Simran achieves the success her mother always wanted for her when she wins the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical, but she pays a hefty price for it. Simran has a public meltdown during her acceptance speech as she thanks her dead mother and accuses her father of disowning her because she wants to pursue acting as a career.
Simran is estranged from her family, especially her father, Dr. Rai, who wants Simran to follow in his footsteps. He throws her out of his life, penniless, when she defies him by dropping out of medical school, dumping her fiancé, and accepting the role of Simran in the Broadway Production of Come Fall in Love.
Simran carries the burden of her parent's bitter marriage, divorce, and her mother's death. The trauma of being the pawn in her parents' ugly marriage scars Simran for life; she is prone to chronic panic attacks. The nasty side effects of being on medication lead to chronic rashes, and she must rely on more medication. Billy, her manipulative manager, enables this vicious circle of her drug dependence to control her life, as a vulnerable Simran relies on him for emotional support.
Simran learns of her sister’s impending wedding, crashes the sangeet ceremony, and reconciles with her sister. Still, she is unceremoniously thrown out by her father, who is not ready to forget or forgive. Simran leaves the house in the throes of a panic attack and crashes her car. Her ex-fiancé saves her from the wreckage, and their old love is rekindled. Simran is devasted to learn that her ex-fiancé is engaged and the best man at her sister’s wedding.
Simran’s sister tells her the harsh truth about her mother being alive and living in Australia, and Simran realizes how she had misjudged her father and the lies she had believed and lived with. Devasted by the truth, unable to face her father, and feeling unloved and unwelcome, Simran decides to return to the city. Learning of her accident, Simran’s worried, repentant father stops her as she tries to board the train back to the city. Simran is overjoyed to reconcile with her father, and the Rai family heals as they enjoy Simran’s sister’s wedding.
Welcome Home is a family drama that deals with the trauma children carry into adulthood because of their parents’ failed relationships and how parental approval defines their internal dialogue. Simran is challenged by her father’s traditional way of being as she fights to be different and live on her terms within the family dynamic.
