Thiru.Manickam

Manickam runs a lottery shop at the Kumily bus stand and supports his family. Sumathi cooks parcel meals for estate workers to supplement their income, while their younger daughter Vaanathi struggles with a speech stammer. With debt mounting and the shop about to be vacated for upcoming construction, Sumathi even sacrifices her gold chain to help secure a new premises.

An impoverished elderly man visits the shop and realizes he has lost his ₹500 note. Manickam agrees to keep the lottery tickets aside until the man returns to pay, demonstrating his integrity. One of the tickets turns out to be worth ₹1.5 crore, surprising everyone present.

Motivated by the win, Manickam resolves to locate the elderly man and hand over the winning ticket in Idukki, despite the uncertainty of finding him. En route, he encounters Gurumoorthy, an NRI who questions the practicality of such a quest and advises caution.

Sumathi’s relatives urge Manickam to return with the tickets given the family’s dire finances, but he remains steadfast in his plan. They enlist Church Father Samuel to persuade him to come back, yet Manickam refuses to budge, valuing his mission over immediate gain.

Father Samuel contacts Joseph, a cybercrime policeman, who agrees to help for a bribe of ₹2 lakhs. The offer underscores the murky implications of chasing truth in a system influenced by money and power.

SI Rajendran learns about the lottery ticket and schemes to exploit the situation for personal gain. He orders his subordinates to arrest Manickam on false charges of stealing ₹1.5 crore, claiming cannabis possession as a pretext.

Manickam’s photo is sent to Constable Sargunam, but a weak signal in the forest prevents him from viewing it in time. The bus eventually develops a puncture, forcing Manickam to switch to another minibus as the pursuit continues.

Joseph misleads Chandru toward a cliff, creating a diversion that helps ensure Manickam’s safety. The ruse buys crucial moments for Manickam to maneuver through the escalating chase.

Manickam locates the elderly man, but police momentarily close in as SI Rajendran arrives. He escapes still determined and succeeds in handing over the lottery ticket to the elderly man, which averts a crisis and saves the elderly man’s daughter from contemplating suicide.

The elderly man insists that Manickam deserves the lottery winnings due to his selfless act, but Manickam refuses to take the prize, steadfast in his ethics and sense of justice.

Manickam’s virtuous act goes viral on social media, earning him widespread recognition. The Chief Minister felicitates Manickam and Sumathi is offered a government job; the district collector funds their daughter’s education, Vaanathi’s medical expenses are covered by the ruling party, and a builder friend of the Chief Minister offers the family a residence.

The elderly man uses the lottery winnings to build a hospital in Poomparai village with government assistance, turning a personal windfall into public good. This act embodies the film’s message of ethical wealth and communal responsibility.

Manickam addresses the media, emphasizing that honesty and righteousness are fundamental principles. He argues that being rewarded for such values implies that righteousness has become exceptional, challenging the idea that virtue must be unusual to be valued.