| Director | Bala, Bala |
|---|
The film centres around Sethu, a tough and macho college student nicknamed as Chiyaan, who leads the Student Union and has a violent temper. He lives with his older brother Vasudevan, a magistrate whom he does not get along well. He roams with his circle of "yes sir" friends. Only his sister-in-law seems to truly understand him.
The story begins with Sethu winning the Student Union election as college chairman and getting into a fight with his rival contenders during the celebrations. Sethu is shown to be an aggressive and violent young man. But he begins to change after meeting Abitha, a timid Brahmin girl. Initially teasing her, he grows fond of her innocence and falls in love. Even his friends notice a positive change in him. Sethu also uses his college chairman powers to help Abitha to take an exam she had been earlier denied.
Meanwhile, Abitha’s sister returns home after facing dowry abuse from her husband. She struggles to repay a loan and rebuild her life. Around the same time, Sethu awkwardly confesses his love to Abitha. She is completely stunned and unable to respond, but Sethu assumes she reciprocates. He later learns she is engaged to a quiet and submissive priest. Feeling insecure, he threatens the priest to back off and the priest complies out of fear.
One day, when Sethu tries to present a romantic gift to Abitha, she openly rejects him and lets him know that she does not view him in such way. Unable to bear the truth, he lashes out at her which prompts her to scold him. Feeling dejected, he spends the night drinking with his friends who advise him to shed his rough behavior and to behave more timid Infront of her. The next day, Sethu beats up his rival at the college who earlier bullied his friend but stops short at the last minute after seeing Abitha, who had witnessed it. His friends noticing the profound effect in him, confront him about his loyalty to their friendship where tempers flare up where Sethu gets into a scuffle with them after one of the friend passes a crude remark about Abitha. Realizing that his love for Abitha is causing him to act recklessly, he later apologizes and makes amends to his friends. However, he still continues his days remaining heartbroken about Abitha.
At this juncture, Sethu discovers and busts a local brothel operation where a patron had misbehaved with his friend's sister. He beats the brothel owners up and informs the police for raid. While searching one of the brothel rooms, he accidentally stumbles into Abitha’s sister who is completely unaware that she had been conned into prostitution in exchange for her dowry loan. Sethu is unaware about her identity as Abitha's sister as well. While initially scornful and mistaking her for a prostitute, he quickly realizes she is innocent and rescues her discretely. Grateful for the help, she tells Sethu about her dowry abuse and about her husband after he enquires her. Sethu than goes off into the night. Meanwhile, Abitha's fiancé who had witnessed the entire incident and the grave help Sethu had done that night, comes to understand his good morals. The next day, Sethu beats up the Abitha's sister husband and threatens him to accept his wife back, which he does. Realising his altruistic character, Abitha's fiance explains to Abitha about Sethu's role on that fateful night where he rescued her sister. He also points out to her that his priest profession would not sustain her life with him. Hearing this, Abitha realises that Sethu, despite his roughness, has a good heart.
However, Sethu, desperate and impulsive, kidnaps Abitha to an abandoned building and expresses his deep feelings for her. Understanding the depth of his love, Abitha finally succumbs to his love and accepts him. His love finally succeeded, Sethu is overjoyed and ecstatic about his newfound love.
Just when things seem to turn in Sethu’s favour, he is suddenly attacked by the brothel goons who seek revenge on him for trying to ruin their business. They brutally assault him and take turns to beat him up. Sethu is completely overpowered in the fight and gets crippled to the ground. They then drag his body and smash his head with blunt force on a rock, bloodying his head. The severe impact causes a small region of his brain to lacerate and suffer critical damage to its insides. They then dump his body on the rock leaving him in a bloody and gruesome condition.
Sethu is admitted into a mental institution where his condition is considered beyond recovery by the doctors. He is then sent to a remote mental asylum at Yerwardi where the traditional ayurvedic treatment might prove a chance to cure him.
Sethu's life completely flips upside down where at the ashram, he is barely recognisable. He is shaven bald, emaciated and chained to the walls wearing tattered clothing. Gradually over time, his brain heals from the injuries and Sethu recovers back to normal. However, his pleas on being recovered falls on deaf ears. His attempt to escape backfires as he obtains serious wounds on his leg after suffering a fall. Abitha who has not seen him for a long time, visits him secretly, but leaves distraught at his condition. Ironically, Sethu recognises her upon waking up and tries to call out to her but she leaves unable to hear him due to the screams and noises of the other patients in the asylum.
Convinced Sethu will never return to normal, Abitha’s father and Sethu's brother Vasudevan persuade her to marry her former fiancé. Abitha is deeply distraught and torn between the decisions. Meanwhile, Sethu attempts to escape again and this time round, he is successful. He limps to Abitha’s house to reunite with her. But there, he finds marriage decorations and a crowd. Confused and disoriented, he makes his way in to catch a glimpse and finally he sees Abitha lying on the ground still, adorned with garlands with people crying over her - she had committed suicide.
Devastated and deeply distraught, Sethu limps away in silence.