In a small town in the tribal district of central India in 1929, Francis Massey is the 'English guy Babu' in the deputy commissioner's office. Massey believes that because he is a Christian and can speak English, he is above other Indians and not much different from the white sahibs he serves. For a man of humble origins, Massey has risen to dizzying heights. On the other hand, he recognizes no realistic limits to his own free spirit. Whenever the real world fails him, he improvises, boldly and imaginatively. Unfortunately, the relentless, no-nonsense machinery of the Raj has no place for Massey Sahib, the peddler, road foreman and entertainer. Until the bitter end, Massey believes that Deputy Commissioner Adam Sahib will step in and save him.