Shivalingam is a devoted communist representative who leads a local trade union, and his beliefs shape the moral and political frame of the village he serves. By comparison, Rangan is a tireless, hard-working worker at Govindarajan’s powerloom. He is loyal and principled, supporting his sister’s education and encouraging her to pursue work, even as his own parents push her toward labor in the loom. Govindarajan’s niece, Kalyani, is drawn to Rangan for his sincerity, while Shivalingam strives to explain the core tenets of communism and how they counter greed, though Rangan remains wary and doubting of those ideals.
At the heart of the story lies a brutal accident at the mill: Divya, Kalyani’s friend, loses her lower arm when a machine suddenly drags her saree. Govindarajan and Rangan rush her to the hospital. Govindarajan declares that Divya will eventually regain consciousness and urges Rangan to stay by her side, while he quietly arranges funds and situations to keep the incident quiet. The next day, Divya’s father is overwhelmed by shame and worry, and Govindarajan tells him that Divya’s disability cannot be fixed, nudging Rangan to bear the burden of Divya’s care while he covers the expenses. Rangan’s sense of justice pushes him to inform Shivalingam at a Communist meeting about the accident.
Shivalingam goes to the hospital and a tense negotiation unfolds with Govindarajan and his boss, who propose a settlement of three lakh as compensation. That night, Govindarajan takes Divya’s father to a hotel, gets him drunk, and manipulates him into signing papers and handing over a small amount of money. The next day, Shivalingam and his group confront Govindarajan at the hospital and compel him to write a check for three lakhs and to hand over the documents. Meanwhile, Kalyani confesses her love for Rangan, adding a personal dimension to the political drama.
Govindarajan’s trust in Rangan erodes as rumors and nephewly inquiries reveal that Rangan spoke with the union leaders and sought broader help for Divya. Govindarajan’s nephew confronts the tension, and Kalyani warns Rangan that Govindarajan has learned of his actions. Despite the mounting pressure, Kalyani urges Rangan to thank Shivalingam for his decisive intervention.
The tension escalates when Govindarajan’s young worker, Saravanan, is accused of inciting trouble, and a mob of violence erupts when the factory catches fire. A police officer roughs up Rangan at the station, forcing Shivalingam to intervene. Saravanan’s testimony is misleading, and the case appears to go against Rangan, until a judge becomes convinced of the unions’ legitimacy and Rangan is released. Shivalingam appeals to the DSP, who orders the officer to apologize to both Shivalingam and Rangan. Yet, in a pivotal moment of truth, Rangan resolves to tell the whole truth in court, which leads to Govindarajan’s imprisonment.
After the ordeal, Rangan stays at Shivalingam’s home with his pregnant wife, while Divya and Kalyani visit, distressed by the ongoing turbulence. Rangan continues to contribute on the farm, grows deeper into union activity, and attends secret meetings that plan strategic strikes. Govindarajan is released, but the workers’ solidarity has grown stronger, and Govindarajan’s nephew reports that the workers have joined the union. Govindarajan’s anger deepens as he senses the widening rift with Kalyani and Rangan’s relationship, while Rangan’s sisters and the family prepare for a wedding. Shivalingam is arrested briefly, but his departure inspires Rangan to carry the movement forward, even as Shivalingam’s wife goes into labor and asks him to lead the struggle with unwavering resolve.
In a defining moment, Rangan conducts a high-stakes strike for the people, tearing Govindarajan’s shirt as a symbol of resistance. He evades arrest for a time, then surrenders to the court and faces a short spell of judicial custody. The collector facilitates a wage-hike negotiation between the union and the owners, and the bosses concede to the workers’ demands. Divya shares the news that Kalyani has married, a turning point that leaves Rangan’s allies hopeful, while Shivalingam praises Rangan’s revolutionary spirit. Yet the atmosphere remains tense: Kalyani overhears Govindarajan’s brother and others plotting to kill Rangan to stop his interference.
That night, Rangan is found murdered, and the entire village recoils in shock—Divya, Kalyani, and Rangan’s younger sister are all vividly shaken by the loss. With Rangan gone, Kalyani tells Shivalingam that she heard him say he had killed Rangan, urging the elder to seek vengeance. Enraged, Shivalingam gathers his men and storms Govindarajan’s estate. The ensuing confrontation ends with Govindarajan’s associates fleeing before Shivalingam’s group surrounds the sprawling property and executes Govindarajan, delivering a brutal act of retribution for Rangan’s death and bringing the cycle of violence to a dramatic close.
In the end, the story presents a village divided by ideals and loyalty, where a union-driven struggle for justice clashes with personal loss, and where the cost of standing up for what one believes in leads to both triumph and tragedy. The characters’ arcs—Shivalingam’s steadfast faith, Rangan’s principled resistance, Kalyani’s tension between love and duty, and Govindarajan’s stubborn resistance—reverberate through a narrative that emphasizes collective action, sacrifice, and the heavy price of reform.
