 The gentle friendship between Parvez ( Om Puri  (qv)), a pathetic Pakistani taxi driver and Bettina ( Rachel Griffiths (I)  (qv)), a young prostitute gradually develops into a deeper and more passionate relationship as Parvez s home life gradually crumbles. This is due to his son s, Fravid ( Akbar Kurtha  (qv)), gradual rejection of Western institutions and values and acceptance of Islamic Fundamentalism. More pressure is brought to bear by a German business man Schitz ( Stellan Skarsgard  (qv)) who makes continual use of both Parvez and Bettina in their professional capacities culminating in his demand for them to organise an orgy to impress some local business colleagues. Everything comes to a head when Farvid and his group decide to rid the town of its corrupting influence and attack the local prostitutes trapping Parvez in the middle forcing him to decide just where his loyalties lie.