This evocative tale delves into the life of Raghuvaran, a graduate in Civil Engineering, but has been unemployed for four years. He is adamant about working in a job related to his field only and is unwilling to accept any other position.
He often comes into conflict with his father, who considers him irresponsible. His younger brother, Karthik, works in an IT company, earning well and, evidently, his father's approval. Raghuvaran's mother, Bhuvana, however, supports him. Raghuvaran falls for his neighbour's daughter, Shalini who hates him initially, but warms up to him after hearing about the difficulties he is facing and eventually reciprocates his love.
One day, while Raghuvaran's father and Karthik are absent, he is asked to look after his mother, who has a heart condition. However, he goes out on a date with Shalini. On returning home, he finds that his mother died of a heart attack. Raghuvaran feels guilty and develops depression. Meanwhile, Bhuvana's lungs are transplanted into Anitha, a chain smoker who developed lung cancer.
Anitha's father is the chairman of a big engineering company in Chennai and offers Raghuvaran a job in his company as a token of his gratitude for saving Anitha's life. Raghuvaran accepts the job and is subsequently offered an assignment on buying a land used for a government project to construct high-rise flats to re-house people living in a nearby slum.
Azhagusundaram and Manickam are appointed as his assistants. He successfully wins the contract from the government and begins work on it immediately.
Arun Subramaniam, a business novice who took over his father's company, bid for the same contract. Furious that he did not get the land, he tries to thwart Raghuvaran's progress in a number of ways.
Raghuvaran overcomes each of these obstacles and continues his work, but Arun eventually hires rowdies to beat up Raghuvaran's workers at the construction site.
The workers get injured and end up in hospital, which prompts Raghuvaran to go to Arun's office to put an end to this issue. He makes Arun confess that he sent the rowdies, which is recorded by a micro spy camera, and demands an apology from Arun, blackmailing him that otherwise the video would be made public.
Fearing that the video could tarnish his name, Arun's father sends his son to the hospital to apologize. Raghuvaran accepts the apology and the building is completed within 10 months.
On the day of the building's inauguration, Arun and a gang of rowdies ambush Raghuvaran on the way home. He outwits them but spares Arun, much to Arun's surprise. Raghuvaran says he has no intention to compete with or beat him and wishes to be his friend. Raghuvaran takes Arun to the site on his moped, where the district minister and Anitha inaugurate the building.