Danish Ali (Farhan Akhtar), an ATS officer, pays a tragic personal price for a single act of over-zealous recklessness. His four-year-old daughter is caught in the crossfire of a shootout, and dies. His wife, Ruhana (Aditi Rao Hydari), blames him for the loss, and they decide to live apart in order to cope with their loss.
A serendipitous encounter draws him into the world of Omkar Nath Sharma or Panditji (Amitabh Bachchan), himself a grieving father whose daughter died under mysterious circumstances. Over endless games of chess, and endless chess metaphors, the two men develop ....