《舞台丽人》是由美英德三国共同制作的，由主演《罗密欧与朱丽叶》的克莱尔-丹妮丝担当女主角。
十七世纪的英国剧场，所有女角皆由男性所扮演。埃德华（比利·克鲁德普 Billy Crudup 饰）是英国最有名的当家花旦，运用他的天生美丽及后天技巧模仿女性唯妙唯肖，得到贵族上流的欣赏。然而国王查理二世厌倦了这种一成不变的演出，剧院终于准许真正的女性参与表演。埃德华面临失业危机，世人的排挤和咒骂，仇家的陷害毒打，生活的窘迫，贵族的抛弃使他在最底层随波逐流，一度萌生自杀念头。取他而代之的女演员玛丽亚（克莱尔·丹妮丝 Claire Danes 饰）在舞台上绽放光彩，但她深爱埃德华，并希望他能够重返舞台，以一个男人的灵魂。马上国王就要来观赏新的剧目，埃德华能不能杀死了那个身体里的女人？
The story begins in 1996 when Colonel Sodhi, now 70, visits his sister and her family. However, even after over half a century, the nightmares of his intense battle and its aftermath often return to haunt him. Old Sodhi and young Amar begin to bond and Sodhi accompanies Amar to Burma (Myanmar) for an assignment from BBC to shoot a documentary on the students against the Military Junta for freedom and democracy. In Singapore, Sodhi visits the places which bring back the memories of him as a Lieutenant in the British Indian Army Lt. Sodhi meets a beautiful photographer Maya who inspires him to change. Sodhi falls in love with Maya who joins the Indian National Army. Old Sodhi lands in Burma with Amar, and is welcomed by an Indian girl Rani. They accidentally get caught in the student protest and firing by the Military Junta to suppress the student agitation. When the soldiers of the Military Junta get rough and violent with Amar and Rani, old Sodhi is suddenly transformed into the young Lt.Sodhi and kills the two Burmese soldiers to defend his group.Old Sodhi and his group's escape from the Burmese soldiers runs parallel to the attack by the British bombers on Lt.Sodhi's unit. In 1944, the Indian National Army, tired, hungry, cold, feverish, sick had reached Imphal to defend it against all the odds piled heavily against them. In a school set up by Rani's grandmother, Old Sodhi finds the photograph of Maya and realizes that Maya has been dead. Old Sodhi, finally redeems himself by helping his young group safely cross over from Burma into India, and keep his promise to Maya that he would one day return to Burma to find her and be with her when his body is blown by the Burmese soldiers to ashes and glory.
