Firaaq is an Urdu word that means both separation and quest. The film is a work of fiction, based on a thousand stories. The story is set over a 24-hour period, one month after a campaign that took place in Gujarat, India, in 2002. It traces the emotional journey of ordinary people- some who were victims, some perpetrators and some who choose to watch silently.

Naseeruddin Shah
as Khan Sahab

Paresh Rawal
as Sanjay

Inaamulhaq
as Munna

Nassar
as Grave digger

Shahana Goswami
as Muneera

Nawazuddin Siddiqui
as Hanif

Honey Chhaya
as Bapuji

Deepti Naval
as Arati

Dilip Joshi
as Deven

Kavan Antani
as Arati's son