Santhu and his in-laws are buying jewelry for their marriage when he gets a call that his cousin Rama is unconscious and has been hospitalized after his wife threw a glass bottle at him. When his father-in-law threatens to cancel the engagement, claiming the matter will bring dishonour to his family, Santhu challenges his narrow view of masculinity and narrates Rama's story. As a child, Rama's father, Siddegowda, abuses his long-suffering mother, Kousalya, and instills
toxic masculinity and chauvinistic values into him. As he grows up, he consistently chides and degrades women to maintain his macho image, but in college he meets and falls in love with a naive and shy fresher, Shivani. However, Rama tries to control her behavior and social life, culminating in an outburst where Shivani leaves him after he raises her hand against him. Rama refuses to apologize and drinks his sorrows away over several months. Santhu asks Kousalya to help him but Rama refuses to listen to her; Kousalya dies shortly after to his shock. Upon going home for Kousalya's funeral, Rama is surprised to see Shivani participate in the burial rituals. She reveals that Kousalya met her to convince her to take him back, but she had challenged Kousalya, stating her husband and son had constantly suppressed her desires to enable their own recklessness. This spurs reflection in Rama of his view of masculinity, and he tries to ask Shivani for forgiveness and another chance; she reveals that she got engaged with another man. To fulfill Kousalya's wishes for once, Rama decides to wed Muthulakshmi, who Kousalya had wished to arrange his marriage to, without meeting her beforehand. During the marriage ceremony, Santhu discovers that Muthulakshmi is an alcoholic and tries to stop the wedding to no avail. Rama reveals that he also found out but continued with the marriage. Muthulakshmi reverses the gender roles on Rama in ironic ways to Siddegowda's chagrin. She discloses that she started drinking after her parents forced her to go to medical school and her friend group, led by Nishan, encouraged her to drink in parties and to get over her fear of corpses, leading to her addiction and rustication from school. Her parents tried to marry her off to force her to change, but all their attempts failed until Rama agreed to marry her. Rama, now supportive and less macho, blackmails the school into readmitting Muthulakshmi and cares for her as she studies and recovers, despite her rebukes of him and continued alcohol abuse. One night, Muthulakshmi leaves for a party with her old friends, and Rama follows along. She goads him by saying she had loved Nishan and wanted to divorce Rama. Rama finds that Nishan was mixing drugs in Muthulakshmi's drinks, causing her alcoholism. A scuffle ensues and a drunk Muthulakshmi, thinking that Rama was jealous, throws a glass bottle at Rama, knocking him out. In the present, Santhu's father-in-law, inspired by Rama's change, agrees to continue with the marriage. Enraged about the attack, Siddegowda files a complaint against her. Meanwhile, Muthulakshmi finds out the truth the next morning, but Nishan encourages Muthulakshmi to file a counter complaint accusing Rama of abuse to save them from jail time. Muthulakshmi, however, rips up her complaint after realizing Rama's affection. Rama also withdraws Siddegowda's complaint, pointing out his father's similar abuse and saying that men should also care for and support the women in their lives. Rama offers Muthulakshmi a divorce, but she admits her love and askes for him back, which he agrees to. With Rama, Muthulakshmi and Siddegowda all having reformed, the family poses for a picture together on Rama's birthday, making space for Kousalya to be added in as the film ends. == Cast ==