Sakthivel (Kamal Haasan) returns home to his father Periya Thevar’s (Sivaji Ganesan) village in Tamil Nadu after completing his education in London. Much to his father’s annoyance, he brings his westernized girlfriend Bhanu (Gautami) with him to meet his family. Periya Thevar is deeply offended since it is a tradition that the family elders choose the youngster's spouses. To make things worse, Sakthivel reveals his plans on opening a chain of restaurants in Chennai which saddens Periya Thevar as he wanted his son to help the villagers improve their lifestyle with his level of education.