| Director | Mari Selvaraj |
|---|
Pariyerum Perumal alias Pariyan, a young man from the oppressed Devendrar caste in Puliyankulam village near Tirunelveli, loses his dog, Karuppi, to caste hegemony. Later, Pariyan secures admission to Government Law College in Tirunelveli, aspiring to become a lawyer like B. R. Ambedkar. He meets Jothi Mahalakshmi alias Jo, a naive student from an upper-caste family of Ambasamudram, who offers to teach him English. Jo eventually falls in love with Pariyan. Their friendship draws the ire of Sankaralingam, Jo's cousin and fellow student, who asserts his caste superiority over Pariyan.
Unaware of Sankaralingam's hostility, Jo invites Pariyan to her sister's wedding. At the venue, Sankaralingam and his friends severely assault Pariyan and humiliate him. Jo's father intervenes but strictly orders Pariyan to stay away from Jo. Unaware of the incident, Jo berates Pariyan for missing the wedding. Distressed, Pariyan attends class intoxicated, resulting in disciplinary summons from the principal. However, he hires an actor to impersonate his father.
Sankaralingam continues to harass Pariyan, eventually pushing him into the women's restroom and locking him inside. The consequent commotion causes another summon from the principal. This time, Pariyan brings his real father, who works as a folk dancer working in drag. The principal acknowledges Pariyan's innocence and motivates him to persevere against discrimination. However, as they leave the office, Sankaralingam's gang hazes Pariyan's father and strips his clothing. Pariyan's father flees in humiliation, and Pariyan takes him to a hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, Jo's father observes his daughter's growing affection for Pariyan. Fearing social ostracization if she marries outside their caste, he hires "Thatha Maistry", an elderly contract killer who commits honor killings disguised as accidental deaths. Maistry considers his work a divine duty, vowing to end his life if he ever fails a contract. At the hospital, Pariyan contemplates revenge but his mother dissuades him, warning that violence will only add to their problems. Jo visits Pariyan at the hospital, urging him to restore their friendship, and he agrees.
Maistry tricks Pariyan into giving him a ride on his bicycle and attempts to murder him by tying him to a railway track, mimicking Karuppi's death. Pariyan manages to break free and subdues Maistry, along with Sankaralingam and his associates who arrive at the scene. Pariyan privately confronts Jo's father, warning him that he is sparing his life only to protect Jo from discovering her father's true nature, and demands an end to the harassment. Having failed his contract for the first time, Maistry commits suicide on the railway track.
Later, Jo brings her father to meet Pariyan at a tea stall. When Jo steps away, her father apologizes for his past behaviour and speaks politely to Pariyan. Pariyan replies that as long as upper-caste people expect oppressed-caste people to remain submissive, social reality will never change.