Kim thinks he is native, but he's actually of British origin, the son of an Irish soldier and an unknown mother (unlike the novel on which it is based, Kim's mother is not portrayed as Irish, but it is made clear that Kim is white). Kim is hired as a guide by a travelling Tibetan lama (Peter O'Toole) on a search for a river where Budda hurled an arrow, turning it into a place of redemption. When he finds his father's regiment and the British military discover his origins and his real name, Kimball O'Hara, he's placed in an English college.
Kim believes he is indigenous, but he's actually of British ancestry, the son of a British soldier and an unknown mother, unlike the novel on which it is based, Kim's mother is not depicted as Irish, but it is evident that Kim is white. Kim is employed as a guide by a traveling Tibetan lama (Peter O'Toole) in search of a river where Buddha hurled an arrow, transforming it into a site of redemption. When he discovers his father's regiment and the British military becomes aware of his origins and true name, Kimball O'Hara, he is placed in an English boarding school.