Mookkaiyan belongs to a well-to-do family and lives in the village Sholavandan. He is held in high esteem by the villagers for his prowess. One day, his uncle Chockalingam, Chockalingam's wife Bama and their foreign-educated daughter Kalpana come to Sholavandan to participate in the Mariamman festival. Kalpana is fascinated by Mookaiyan's prowess; her mother disapproves of Kalpana's emotional reaction while her father is happy. Bama settles a young man of Madurai to marry Kalpana. Moved by the pleas of Chockalingam, Mookaiyan goes to the bridegroom's house and brings back Kalpana, saying that he has the right by birth to marry her.

Married life starts well for Mookaiyan and Kalpana, but before long differences arise because of their different backgrounds. At Kalpana's birthday party, Mookaiyan objects to drinking and dancing by her hippie friends. He beats Kalpana, and she leaves him to join her mother. A lawyer's notice for divorce is received. Mookaiyan futilely tries to make Bama understand the situation. The mother and daughter are adamant and Mookaiyan returns home determined to teach them a lesson.

Kalpana, having been impregnated by Mookaiyan some time earlier, gives birth to a child. In her anxiety to save Kalpana from further involvements, Bama leaves the child in an orphanage. Kalpana is shocked by this act of her mother. By the time she goes to recover the child, Mookaiyan has already taken it away. Kalpana beseeches her father to get the child from Mookaiyan. Unexpectedly, Mookaiyan comes there to deliver an invitation card for his marriage with his cousin Rakkamma. Kalpana and her parents are now repentant.

Kalpana goes alone to Mookaiyan's house and asks her husband to leap over their child and then tie the thali to another girl. To her surprise, Kalpana discovers that the marriage being celebrated is that of a different man named Mookaiyan, while her husband did no injustice to her; she falls at her husband's feet and the family reunites.