Maharaja is a quiet man, working as a barber in Ramki Saloon in Chennai. One day, a truck slams into his house, leading to his wife’s death. His daughter, Jothi, survives when a dustbin accidentally falls and covers her. Maharaja and Jothi name the dustbin “Lakshmi” out of affection.

One day, Maharaja visits the local police station to report a robbery, citing that Lakshmi has been robbed, much to the amusement of the cops. He recounts the incident: an armed gang raided his house, attacked him, and took Lakshmi. The police do not want to invest effort in finding an empty dustbin but accept once he promises a bribe of ₹5 lakhs for the culprits. They rope in Nallasivam, a convict turned informant.