Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his Bengal village. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, manages Durga her rebellious daughter, and her son, Apu, as well as the older cousins Indir of Harihar. The kids enjoy the pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.