Kabali, a fisherman, is both revered and dreaded. He falls for Suganthi, a chorus singer, and tries to woo her. Sundar, a rich man, is a womaniser and is able to have any girls he wants by money or by force. His mother sympathizes with Suganthi and decides to get her married to Sundar. When Kabali is about to declare his love, she announces her marriage. What transpires later forms the crux of the story.