Ayya

The 1971 Indo-Pakistani war coincides with a severe drought in southern Tamil Nadu. Ayyadurai and Madasamy lead efforts to help the thirsty and dying villagers, coordinating relief to save lives in the town. Their acts of selflessness earn them widespread respect among the local people.

The MLA Shanmugapandi secretly smuggles government rice and the community protests when the sanctioned supply is diverted. He denies any involvement, inflaming tensions and setting the stage for a confrontation. The villagers demand accountability from their representative.

Lorries transporting rice are waylaid by the angry crowd led by Madasamy. Shanmugapandi arrives and opens fire on the protesters. Ayyadurai intervenes, strikes Shanmugapandi with the gun’s hilt, and the politician dies; the crowd supports Ayyadurai and shields him from the police.

In the aftermath, local people rally behind Ayyadurai, praising his courage and leadership. They urge him to contest the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-elections to continue serving the people. The town hopes for stability through his continued political role.

In the present day, Ayyadurai has served as the unopposed MLA of Tenkasi for over 35 years. He resigns his post after his request to renovate local lakes is denied, a decision he believes harms the constituency. His return is welcomed at Tenkasi Junction with his son Chelladurai and Madasamy.

Chelladurai, a civil engineer, runs the family business and supports the community. Selvi, Madasamy's teenage daughter, confesses her love for Chelladurai and hopes to marry him. The couple’s future is complicated by caste differences between their families.

Karuppusamy, Shanmugapandi’s son, vows revenge and seeks to outmaneuver Ayyadurai. He has contested elections against Ayyadurai thrice and has attempted multiple times to kill him, driven by a desire to secure power and caste support.

Selvi and Chelladurai decide to marry after Selvi reveals her love, despite caste tensions. The two families begin planning the wedding, hoping to bridge decades of divide.

On the day of the wedding, police arrive and claim Selvi is still a minor, making the marriage illegal. Ayyadurai agrees to postpone the ceremony, deepening Fadasamy’s suspicions and straining the four-generation friendship.

Karuppusamy uses the opportunity to turn Madasamy into a key witness against Ayyadurai for Shanmugapandi’s murder. The police arrest Ayyadurai, fracturing the once-strong friendship and igniting a political firestorm.

With elections looming, Karuppusamy is given a path to contest and win, while Ayyadurai is unable to run due to the murder charge. Chelladurai is nominated in his stead, and he later relinquishes his bid to allow Karuppusamy to run unopposed, staying true to his good-natured character.

Karuppusamy realises his mistake and apologises to Ayyadurai and Chelladurai. Ayyadurai opts to stay in prison, burdened by guilt over Shanmugapandi’s murder years ago. Karuppusamy becomes MLA, and Chelladurai and Selvi marry to unite the feuding families.