The film begins with Shantidevi (Vijayashanti) being announced as the number one Industrialist in India. Shantidevi is a rich and arrogant lady and rules her company with an iron hand. Enters Krishnan (Rajinikanth) who is a kind-hearted man who works as a welder in Mumbai and comes to Chennai to see his mother. Krishnan and Shantidevi meet at the airport and their first meeting ends on a bitter note. Krishnan learns that his mother is suffering from paralysis. Krishnan quits his job in Mumbai and decides to stay in Chennai to take care of his ailing mother. His family doctor recommends Krishnan to meet a renowned business man for his job. Krishnan goes to meet the business man and on the way an elderly man, Viswanathan, is beaten up by several men. Krishnan helps him and takes him to a hospital and finds out that Viswanathan is none other the business man whom he was going to meet. Krishnan is asked to go to the factory only to discover that factory belongs to Shantidevi who happens to be Viswanathan's daughter. Shantidevi refuses to hire Krishnan but later due to her dad's compulsion she recruits Krishnan.
Marthandan lives with his parents in a palace. He sets out to Chennai to find a girl. There he meets "Idea Mani" (Goundamani), who is very cunning and tries to make money from the innocent Marthandan in comical ways. He meets a girl (Kushboo) in a bakery and befriends her. The rest of the story is about how he tries to win her over and how he understands the value of money.
The story was of an amnesiac who struggles to find his past after memory loss. Salim Ghouse played the villain role. It was dubbed in Telugu as Vijethalu and released in 1989.
S.P. Choudhry (Sivaji Ganesan) is a dedicated policeman, caring husband and a respected man in the community. Being a policeman, however, makes him a strong disciplinarian, even at home. Because of Choudhry’s dedication to hs job, his son, Jagan (Shrikanth), grows up more under the care of his mother Lakshmi (K.R.Vijaya) than under his father. As Jagan grows up he becomes more and more rebellious. He begins to play truant, gamble and lie to his parents. Choudhry’s attempts to discipline him only results in Jagan resenting him.
Prestige Padmanabha Iyer retires from his company executive position and has a lonely and unhappy life with his family in the ancestral home Vietnam House, named for the constant fighting and arguing.
Sundharam (Sivaji Ganesan) loves Gomathi (C. R. Vijayakumari), where the latter is an orphan and lives with her uncle's family. Sundharam leaves to the United States of America for further studies. When Sundharam comes back four years later, he was shocked to see that his mother Vedhavalli (M. V. Rajamma) as a widow and was told that his father Sambasivam committed suicide due to of disgrace that unable to pay back the loans.
Zamindar Sivalingam (Sivaji Ganesan) is married to Lakshmiammal (Sowcar Janaki) and takes his family's prestige and heritage very seriously. Dancer Sulochana and Lakshmiammal have baby girls at the same time in the same hospital.
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai has devoted himself to the cause of India's freedom from the British. Chidambaram, appearing for a poor peasant Madasami, wins a case filed by an agent of a British proprietor. Chidambaram's father who appeared for the agent, sends his son to Tuticorin lest the British proprietor should give him any trouble. Madasami who accompanies Chidambaram, looks after the latter's salt -pan. At Tuticorin, Chidambaram meets Subramaniya Siva, a freedom fighter and works for the Swadeshi movement. Chidambaram receives a complaint from some of the local merchants that the British Shipping Company had refused to load their goods. Against great odds, Chidambaram starts the National Shipping Company with Indian Capital to free Indian trade from dependence on foreign liners. The company prospers despite attempts by the British Company to sabotage the ship of the Indian firm. Chidambaram incurs the displeasure of the Government by organising a strike for getting the grievances of the local coral mill workers redressed and by organising public celebrations to mark the release of Bipin Chandra Pal in contravention of a prohibitory order.
Rajasekhar (Sivaji Ganesan) becomes the guardian to his younger sister Radha (Savitri) after their parents’ death. The brother-sister duo love, care and adore each other and are inseparable. When the factory in which Rajasekhar works is shut down due to a labour problem and he is depressed, Radha gives him ₹1000 which she had earned and saved by making toys. She advises him to use this money as seed capital and commence his own toy business. The dutiful brother follows his sister’s advice, starts a business and in a short time, becomes rich. Anand (Gemini Ganesan) an ex-colleague of Rajasekhar who earlier helped him to get a job in his old factory, is jobless and approaches Rajasekhar for work. Rajasekhar appoints him in his concern and over a period of time, Anand and Radha fall in love. Rajasekhar, who is very possessive of his sister, gets angry with Anand as he feels betrayed.