Dozakhnama begins in Lucknow, where the narrator chances upon a man in possession of a manuscript that he claims was penned by Manto, the famous Urdu writer. This manuscript is a novel, written by Manto, on the legendary Mirza Ghalib. The narrator is unable to read it as the manuscript is in Urdu. He then shifts to Calcutta to learn the language, with the intention of publishing it later.

This marks the beginning of the surreal journey, which is presented as a conversation between Ghalib and Manto from their graves. What follows is exquisite storytelling, a culture of the bygone era between two literary stalwarts which spans over two centuries.