In the year 1840, a young girl named Ameeran is kidnapped from her family by their neighbour and sold to a brothel. Ameeran, renamed Umrao Jaan, learns to read, write, dance, sing, and charm wealthy men. She is no common prostitute, but a cultured woman trained to captivate men of wealth and taste. Years later Umrao Jaan catches the eye of Gauhar Mirza and fall in love. But Gauhar must marry to please his family, and Umrao's heart is broken.