Kanni Raasi 1985

Lakshmipathi Prabhu is a carefree youth in a rural village who spends his days chasing any job that comes his way, never settling on one path. His elder sister Kasthuri Sumithra writes to him from Chennai, urging him to visit, but the villagers push him to leave the village behind in search of a better future. He finally makes the journey to the city to stay with his sister, and her husband, Gopi Krishna Goundamani, helps him secure a modest job as a watchman.

In Chennai, a new relationship begins to bloom. Kasthuri’s daughter Dhanalakshmi Revathi falls in love with Lakshmipathi, and he, in turn, returns her affection. It’s a setup that echoes an older tradition, since it was once common for a girl to marry her mother’s younger brother, a custom that complicates how their families view the match. The couple’s feelings grow in quiet moments, as they start meeting and planning a future together, even as the world around them debates the social norms of the time.

Trouble enters when Kasthuri consults an astrologer who claims their horoscopes do not match and that their union could bring disaster, even death for Lakshmipathi. Distressed by this warning, Kasthuri takes steps to separate them, evicting Lakshmipathi from her house. Sivaraman Sivaraman, who is in love with Dhanalakshmi, hides Lakshmipathi, not realizing the young man’s exact identity. As Kasthuri presses her daughter to forget Lakshmipathi, Dhanalakshmi gently challenges the superstition, while Lakshmipathi tries to convince her not to believe in astrology.

Despite the family tensions, Lakshmipathi and Dhanalakshmi continue to meet in secret. They share careful rides and small gestures of affection, trusting that their bond will withstand the disapproval around them. A dangerous moment comes when a bike trip leads to a near-fatal accident, but they survive, and Kasthuri’s fury grows as she interprets the incident as a perilous sign for Lakshmipathi’s future.

Heartbreak follows as Lakshmipathi returns to his village to seek solace with his parents. News arrives that Dhanalakshmi’s wedding has been fixed with another man, forcing Lakshmipathi to rush back to Chennai. He confronts Kasthuri and pleads with her to cancel the arranged match, arguing that the couple should be allowed to choose their own path. Finally, Kasthuri relents, and Lakshmipathi and Dhanalakshmi marry. Yet the celebration is doomed to be brief: Dhanalakshmi faintens and confesses that she had already swallowed poison, intending to end her life rather than be married to another—and she dies in Lakshmipathi’s arms, leaving a sorrowful and lifelong memory of a love challenged by fate, superstition, and tradition.