In 1870s India, Charulata (Madhabi Mukherjee) is an isolated, artistically inclined woman who sees little of her busy journalist husband, Bhupati (Sailen Mukherjee). Realizing that his wife is alienated and unhappy, he convinces his cousin, Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee), to spend time with Charulata and nourish her creative impulses. Amal is a fledgling poet himself, and he and Charulata bond over their shared love of art. But over time a sexual attraction develops, with heartbreaking results.