Based on true incidents, a south Indian Hindu man falls in love with a Muslim woman–taboo in the small village from which they hail. They marry against family wishes and move to Mumbai, where he works as a reporter for a large daily newspaper. Eventually, the couple has twin boys. The rest of the film is set during the December 1992-January 1993 period when the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid controversy raised religious tension in Mumbai and other parts of India, which sparked rioting and violence. The couple is separated from their children, and the fathers of both parents are killed when their home is burned by rioters. A reporter is shown interviewing politicians from both factions as well as the police. An underlying moral of thinking of oneself as an Indian rather than a Hindu or a Muslim is prevalent throughout the latter part of the film. The family is finally reunited after much searching through hospitals, morgues, and shelters.

When stuntman Sambandham (Kamal Haasan) and Dr. Janaki (Simran) come across each other at his brother Anand’s (Abbas) and her best friend Malathi’s (Sneha) hastily planned wedding ceremony, they instantly develop a dislike for each other. They both have a very low opinion of the opposite sex, and staunchly believe marriage is not the way to go for the two newly-weds, whom they try to discourage from proceeding further.
Janaki convinces Malathi to test out her theory that men are after only one thing, by forcing Malathi to delay their consummation for three months. She is sure Anand will not be able to do so and this will prove to Malathi that Anand is just another low-class male, like all others.