Aethiree

Mani grows up under the loving care of his older sister and her husband after their parents pass away. They treat him as family and his loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for others are forged in this domestic tenderness. These early bonds lay the groundwork for the conflicts he faces later when protecting loved ones.

Mani's brother-in-law tries to arrange a marriage between Mani and their daughter. Mani learns she loves someone else who is jobless like him. To spare her distress, Mani cancels the plan, but the brother-in-law erupts with anger and kicks Mani out of the house.

In Triplicane, Natarajan Iyer, a cautious Brahmin house owner, searches for the right tenant to keep his home peaceful. He worries that his daughter Gayathri might fall for a tenant and screens every newcomer carefully. Five bachelor students arrive and pretend to be model tenants, starting a tangle of appearances and mischief.

The tenants hide their mischief behind a veneer of politeness, but their reckless pranks threaten the orderly life Natarajan has built. Their behavior endangers Gayathri and complicates the dream of a quiet home. The façade begins to crack as reality intrudes.

Auto Sampath proposes a bold plan: recruit a rowdy to scare away the tenants without lawyers or paperwork. He expects Mani to play the feared gangster persona, a trick that could clear the house quickly. The scheme hinges on convincing Natarajan that Mani is indeed the notorious Bottle Mani.

There is, in fact, a real rowdy known as Bottle Mani, which makes the disguise feel authentic. Mani and Auto Sampath push the deception forward, hoping the lie will dissolve the tenants' grip on the house. Fear spreads through the neighborhood, even among the tenants who had pretended to be good students.

As the ruse unfolds, Mani and Auto Sampath begin to win Gayathri with small acts of protection and kindness. She starts seeing a different side of Mani, one willing to risk his own comfort for others. Their budding friendship helps soften the initial hostility toward him.

Priya enters as a central figure, daughter of a powerful politician who wants her to marry the corrupt officer Raghavan. The threat of coercive power presses on her, but she becomes drawn to Mani through his selfless acts and resolve. Her story intertwines with Mani's mission in unpredictable ways.

Raghavan intensifies his pursuit of Priya, leveraging his authority to threaten Mani and those around him. Inspector Dhanapathi emerges as a sympathetic ally, trying to counter the corruption and protect the truth. The power struggle escalates, setting the stage for a confrontation.

Dhanapathi is killed by Raghavan, a brutal act that jolts Mani and pushes him toward a more personal quest for justice. The murder reveals the depth of Raghavan's cruelty and motivates Mani to expose the truth. The loss also tightens the bond between Mani and his allies.

Raghavan and his men trap Mani with a false arrest and use torture to bolster the frame. Mani escapes with the help of Auto Sampath, the loyal tenants, and a sympathetic police officer who believes in his innocence. The community bears the weight of the crackdown as friends and family face imprisonment.

In a climactic showdown, Mani confronts Raghavan and fights to end the corruption once and for all. Priya's father attempts to subdue Mani, but Mani counters with courage and a strategic strike that leaves Raghavan fatally shot. The truth about Raghavan's crimes surfaces, and Priya becomes a witness to the triumph of justice.

With the truth out, Mani is cleared and reunited with Priya. Auto Sampath, the tenants, Natarajan, and Gayathri part ways, returning to their own lives with renewed resolve. The old Triplicane house stands as a symbol of resilience built from shared hardship.

A new batch of tenants arrives, still pretending to be model students and ready to test the limits of the old house. The film ends on a light note with the signature line Just kidding, just kidding spoken by the Tenant, signaling a cycle ready to begin anew.