards and is introduced to gambling by his room mate. Rajesh wants to get rich quick and doesn't want to work hard for money. Govind runs into Hari at his office and instantly recognizes him. He goes to Hari's house and meets Seema. But Seema is rude and tells Govind that Hari is a famous lawyer now and he is only a taxi driver. She throws Govind out and warns him never to try and contact Hari again. Verma's brother Bansi (Prem Chopra), who has actually been instrumental in fixing up this marriage (Bansi had seen Rajesh playing cards at his club and casino) (Bansi asks the casino manager, who is close to Seth, to propose the match. Seth hates Bansi as he is opposed to Bansi's illegal activities). Seth likes Rajesh, but wants Rajesh to live with them after the marriage. Govind is not agreeable, but Rajesh spurns his brother and the latter's pride by marrying the rich Seth Verma's (Pinchoo Kapoor) daughter Manju (Bindiya Goswami) and staying at his father-in-law's mansion. To pay for the wedding, Govind had mortgaged his taxi and eventually loses it. Rahim uses his EPF retirement money to get the cab back. Bansi employs the unsuspecting Rajesh to carry on a drug-smuggling trade using the vehicles of the Verma Transport Company, owned by the Seth. Meanwhile Rajesh's univ results are declared and Govind finds that Rajesh has failed. Govind confronts Rajesh, who ends up insulting Govind saying that he has no ambition. One of the smuggling operations is foiled by the police (The truck topples in a chase), and Anwar, also mixed up in his business, is left seriously injured. Bansi's men attempt to kidnap Anwar to destroy evidence when Govind is not at home. In the skirmish that ensues, Rahim is shot fatally. In the aftermath of the tragedy and Rajesh's realization of how he has been used by Bansi, Rajesh seeks his brother's mercy. However, at this very moment, Bansi murders Seth Verma and tries to frame Rajesh for it. However, it is Govind who is found at the scene of the crime (he was called there by Bansi's casino manager, who was mimicking Seth Verma on the phone) and accused of murder. The judge at his trial is Hari, who is now one of the leading legal eagles in the city. In the course of the trial, the real identity of the accused and his brother are revealed to Hari. Hari adjourns the court and meets Govind in the locker that night. Hari knows that Govind is innocent and decides to fight the case. Hari now steps down as judge and becomes Govind's defense attorney. Through a series of astute investigations, he unearths the truth. Hari is able to prove that Bansi was the murderer as his watch was photographed near the dead body, before Bansi came back 30 mins after the murder and took the watch back. The police had not informed anyone about the murder for 4 hrs, so it is not possible that Bansi knew from anyone else that Seth Verma had been dead. Bansi, cornered, attempts to shoot Hari and escapes the courtroom, but is finally tracked down by Govind in his beloved taxi 'Basanti'. As the smuggler is arrested, the three brothers are reconciled.
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