大象传媒

Place: India
Time: Late nineteenth century during the British Raj. Many Hindus have been forced by the British to practise their religion in secret.

Act 1
The Hindus go to perform their rites in a sacred Brahmin temple under the high priest, Nilakantha. Nilakantha's daughter Lakm茅 (which derives from the Sanskrit Lakshmi) and her servant Mallika are left behind and go down to the river to gather flowers where they sing the "Flower Duet". As they approach the water at the river bank, Lakm茅 removes her jewelry and places it on a bench. A party of British officers, Frederic and G茅rald, arrive nearby while on a picnic with two British girls and their governess. The British girls see the jewelry and request sketches; G茅rald volunteers to stay and make sketches of the jewelry. He sees Lakm茅 and Mallika returning and hides. Mallika leaves Lakm茅 for a while; while alone Lakm茅 sees G茅rald and, frightened by the foreigner's incursion, cries out for help. However, simultaneously, she is intrigued and so she sends away those who had responded to her call for help when they come to her rescue. Lakm茅 and G茅rald begin to fall in love with each other. Nilakantha returns and learns of the British officer's trespassing and vows revenge on him for his affront to Lakm茅's honor.

Act 2
At a bazaar, Nilakantha forces Lakm茅 to sing (the Bell Song) in order to lure the trespasser into identifying himself. When G茅rald steps forward, Lakm茅 faints, thus giving him away. Nilakantha stabs G茅rald, wounding him. Lakm茅 takes G茅rald to a secret hideout in the forest, where she nurses him back to health.

Act 3
While Lakm茅 fetches sacred water that will confirm the vows of the lovers, Fr茅deric, a fellow British officer, appears before G茅rald and reminds him of his duty to his regiment. After Lakm茅 returns, she senses the change in G茅rald and realises that she has lost him. She dies with honour, rather than live with dishonor, killing herself by eating the poisonous datura leaf.