The plot revolves around Bimal, an eccentric taxi driver and his battered old Chevrolet, which he fondly calls Jagaddal. The old jalopy is Bimal's friend and breadwinner, and also, in some strange way, his beloved. But because he treats his car as a living being, many believe Bimal to be mad. As he plies his trade, his world intersects at various points with that of the Oraon tribals. Industrialisation proceeds relentlessly, sowing discord among the tribals, and Jagaddal breaks down irretrievably. Many parallel storylines are interwoven into the basic plot, along with extensive sequences and repeated images of both tribal cultures and landscapes.