Vaathi

Abhiram and friends stumble upon an old box of cassette tapes containing mathematics lectures, accompanied by a receipt in the name of Kumar dating back to 2000. They investigate and learn that Kumar is Kadapa's district magistrate, and Kumar later reveals that the man on the video is Bala. This discovery ties the present-day Pursuit to Bala's past influence in Sozhavaram.

The plot flashes back to 1993, when private institutions are proliferating and government colleges struggle for support. Bala is assigned to a government junior college in Sozhavaram to teach mathematics. He discovers low attendance and a looming threat that the college might close.

Bala organizes a meeting with villagers and their children to stress the importance of education. His message rekindles interest, and students begin returning to classes as Bala adds extra sessions and enlists a former student, Muthu, to assist. The community starts to see education as a pathway out of poverty.

Bala falls in love with Meenakshi, the biology teacher at the institution. He also notices caste differences among students and conceives a plan to eliminate these barriers, advocating equal opportunities for all. His efforts aim to foster a more inclusive learning environment.

The final board exams are held, and all students pass with first-class distinctions. Bala's approach leads to strengthened attendance and performance, demonstrating the impact of his educational push. The success signals a shift away from the private-centric model.

Srinivas tries to lure Bala with a lucrative job to keep students within private institutions. Bala refuses, and Srinivas uses influence through the education minister to rollback Bala's positions and recruit new lecturers, effectively sidelining Bala.

Bala begins private tutoring in an open field in the village. Thirupathi incites the villagers to drive him away, and Bala fights back but is arrested and tortured while in custody. He is then dropped back into the village under a tense social climate.

Bala's ex-students come to his aid and help him return to his hometown. He becomes dependent on his father Narayanan, who works as a driver, as he grapples with the aftermath of his imprisonment. The community begins to reframe his contributions as they seek to support him.

After recovering, Bala resumes tutoring at home at the insistence of Ansari, a former colleague. Meenakshi arrives and decides to marry him, signaling a personal and professional new chapter for Bala. The couple’s partnership reinforces Bala's mission to educate the underprivileged.

Bala records his lectures on cassette tapes and sends them to Bhupathi, Abhiram's grandfather, a photographer in Sozhavaram. Bhupathi stages daily shows at 6 p.m. in a nearby theater, where Bala's lectures are broadcast. To engage students, Bala visits the village each Sunday undercover as a drama artist to clear doubts.

On exam day, Thirupathi tries to secure favors for his own institution. Bala resists, defending the students and their right to study. The exams proceed with strong results, and Muthu achieves the first rank, later revealing himself as Kumar.

The theater becomes a coaching center for the underprivileged, run by the old students who take turns teaching each year. Although Kumar no longer knows Bala's exact whereabouts, it is revealed that Bala and Meenakshi opened the Ansari School of Knowledge in Ooty to provide free education for the underprivileged.

Abhiram and his friends achieve top ranks in the JEE Mains, with Abhiram securing the first rank under the guidance of Kumar, the veteran students, and Bala's recorded tapes. At the felicitation, Abhiram credits Bala for his success, and Bala's tapes are publicly released, exposing Thirupathi's manipulation.