Thenali

Thenali Soman, a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee, travels to Chennai seeking help for multiple phobias rooted in the civil war. He is placed under the care of Doctors Panchabhootham and his assistant, who are eager to see Kailash’s rising fame challenged and arrange for Thenali to be treated by him.

After Thenali’s initial appointment, Kailash travels to a vacation home in Kodaikanal with his wife Jalaja and two children. Panchabhootham pushes for Thenali to meet Kailash during this trip, hoping to derail Kailash’s progress if Thenali fails.

Thenali reaches Kailash's house in Kodaikanal and becomes enamored with Kailash’s younger sister, Janaki. Janaki strongly opposes the romance, creating tension within the household.

Kailash becomes increasingly unsettled by Thenali's antics and suspects that his wife Jalaja is having an affair with Thenali, given Jalaja's soft corner for him. This mistrust fuels mounting tension at home.

In a masterstroke of paranoia, Kailash ties Thenali to a tree with a time bomb to kill him. Thenali initially believes the device is a harmless ploy to ease his fears, a misinterpretation that sets the stage for tragedy.

Thenali disarms the device and later places it in Kailash's house for future use. The bomb explodes there, leaving Kailash with a paralytic attack that dramatically alters the course of their lives.

Thenali marries Janaki, and he believes Kailash was duped into buying a real bomb rather than a fake one. The marriage deepens the rift and adds a personal twist to the conflict.

During a family picnic, Thenali’s long-lost wife—also named Janaki—shows up and reunites with him. The unexpected reunion throws Kailash into a furious, yet revealing, emotional turmoil.

Kailash leaps from his wheelchair and berates Thenali for ruining his sister's life, only to discover that the reunion was a calculated setup. Thenali reveals that the whole plan was meant to cure Kailash’s paralysis.

The woman posing as Thenali's wife is revealed to be actress Meena, confirming Thenali's orchestration of the ruse. Kailash realises his mistake and publicly acknowledges Thenali's ingenuity and persistence.

Kailash thanks Thenali for the unorthodox cure and the two form a renewed, albeit wary, understanding. The film closes with a sense of reconciliation and mutual respect between the two men.