Vetrivel

In 1987, with India's local governance reforms in the air, village leaders press Maniyakkarar Rajamanickam to contest the upcoming village chief election. He agrees to stand after the insistence of the community, despite concerns about the post attracting ill-intentioned outsiders. The political climate makes the decision a focal point of village tensions.

Rajamanickam enters the race, but his brother-in-law initially withdraws and then refuses to step aside, turning the campaign into a heated confrontation. The family dispute deepens as the campaign progresses. The seeds of long-standing enmity are sown against the backdrop of local politics.

The election ends with Rajamanickam winning by a wide margin. The defeat drives his brother-in-law to suicide, and Kayavarnam swears revenge, souring family ties for years to come.

Kayavarnam severs ties with Rajamanickam, deepening the clan's rift and setting the stage for a feud that will surface again decades later.

Jumping ahead to 2010, the focus centers on Vetrivel, an organic fertilizer vendor living in a nearby village with his father Navaneetham, mother Saradha, and brother Saravanan. The family dynamic establishes the context for future conflicts and alliances.

Vetrivel develops feelings for agriculture researcher Janani, while Saravanan falls for Subha, a classmate of his. The budding romances complicate arranged-match dynamics and hint at the emotional stakes ahead.

In an attempt to bridge the two families, Vetrivel urges his father to propose a marriage between Saravanan and Subha, but Rajamanickam opposes the match on caste grounds. The families begin tentative discussions, setting the stage for further conflicts.

During a temple festival, Vetrivel and Saravanan hatch a plan to kidnap Subha to secure an alliance, but the scheme backfires and they end up abducting Latha instead. The mistaken kidnapping triggers a cascade of destabilizing events in the village.

Latha is betrothed to Arul, Kayavarnam's son, but her father commits suicide before she can reach him, believing she has eloped. The tragedy amplifies the sense of injustice and raises the emotional stakes for everyone involved.

Latha learns that Kayavarnam's harsh behavior toward her father helped drive him to despair, deepening her sense of injustice and complicating the fragile de facto truces between families.

To protect Latha, Vetrivel marries her, and his parents gradually come to accept the arrangement, while Janani remains disappointed but understanding of the difficult circumstances. The union reshapes family alliances and expectations.

In the climactic sequence, Rajamanickam is kidnapped by Kayavarnam and Subha warns Saravanan of the danger; with Vetrivel's help, a rescue unfolds. It is revealed that Kayavarnam and Arul conspired to kill Saravanan, but the attackers are defeated, Subha marries Saravanan, and a new alliance finally ends the long-running feud.