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Set in 16th century India, Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love is a story about the many faces of love - passionate, unrequited, obsessive, selfish and eternal. The film is the tale of two girls, Maya and Tara, one a lowly servant girl, the other a noble princess, both raised together as childhood friends and rivals.
While Tara (Sarita Choudhury) wears fine silks and jewels and learns the etiquette of The Kama Sutra 'the Indian book of love'- from the famed teacher Rasa Devi (Rekha), Maya (Indira Varma) remains outside the royal circle and must be content with Tara's cast-offs. Despite her superior status and privilege, Tara is threatened by her beautiful rival Maya's natural sensuality and grace, often humiliating her publicly in court.
On the eve of Tara's wedding to the great King Raj Singh (Naveen Andrews), Maya, who has long suffered at the hand of the imperious Tara, sees a way to exact her revenge. Maya slips into Raj Singh's bedchamber and uses her skills of seduction to tempt him. Mesmerised, Raj Singh is captivated by Maya's sensuality. But, when Maya's treachery is discovered, she is banished from the palace forever. Later, when Tara and Raj Singh consummate their marriage, he can think only of Maya.
Wandering through Raj Singh's kingdom, Maya attracts the attention of Jai (Ramon Tikaram), the court sculptor. When he helps her find a place to live, Jai inadvertently reunites Maya with Rasa Devi, who finally teaches her the ancient lessons of the Kama Sutra. Inspired by Maya's beauty and strength, Jai begins to sculpt her in stone for what will become his erotic masterpiece: the Lotus Woman. When Raj Singh sees the unfinished sculpture, he immediately recognises Maya and is determined to find her again.
Maya soon becomes the King's cherished chief courtesan, the most revered position in the harem, and the only one who can threaten the security of the Queen, Tara. Finally, Maya achieves the equality with Tara that she has always desired, and an emotional and sexual chess-game ensues, with the four players - Maya, Tara, Jai and Raj Singh - fighting each other in a quest for love. A battle in which there are no rules and no order.
