: The narrative draws parallels to the story of Shakuntala from the Mahabharata and the myth of the river goddess Ganga's descent to Earth. The Storyline
The film uses the journey of its protagonist, (played by Mandakini), as a direct metaphor for the sacred river Ganges:
The narrative of Ram Teri Ganga Maili is structured around Ganga (played by debutante Mandakini), a naive, pure-hearted village girl living in Gangotri, the Himalayan source of the Ganges river. She meets Nandu (Rajiv Kapoor), the son of a wealthy, politically influential family from Calcutta, who has traveled to the mountains to study. The two fall deeply in love and marry in a traditional, isolated ritual.
