The film opens with Nandu, a film financier, learning that the cops are about to arrest him, and making a run, with a gun, which he hopes to use ostensibly on Paramaanandha, a fake godman, who is one of those to have put him in this precarious position. As he waits at the godman's dilapidated ashram, he recounts his eventful life, the people who pushed him into darkness, his sins and the one flicker of light that's still part of his life.

His birth resulted from his mother's extramarital affair with their landowner. She's murdered by her husband in a jealous rage. He's raised by neighbours until he runs away aged 10. After being raped by a cop, he's given refuge by a trans-woman, who uses him to deal marijuana. At 18 he falls in love with a girl who seems to reciprocate his feelings, but ends up cheating on him for money, breaking his heart. Then he falls in love with Chilakkamma, a devout girl who reciprocates his feelings. They marry and set up a small shop with the help of a trader who encourages him to get involved in the hawala trade which he's forced to quit when the law catches up, rendering him unable to pay loan sharks who abuse his wife causing her to kill herself.

He seeks refuge at the fake godman's ashram, where he's soon disillusioned upon discovering the latter's true colours. An acolyte who was the godman's consort Prema Kumari exposes him, getting him arrested, to get his wealth. Upon discovering this, Nandu, who has a subsequent affair with, and impregnates her, demands half of it, and kills her when she refuses. He's then haunted by the cries of the unborn foetus.

He then becomes a notorious loan shark. He coerces one of his debtors into marrying him and has a daughter Arputha on whom he showers his love. His wife eventually warms to him. But when they find out that a debtor of his killed himself along with his family due to his harassment, they leave him.

Nandu reflects on all this, and out of guilt, pain and hopelessness he shoots himself dead.