The movie begins with Muthaiah being admitted to the hospital due to a serious head injury. The incident that led to the injury is kept in suspense for the audience. Muthaiah's second son, Ramalingam, narrates the story while visiting his father in the hospital. Overcome by emotions, he recollects, along his trip, bits and pieces of memories from his younger days with his father. The first part of the story is about how Muthaiah, a father in a lower-middle-class family, struggles to raise his children. Muthaiah runs a printing press and works really hard to make ends meet, but he still has to borrow money from the exploitative local moneylenders to give his sons a good education. There is a scene where the children eagerly expect their father to return home with gifts during the festive season. He encounters a cash-flow setback in his business but seizes an opportunity to make some money by working through the night. This scene encapsulates the sacrifices the father makes for his sons' happiness. The story then moves to the children's teenage years, when they struggle to resist the temptations of adolescence. Ramalingam is a good student and gets admitted to an engineering college, where he gradually falls in love with his classmate Vasanthi. He finds freedom when he moves from his home to his college residence. When Ramalingam is madly in love with Vasanthi, they have a chance for privacy, and they succumb to temptation. This leads to an accidental pregnancy and raises questions about their future. Meanwhile, Ramalingam's brother, Ramanathan, was married and had just given birth to a child. Ramanathan has a misunderstanding with his father and walks out of his parents' home. The main cause of friction within the family is the lack of privacy for Ramanathan and his wife, and the lack of freedom for the young couple to manage the day-to-day affairs of their family. Alas, Muthaiah expects his sons to help him repay the loans he took out for their education, and they reconcile. Amid the chaos, Ramalingam is unable to find an opportunity to confess his mistake to his parents. As time runs out, Ramalingam and Vasanthi elope to
Chennai, unable to reveal the truth about the pregnancy to their respective parents and face a very uncertain future. They decide to get married and search for jobs. Ramalingam is unable to find a well-paying job and takes up a job at a printing press as a stopgap arrangement. He has to console Vasanthi in a few situations, even as he himself is facing many trials and tribulations. Ramalingam and Vasanthi are a loving couple despite their poor financial situation. Vasanthi eventually gives birth to a daughter, but Ramalingam struggles to pay for medical expenses. He calls his former classmate and borrows money from his friend. The friend informs Ramalingam's father about Ramalingam's situation. Muthaiah comes to meet Ramalingam and gives him some cash for the newborn child. He also recalls how he himself faced a cash crunch when Ramalingam was born. Muthaiah's gesture touches Ramalingam and Vasanthi, who decide to move back to Ramalingam's village to get the support from his family in raising the child. They find acceptance from their parents and are relieved. Slowly, Ramalingam finds a good job and moves up in his career. The family becomes more comfortable and moves to Madurai. They become very close-knit. Ramalingam is responsible and cares for his parents. Ramalingam facilitates a family reunion with his brother's family, and they reconcile. Meanwhile, Ramalingam's mother, Saradha, passes away after many years of a happy, satisfying life with Ramalingam's family. After Saradha's final rites, Muthaiah decides to stay in the village to relive the days that he spent with his deceased wife. Meanwhile, Ramanathan approaches his father to ask for financial help by selling their family home in the village, and Muthaiah becomes upset. While upset, Muthaiah slips and falls into a well. He is treated in the hospital but succumbs to his injuries and passes away. == Cast ==