Sunder Srivastava (Shah Rukh Khan) is a young graduate whose main ambition in life is to fulfil his father’s dream of starting a school on his half-acre property in his village, though he has no funds to execute his plans. Sunder’s childhood friend Prem, a seasoned conman who operates in Bombay, convinces the gullible Sunder to mortgage his land to the village Zamindar (landlord) and fly to Dubai. Prem promises Sunder a handsomely paying teacher’s job in Dubai that would give Sunder enough money to start his school within two years. Sunder does as told and arrives in Bombay to meet Prem; not only is there no sign of his friend at the station, but Sunder also gets unwittingly involved with a petty thief who robs him of all his luggage and money. To make matters worse, when Sunder reaches Prem’s lodge, he finds an apologetic letter from Prem informing him that he has used his Rs.10,000 to get himself to Dubai instead and will one day repay him. Now at the end of his tether, Sunder wanders into an old Christian cemetery. Sitting on an old grave, Sunder gives vent to his frustrations and strikes the tombstone in helplessness, but immediately apologizes to the deceased. This amuses the ghost of Amar Kumar– alias Marco (Naseeruddin Shah)-