A widow's grief for her husband provides the focus in this tender Indian drama. Ramayyar was the joy of Ananpoorna's life. His recent death literally drained all color from Ananpoorna's life. The movie is a combination of her memories and her present situation. Before her husband died, the two owned a small cafe in Kerala, their home village. The remote little town is connected to the world by passing trains en route to the city of Trivandrum. When the funeral is finished, Ananpoorna finds herself destitute and unable to support her teenage son and daughter. To pay her debts, her cafe is sold and razed. Afterwards she moves in with her brother-in-law. Her son, Kannan, must decide whether to join the military, at the advice of the stationmaster, or join his friend who journeys to the Middle-East.

Kunhikuttan, a famous Kathakali dancer, meets Subhadra, a woman from an upper caste family, who falls in love with his character rather than himself.