Nizhalgal

Gopi and Hari, two unemployed graduates, share a small room in Madras and chase opportunities. Their neighbor Prabhu and Maha, a college student, enter their orbit as a new family moves into the building. The setup establishes the relationships and tensions that will drive the story forward.

Gopi begins giving tuition to Maha, and their professional relationship gradually deepens into romance. They navigate the implications of love within a tight-knit community and growing expectations. The romance becomes the emotional focal point of the tale.

Gopi, Hari, and Prabhu are arrested for different reasons as their lives intersect with trouble. Maha steps in to help and pledges her necklace to bail them out, securing their release. The act marks a pivotal moment where Maha takes control in a crisis.

Prabhu attempts to reform by apprenticing under a veena exponent, but he impulsively slaps the college principal and is dismissed. His father scolds him for the reckless act, while Maha remains supportive of his dream. The setback fuels Prabhu’s mounting frustration and misplaced loyalties.

Maha’s parents grow wary of her relationship with Gopi and pressure her to discontinue the tuition she gives him. The pressure strains Maha and her family’s dynamics, complicating plans for any eventual marriage. The conflict highlights the social obstacles the couple faces.

Hari lands a break in a film and receives an advance from the producers. With the windfall, they repay Maha’s pledged necklace, relieving a personal tension. The episode offers a glimmer of stability before the next wave of trouble.

As financial pressures mount, Maha’s parents begin looking for a suitable groom for her. At the same time, Maha tells Gopi to secure a job so they can marry, pushing him to take concrete steps toward stability. The couple faces social expectations that threaten their future together.

Hari is dropped from the film when the financier rejects a new, untested music composer. Gopi and Hari are then evicted from their room for not paying rent and must seek shelter with Mani, a rickshaw puller. The sudden change pushes them onto the street and into precarious circumstances.

Gopi receives a telegram informing him that his father has died, adding to the weight of his responsibilities. Mani’s son Singam volunteers to raise money for Gopi’s travel expenses, but on the way he is involved in an accident. The family’s plans are overshadowed by grief and hardship.

Gopi borrows money from a moneylender to pay for Singam’s treatment, but the moneylender belittles Singam. In a fit of rage, Gopi stabs the moneylender and takes his money. When he returns, Singam is already dead.

Maha’s parents arrange a marriage for her, and Prabhu confesses his love for Maha. She reveals that her heart belongs to Gopi, not him. Prabhu, devastated, tries to molest Maha but ends up stabbing himself in guilt.

Gopi informs Maha that he killed the moneylender and they decide to marry immediately. The next day, they are arrested for the deaths of Prabhu and the moneylender. Hari, overwhelmed by grief, throws his harmonium into the sea and runs amok.