‘Sarbjit’ is a film based on Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death. He was attacked by inmates at a prison in Lahore in April 2013 and died a few days later.
Sarbjit Singh (Randeep Hooda) lives in Bhikhiwind, Punjab with his wife Sukhpreet (Richa Chadda), their two daughters Poonam (Ankita Shrivastav) and Swapandeep, and his father Darji. He works as a farmer and is a loving younger brother to Dalbir Kaur (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). Two years after she suffers the stillbirth of her daughter, Dalbir leaves her abusive husband Baldev (Ankur Bhatia) and arrives to stay with Sarbjit's family. She works in a textile mill to support the family alongside Sarbjit.
In 1990, after becoming drunk, Sarbjit accidentally crosses the border and arrives in Pakistan, where he is convicted as an Indian spy. He is alleged as Ranjit Singh and accused of causing bomb blasts in Lahore. His claims of innocence are ignored and he is tortured for months before he is able to inform his family of his captivity through a letter. In an attempt to appease the Pakistani police, Sarbjit falsely confesses to terrorism and is promptly given a death sentence. Dalbir, determined to free her brother, enlists the help of lawyer Awais Sheikh (Darshan Kumar). Their plea for justice is supported across India and condemned in Pakistan; the media in both countries continue to cover the case, causing Sarbjit's sentence to be repeatedly delayed.
In 2012, after 22 years of imprisonment, Sarbjit's family is allowed to visit him in jail. They are heartbroken to witness him as a tortured prisoner but he rejoices in the short-lived reunion. Subsequently, his death sentence commuted to life in prison; having already served nearly twice the length of a standard Pakistani life sentence, it is assumed that he will be pardoned and released imminently. The Pakistani government soon clarifies that the release order they issued was not for Sarbjit, but for a prisoner named Surjeet, devastating Sarbjit's family. A year later, Afzal Guru, a Pakistani imprisoned in India, is executed for his role in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack.
In retaliation, Sarbjit is attacked in his jail cell by Pakistani prisoners and is admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, eventually succumbing to a comatose state. His sister, wife and grown daughters visit him but are forced to leave shortly before his death. Sarbjit's body is delivered to India, where his village and family mourn as they recall his life. As the film ends, Dalbir promises that she will always continue trying to fulfil his dying wish of being recognized as an innocent man.