The only male descendant of a patriarchal retired Army General, Gulabi (Najir Husen), is being groomed by his father to follow in his footsteps into a career in the military. As a young boy, he struggles to understand his true identity. Furious and deeply ashamed, his austere father discovers his son's aspirations to become a trans-woman. His father disowned him from the family's home in the village, and to survive, much to his chagrin, he has no alternative but to lead a life of dancing and prostitution in the city of Kathmandu, Nepal. (Gunyo Cholo is a traditional dress worn by girls in the Nepali culture that marks the 'coming of age').