In a small village in the taluk of Kuttanad in Kerala, a farmer, his wife and three sons live a poverty-ridden life, where they struggle to eke out a living. Chathu, his wife Parukutty and their eldest son Arumugan pool together their meagre daily-wages, while their second son, Bipin, earns some tips doled out by inmates of neighbouring dwellings for bringing groceries and provisions from the market. Bhuvan, the youngest son and the protagonist of the story, is tasked to do several household chores, while the others are away at work.

Even though the young lad does everything that is required of him, he is subjected to physical and verbal abuse from his family, barring his mother, for no rhyme or reason. The neighbours, also, are vitriolic towards him in spite of him catering to their daily needs of bringing water from the nearby well. However, Bhuvan endures every insult and abuse without a flinch for the sake of maintaining harmony in the house.

After the demise of his mother, Bhuvan experiences a manifold increase in the harassment towards him and he finally decides to rise above his fate and carve out his own destiny. What follows is a saga of events that lifts the lad from the labyrinths of misery to the fortunate portals of a luxurious life. Fortune looks favourably on him for the risks he has undertaken and he emerges from the shadows to become, over time, a leader amongst men.