In 13th-century Afghanistan, Jalaluddin Khilji of the Khilji dynasty plans to take over the throne of Delhi. His nephew Alauddin Khilji at the same time brings him a whole ostrich though he was asked only to bring ostrich hair.[26] In return, he ask for Jalaluddin's daughter Mehrunisa's hand in marriage. Their wedding is organised, but on the night of the event, Alauddin engages in adultery with another woman. A courtier witnesses the act and is killed by Alauddin. Mehrunisa is informed of this during the wedding, leaving her horrified.

Meanwhile, the Sinhala princess Padmavati mistaking the Rajput ruler Maharawal Ratan Singh for a deer, accidentally wounds him while hunting in a forest. She takes him along with her and treats him, upon which he divulged his identity, who had traveled to Sinhala to acquire rare pearls for his first wife Nagmati. Over a course of events, the two fall in love. Ratan Singh asks for Padmavati's hand in marriage, she agrees and with permission from her father, they get married.

Jalaluddin takes over the throne of Delhi and sends Alauddin to repel a Mongol invasion. Alauddin is successful in doing so, but undertakes an unsanctioned raid on Devagiri. Jalaluddin is informed of Alauddin's ambition to take over the throne from his wife and nephew. He journeys to Kara to meet Alauddin and gifts him the slave Malik Kafur. Alauddin has Jalaluddin and his ministers assassinated and declares himself the new Sultan.

Padmavati journeys to Mewar with Ratan Singh and is blessed by his royal priest, Raghav Chetan. Chetan is caught watching Ratan Singh and Padmavati sharing an intimate moment and is banished from the kingdom. He travels to Delhi and informs Alauddin of Padmavati's beauty. Alauddin, who is fixated with wanting anything that is of exceptional beauty, invites the Rajputs to Delhi; his invitation is rejected. Frustrated, he lays siege to Ratan Singh's capital Chittor. After waiting for six months and yet unsuccessful in his attempts to conquer the kingdom, Alauddin feigns peace on account of Holi and is allowed to enter Chittor where he meets Ratan Singh. He asks to see Padmavati. The Rajputs, knowing his intentions, threaten him and tell him that he is alive only because he is a guest. Ratan Singh grants Alauddin's request to see Padmavati, but does so only for a moment while preventing Alauddin from seeing her face.

Ratan Singh is taken prisoner by Alauddin, who demands to see Padmavati. Upon being insisted by the chief queen Nagmati, she agrees. She however puts forth some conditions including that she will first meet her husband when she arrives as well as the death of Chetan, to which Alauddin agrees. She then travels to Delhi to meet Khilji. Meanwhile, Alaluddin's nephew attempts to assassinate him. Alauddin is wounded but survives and later kills him.

While on the Sultanante's frontiers, the Rajputs plan to ambush the Khilji soldiers in the morning which is the time for namāz. Padmavati, along with Chittor's generals, Gora and Badal, free Ratan Singh, and escape with Mehrunisa's help. Ratan confronts Khliji who warns him to kill him now or he will regret it, but Ratan denies stating Rajputs don't attack the wounded. The Khilji soldiers are alerted and attack, but are ambushed by the Rajputs disguised as women. The Rajput attack is repulsed, with the ambushing Rajputs killed. In Chittor, Padmavati receives praise for saving Ratan Singh.

Alauddin imprisons Mehrunisa for helping the Rajputs and marches to Chittor. He and Ratan Singh engage in a single duel; Alauddin is nearly defeated by Ratan Singh, but Singh is shot by Kafur from behind with arrows, and berates Alauddin for fighting dishonourably before dying. The Khilji army succeeds in defeating the Rajputs and capturing Chittor, but are unable to capture the Rajput women who commit jauhar with Padmavati.