The tragedy of the lead character (Vijayakanth) is twofold, he is Don but is unhappy with his past and wants to turn a new leaf but cannot : the essence of the first tragedy is that there are two buts. The second is that despite being a crook by reputation, is a goodhearted crook .

He falls in love with a police official (Radha). This girl breathes idealistic fire and not only does she vow to have him breathing the musty jail air but worse scorns his love. She heaps insult upon insult but he sticks to his guns. That his love for her is a firm as rock would itself have made her heart like illfrozen icecream in the sun but he also turns up at the right moment and protects her honour that a gang of rapists was just about the foot.

The unkindest cut the type of violence that the film indulges in comes when she accuses her benefactor of having engineered the whole incident. When she learns the truth they join forces to settle scores with the villains, the don's associate (Radha Ravi) and corrupt police chief (Vinu Chakravarthy).