Mahanadhi

Krishna meets Dhanush, a con artist from Madras, who pitches a lucrative chit fund scheme. He is initially reluctant, fearing the risks, but the lure of a better life for his family makes him consider it after a wealthy foreign friend visits. He ultimately agrees to participate and travels to Madras.

Krishna arrives in Madras to start the investment and is swindled out of the money. He is implicated in the fraud and is wrongfully convicted. The betrayal marks the start of a long and painful ordeal.

In jail, Krishna befriends Panjapakesan, who teaches him to stay calm even when the jailer is cruel. Panjapakesan's daughter, a nurse, begins to look after Krishna's family from outside during his confinement. The two men form a supportive bond that shapes Krishna's resilience.

After being released on good behavior, Krishna learns that his mother-in-law Saraswathi Ammal has died. He is also faced with the distressing discovery that his children are missing. The family’s world continues to unravel as he grapples with these losses.

Krishna encounters Bharani, who is living with a street performers' family and helps him return home. Bharani reveals that Kaveri is still with Dhanush and that he has secured her a job somewhere. This shocks Krishna and fuels his resolve to locate his daughter.

Krishna learns that Kaveri has been sent to Calcutta and is working in Sonagachi, the notorious red-light district. The revelation underscores the brutal consequences of the family’s earlier downfall. He vows to find and rescue her.

Around the time Krishna was arrested, Kaveri had reached puberty, and three months later Saraswathi's illness worsened. The timing compounds the family’s distress as Krishna faces an uncertain future. These details intensify the sense of a life derailed.

Kaveri and Bharani go to Dhanush seeking financial help, but he ferries them to his boss who profits by selling Kaveri into prostitution. The boss receives money for Saraswathi's treatment but cruelly disposes of Bharani by chasing him away. It is implied that Kaveri is raped and trafficked, marking a brutal turn in the family tragedy.

Krishna travels to Calcutta with his father-in-law to locate his daughter. They confront the pimps and the prostitutes beat Krishna as he tries to reclaim Kaveri. The brothel madam negotiates a truce, insisting Krishna take Kaveri away while the workers compensate the loss through extra hours.

Back home, Krishna plans to build a new life with Yamuna, but police friend Muthusamy warns that Dhanush intends to implicate him in a murder. Krishna overhears his daughter's sleep-talking about her clients, confirming the extent of his losses. He chooses revenge as the path to reclaim his dignity.

Krishna discovers that Dhanush is only a pawn in a larger scam. In a climactic confrontation, he kills Dhanush and Venkatachalam, the mastermind, at the cost of losing his left arm. The act brings a grim sense of relief amid lasting scars.

Krishna is sentenced to 14 years in prison and emerges as a changed man. He returns to find his daughter married to Muthusamy's son with a grandchild, and his son grown. The family moves back to their native village to rebuild their lives together.