Released in India as Aakrosh, Cry of the Wounded is reportedly based on an actual government coverup. Idealistic attorney Naseeruddin Shah takes as his first client a man accused of murdering his wife. The accused is a political activist, and after a while it seems apparent that the prosecution is pursuing the case at the command of the Indian government. Shah himself falls victim to coercion and outright threats while preparing his defense. The political issue becomes a moral one when the accused, on furlough from jail to attend the death of his father, kills his own sister for complex reasons of honor. Now Shah must ponder whether it's worth getting his client off from the first murder charge when he will obviously be condemned for the second killing.