In India to purchase some horses, British aristocrat Lord Esketh and his wife, Edwina, come to the town of Ranchipur at the invitation of the elderly Maharani. Their marriage is an unhappy one and Lord Esketh announces his intention to return to England and begin divorce proceedings. The spoiled, insensitive Edwina scoffs at this.
The story centers on the redemption of its lead female character. George Brent is Tom Ransome, an artist who leads a rather dissolute if socially active life in the town of Ranchipur. His routine is shattered with the arrival of his former lover, Lady Edwina Esketh (Myrna Loy) who has since married the elderly Lord Esketh (Nigel Bruce). Lady Edwina first sets out to seduce, then gradually falls in love with, Major Rama Safti (Tyrone Power) who represents the "new India."