Vimala is the eldest daughter of a poor family. Her aged father is sick and is not receiving his pension. She has two grown-up siblings, Gopi and Malathy, who have scant regard for their sister's troubles getting food on the table and educating them. Vimala is a tuition teacher who runs the house with the money she gets from teaching students. Her siblings are spoilt, do not help in any way, and keep asking her for money. Malathy is incredibly spiteful, doesn't help in the house, and spends her time reading magazines, which her sister cannot afford. Vimala gets it in her head that her adult siblings have no mother, so she must mother them and look after them. Soon, she gets a good job as a typist in an office, but office politics and toxicity troubles her. Her boss, Hari, is a good man and helps her out when the head office clerk, Swami, attempts to withhold her salary and makes her work late on purpose.

Vimala has an evil aunt who is constantly gossiping about her. One day, she sees Vimala talking to Rajasekharan and tells Malathy that Vimala is flirting with a man. Malathy instantly believes her and informs her family, who also instantly believe Malathy and accuse Vimala of being a woman of no morals. Vimala then reveals that Rajasekharan is interested in marrying Malathy and has met her several times to ask for her hand in marriage. Vimala's family is overjoyed as Rajasekharan is an engineer with a good job. They instantly agree to the wedding. Rajasekharan understands the plight of his fiancee's family and wants a simple wedding ceremony at the temple. But Malathy throws a fit and tells Vimala she wants a lavish wedding. Vimala agrees and borrows money to conduct the wedding.

Soon, Malathy is pregnant, and Vimala borrows money yet again and takes leave from the office to look after her during the last trimester and after the birth of her child. Meanwhile, Gopi asks Vimala for money to go to Madras for a job that someone has promised him. Vimala borrows yet again to give him the money. Gopi has a rich girlfriend to whom he lies about being from a wealthy family. He meets his girlfriend in Madras and spends all the money there.

Vimala's boss drops her home one day as she has to work late, and Vimala's aunt sees this and tells Malathy that her sister is having an affair with her boss. Malathy relates this to her dad, who instantly believes her and leaves the house with Malathy in a huff. Malathy also informs Gopi, who also believes her.

Unable to deal with her ungrateful family, Vimala commits suicide.

The music was composed by M. S. Baburaj and the lyrics were written by Yusufali Kechery.

• Udhyogastha at IMDb