| Director | K. Viswanath, Kasinathuni Viswanath |
|---|---|
| Genre | drama film |
| Country | India |
Yajulu is a highly revered, orthodox Brahmin head priest who adheres strictly to religious rituals and traditional caste boundaries. His rigid convictions previously led him to ostracize his daughter, Janaki, for marrying outside their community. He lives with his son Avadhani, daughter-in-law Annapoorna, and grandson Gaurinadha, a devout and deeply respectful young man.
The late Janaki's daughter, Hema, a talented classical dancer, arrives in the village alongside her father to perform at the local temple. While Yajulu masks his affection with outward hostility due to his past resentment toward his late daughter's marriage. Hema harbors a secret: she is deeply in love with Haribabu, a brilliant flautist from a marginalized, lower-caste community. Haribabu regularly accompanies Hema's dance performances, and the two share a profound spiritual and artistic bond. However, acutely aware of the era's severe caste barriers, they keep their relationship hidden.
Oblivious to her love story, Yajulu arranges a marriage between Hema and Gaurinadha. Out of deep respect for her grandfather and fear of societal backlash, Hema suppresses her feelings and reluctantly consents. During the wedding ritual, specifically while walking the Saptapadi (the seven sacred steps), a distressed Hema hallucinates, seeing Haribabu in place of Gaurinadha.
Following the wedding, Gaurinadha attempts to consummate the marriage. However, whenever he approaches Hema intimately, his own deeply spiritual nature causes him to envision her as a manifestation of the protective goddess Durga. Recognizing this divine sign, Gaurinadha investigates and realizes that because Hema's heart and soul belong entirely to another man, she is a sacred entity to him rather than a wife. Resolute, Gaurinadha leaves the village to find Haribabu and reunite him with Hema.
When the truth comes to light, Avadhani and Annapoorna strongly condemn the situation. A deeply troubled Yajulu consults his close friend, Raju, a local zamindar, who challenges Yajulu's orthodox superstitions and urges him to look past rigid societal dogmas. This sparks a profound internal conflict within Yajulu. He realizes that forcing Hema to remain in a loveless marriage when her soul is devoted to another is a violation of dharma (true righteousness). He concludes that ritualistic vows are hollow without a true spiritual union.
Defying his lifelong conditioning and the inevitable wrath of the conservative village community, Yajulu declares Hema's marriage to Gaurinadha invalid in the eyes of true spirituality. When Gaurinadha returns to the village with Haribabu, Yajulu steps forward to dissolve the previous union and personally solemnizes the wedding between Hema and Haribabu. The film concludes with Yajulu facing total societal boycott, yet standing firm in his reformed conviction that humanity and genuine spiritual love transcend rigid caste barriers.