Raja, the son of a poor and widowed washerwoman, is well-talented in the arts from his childhood. Thengai Srinivasan who runs a drama troupe is impressed with Raja's talent and enlists him in this troupe and Raja's mother travels with the troupe as well. While performing in a zameen with the troupe, Raja meets and falls in love with the zamindar's pretty daughter Bhuvana and they engage in a secretive romance assisted by Bhuvana's pet peacock named Vadivelan. When the zamindar becomes aware of their relationship, he agrees to get them only married only if Raja cuts all ties with his mother, considering her poor status. Raja expectedly refuses and unable to convince her adamant father, Bhuvana elopes with Raja and joins the troupe as well. This enrages the zamindar's villainous nephew Mohan, who had been eyeing the zameen's ownership by marrying Bhuvana. Whether Raja and Bhuvana are able to thwart the odds against them form the rest of the story.