Nirmala (Padmini) is a poor but talented young dancer who falls in love with a rich man's son Sekar (Gemini Ganesan), but he is forced to marry a rich man's daughter Prathiba (Tambaram Lalitha). Nirmala promises to her lover that she will never dance in public. Due to various circumstances, Sekar's house is up for auction, and in order to save him, she performs in public. With the money thus earned, she saves his house, but Sekar is unaware of this. When he learns the truth, he begins searching of her, and in the meantime, Prathiba, who is now reformed, commits suicide. Sekar meets Nirmala, who is on the verge of committing suicide, and they are reunited.
In the quiet village of Poonkulam, Kalyani and Muthayyan are deeply in love. But fate takes a cruel turn when Muthayyan is wrongfully branded a dacoit and forced to live in hiding within the forest. Despite the danger and distance, Kalyani remains unwavering in her love, and the two dream of escaping together to build a peaceful life as husband and wife. Their hopes rest on the shoulders of Kamalapathi, a loyal friend and stage actor, who devises a clever plan to outwit the police and help the lovers flee. Disguises, deception, and devotion all come into play—but a tragic misunderstanding sets off a chain of events that none of them could have foreseen.