Teja is a high-profile gangster in North Madras who uses animal mimicry as a sharp, satirical weapon. He arrives at a magistrate court with his gang for a hearing, and their antics provoke snickers from the accused, a man named “Chintai” Jeeva. Teja and his men retaliate, turning the court into a scene of violence as they kill Jeeva on the premises. Jeeva belonged to a rival gang led by Gemini, an ambitious goon from Chintadripet who dreams of dethroning Teja and seizing his hold on power. To avenge Jeeva’s death, Gemini hunts down the murderer Pandian, while Isaac, one of Gemini’s men, kills him. This brutal sequence fans the flames of a growing feud between Gemini and Teja, a bitter contest for supremacy that drives the rest of the story.
Pandian’s mother Annamma, a destitute woman, learns the identities of the murderers and pursues them with a quiet, relentless resolve. She tracks the killers down, approaches Gemini, becomes the gang’s cook, and waits for a chance to poison them, using her kitchen as a hidden battlefield in the war that has erupted around her.
Gemini meets and falls for Manisha Natwarlal, a free-spirited North Indian college girl. To win her affection, he enrolls in an evening class at her college, and she falls for him, unaware of his true identity. The romance introduces a softer rhythm to the tale, balancing the crime-driven plot with a personal, tender thread.
Two businessmen press Gemini to evict traders from a busy market to make way for a shopping complex. Gemini declines the offer, and the businessmen hire Teja to carry out the job. Teja feigns an altercation with Gemini, and his inside man Kai joins Teja’s gang to act as the mole within Gemini’s circle, foiling the plan and triggering Teja’s anger at being outsmarted.
[S]ingaperumal, an astute police officer, is promoted to Director General of Police (DGP). Keen on eradicating crime, he arrests both Gemini and Teja, but their political influence keeps them protected—these arrests are handled off the record. He places them in a private cell to let them beat each other to death, a devious tactic designed to weaken both sides.
To exploit the moment, Gemini persuades Teja to trick Singaperumal by pleading guilty and asking for a chance to reform. The ruse works, and the pair are released, a turn that reshapes their respective paths and the balance of power.
Because Gemini was arrested at the college, Manisha learns his true identity and resents him. To win her back, Gemini reforms his ways, and his gang gradually comes around to accepting the change. Annamma reveals her true identity and forgives them, lifting a weight off the fragile peace that was beginning to form.
Singaperumal helps Gemini return to college and reunite with Manisha. Teja returns to illegal activity and pesters Gemini to aid his criminal ventures. Gemini informs Singaperumal of Teja’s activities; Teja is eventually caught smuggling narcotics and serves a prison term, removing a major threat from the equation for a while.
A few months pass, and a new DGP takes charge. He releases Teja and, along with Teja, pressures Gemini to work for them, but Gemini refuses. Teja then enlists Isaac to conspire against him, and Kai is killed in the ensuing turmoil. In a climactic confrontation, Gemini defeats Teja, swaps their clothes, and Teja is left bound and gagged. The new DGP arrives and shoots Gemini dead; he soon realizes he had shot Teja instead, who was wearing Gemini’s clothes. The DGP is afterward transferred to the Sewage Control Board, leaving the stage set for a final, bittersweet twist of fate.
Gemini lives happily ever after with Manisha, their romance surviving the crucible of crime and revenge.
The film also features a brief cameo by Gemini Ganesan.
