Padheyam

Famous poet and best-selling author Chandradas arrives in Kodaikanal to attend a school felicitation ceremony. He is greeted by the campus atmosphere and recognizes the significance of the event. The setting foreshadows the personal revelations that will soon unfold.

Harita directs and performs the lead in a group dance skit inspired by Chandradas's poetry. The performance reveals remarkable originality and confidence, catching the poet's attention. Chandradas becomes intrigued by the performer beyond the surface.

After the ceremony, Chandradas attempts to reach Harita to learn more about her, but strict school rules prevent direct contact with a student. The barrier underscores how fragile their budding connection is. He begins to realize the obstacles ahead of any future encounters.

To bypass the restrictions, Chandradas arranges a meeting with Harita through one of her favorite teachers. The setup allows him to reveal his existence as her father in a controlled, intimate space. Harita's curiosity and fear collide as she hears the truth.

In the meeting, Chandradas discloses that he is her father, conceived after he raped her mother fifteen years earlier. The revelation shatters Harita's sense of identity and triggers a flood of questions about her past. She struggles to reconcile this new truth with the girl she thought she knew.

Harita's grandfather Govinda Menon arrives to pick her up after exams, but the school principal tells them she is missing. The news jolts Harita and signals the first ripple of a larger clash between families. The external gaze of authority intensifies the crisis.

Harita's parents are informed of the situation and rush to retrieve their daughter. They arrive at the school to bring her home, while the family grapples with the weight of the revelation. The separation from Chandradas grows more painful as the truth lands more heavily.

Chandradas goes to Harita's parents' house requesting to take Harita for a few days at his ancestral home. Harita's grandfather treats him badly and asks him to leave, escalating the personal stake of the dispute. The refusal intensifies the clash between personal longing and family authority.

Frustrated by the impasse, Chandradas resorts to court to claim his rights over Harita. The legal process introduces formal testimony, contradictions, and new stakes for everyone involved. Harita's choice becomes a focal point in the case.

During the proceedings, the court asks Harita who she wants to spend time with while the matter is adjudicated. She selects Chandradas, an act that shatters the remaining stability of Harita's family. The moment marks a turning point in her sense of belonging.

Chandradas and his brother take Harita to their ancestral home where she spends a few days in relative joy. Yet memories of her parents and the loving environment she left behind haunt her. The contrast between care from the uncle and the absence of her mother and father gnaws at her.

On the final day, Harita cooks for Chandradas and his brother, sharing a peaceful, memory-filled moment. The time together is tender and bittersweet as she realizes the coming separation. They share a quiet, idyllic farewell that binds her to both families in memory.

Chandradas takes Harita back toward her parents' home, recounting memories that will sustain him for life. He tells Harita’s stepfather that her love for him is overshadowed by her affection for her family. The moment crystallizes the impossible choice Harita has been forced to make.

After delivering Harita to the place where her heart truly belongs, Chandradas walks to the waiting car and begins the return trip to Kolkata. Harita watches him go with tears in her eyes, a poignant symbol of the families left behind and the bond that remains. The film closes on a note of unresolved longing and the endurance of memory.