| Director | Pankaj Kapur |
|---|
The main story of the film spans over a period of 10 years, from 1992 to 2002, and includes references to the Demolition of Babri Masjid, Bombay riots, 1993 Bombay bombings, Kargil War, 9/11 attacks, and post-Godhra riots.
Mausam is the story of two lovers, Harinder Singh, known as Harry and Aayat. Harry is a happy-go-lucky Punjabi guy whereas Aayat is a Kashmiri girl.
In 1992, Aayat and her Bua (aunt) Fatima escaped from Kashmir due to the insurgency. Aayat's mother is murdered by the militants, thus forcing her father Ghulam Rasool (Kamal Chopra) and her Chacha Maharaj Kishan to send her along with her aunt to Mallukot.
In Mallukot, Aayat meets Harinder 'Harry' Singh. Harry is the son of a college professor. He and his friends are popular locals who spend their days goofing around. A Mallukot girl named Rajjo, however, nurses a deep crush on Harry, but he constantly rejects her. But when Harry meets Aayat for the first time, he is instantly smitten and falls in love with her. Aayat initially is hesitant but later reciprocates his love. They both grow close during the preparations for Pammo's (Harry's elder sister) wedding. Pammo marries Mahinder Pal 'MP' Singh, Harry's friend from London. However, after hearing the news of the demolition of the Babri Masjid the following day, Aayat and her family fled to Mumbai. Aayat does not inform Harry before leaving, making him heartbroken. Meanwhile, Harry gets selected in the Indian Air Force, and he also leaves Mallukot for NDA.
In 1999, Harry and Aayat again meet in Edinburgh, Scotland. Aayat has been staying there for the past seven years, after losing her relative in the 1993 Bombay bombings, and Harry, now a squadron leader, has been sent there by the Indian Air Force on a special assignment. In Edinburgh, they again grow closer, prompting Aayat's family to fix her marriage with Harry. Aayat later invites Harry over to her place.
On the day of the visit, however, the Kargil War breaks out, and Harry is immediately recalled to India. On arrival, Harry is posted with a Mirage 2000 Squadron in Jodhpur. Meanwhile, Aayat's father passes away, forcing her entire family to relocate from London back to Mallukot. Aayat and Harry both try to contact each other but fail.
Harry is later deployed to the Adampur Air Base (Gwalior Air Base in reality), where he is attached to No. 7 Squadron "Battleaxes." Aayat goes to Ahmedabad and from there returns to Edinburgh, Scotland.
In order to dislodge the enemy from Tiger Hill, the Indian Air Force resorts to heavy aerial bombardment. Harry is selected to lead a special bombing mission over Tiger Hill. The mission is successful, but Harry's aircraft malfunctions, causing him to crash land. Harry's left arm becomes semi-paralyzed, requiring two months to recover.
Aayat, meanwhile, has left Scotland. She stays with Akram, a family friend's son, in New York, while her aunt has returned to Ahmedabad. Two months later, while Harry is in Switzerland for the birth of his nephew, he is convinced by Pammo not to let go of Aayat. He goes in search of her and realizes that she is in New York. However, while travelling in a train in Switzerland, Harry spots Aayat with Akram and his son. Mistakenly believing that Aayat is married, he begins to feel that all hope is lost and decides to completely forget her.
Terrorists destroy the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001. As a result of these attacks, there is a sudden surge in hate crimes against Muslims in the USA and Europe, prompting Akram and Aayat to return to Ahmedabad. Coincidentally, Harry is also in Ahmedabad for his friend's wedding. Aayat decides to forget Harry and marry Akram. However, in 2002, when the wedding is about to take place, Ahmedabad is engulfed in riots. Aayat runs for her safety and is saved by Harry, who is also hiding. Harry and Aayat wait until the rioters leave, but they are accidentally spotted and attacked. Harry and Aayat run into a blazing fire, where they rescue a horse and a baby girl. Aayat laments their fate, but Harry convinces her to forget the past and see the brighter future.
In the epilogue, it is revealed that Harry and Aayat get married, they adopt the baby girl, and they themselves are expecting a child.