Chandran and Balan are showered love and affection by their father and stepmother. But Chandran does not realise the value of this and grows into a bad boy.

Soman is brought up by his elder brother Raju and his shrewish wife Janu. Soman is in love with Lakshmi, the daughter of a poor village performer Kaniyan who belongs to a lower caste. Raju, employed by the zamindar and Janu resent the inter-caste marriage between Soman and Lakshmi.

Estate owner Kurup seduces and then disowns a village girl, Devaki. This sparks off a revolt in the village. A workers union leader Gopi leads the revolt. Kurup goes on to marry Radha, an educated and socially committed worker. How Radha comes to understand the wickedness of her husband and frees herself from his immoral clutches forms the crux of the film.

Jnanambika, the heroine of the film, is the daughter of a wealthy landlord, Rajasekharan. After the death of her mother, her father marries again. Rajamani, the villainous second wife tortures Jnanambika, forcing her to run away from home.