Pokkiri Raja 1982

Ramesh Y. G. Mahendran is the manager at the office of Paranthaman, a shrewd industrialist who suspects that his relatives are siphoning off his wealth. Ramesh takes a firm, almost watchful stance over the operations of the business, tightening controls and keeping a close eye on every move. His vigilance earns him the ire of Paranthaman’s relatives, Venkatachalam and Chandran, who feel boxed in by his strong hand and relentless discipline.

Amid the tense family dynamic, Ramesh crosses paths with Vanaja, Paranthaman’s daughter, and their initially rocky relationship gradually blossoms into something warmer. Vanaja’s presence softens the edges of Ramesh’s hard-edged professional life, but Paranthaman’s happiness is short-lived. He becomes convinced that Ramesh is cheating on his daughter, and this perceived betrayal prompts him to fire Ramesh on the very day their relationship seems to be shifting toward something more serious.

That night, Paranthaman is murdered, and Vanaja is the one who later witnesses Ramesh in her home, which leads to a dramatic turn of events. In court, Vanaja’s testimony, which is later revealed to have been coerced under threat, condemns Ramesh as the killer. He finds himself jailed, believing that the truth will come to light once safeguards against coercion are recognized. A month into his sentence, Ramesh encounters Raja, a petty thief who is slated to be released soon and who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. This lookalike, played by a different life, offers a path to expose the real culprits.

Raja, a man who has also fallen through the cracks of the legal system, agrees to help. With Raja’s permission, Ramesh masquerades as Raja for three days, leveraging the ruse to uncover the truth that lies behind the murder case. The deception complicates every relationship around Paranthaman’s business, especially when Venkatachalam targets the imposter for arrest after discovering a burglary attempt on Paranthaman’s property. The complication intensifies when Raja’s lover, Rakkayi, identifies him as Raja, saving him from immediate capture and transporting him into a different circle of danger and opportunity.

Venkatachalam, unaware that he is dealing with Ramesh’s double, uses the moment to probe Vanaja’s upcoming marriage to Chandran, Paranthaman’s son. In a sequence of high-stakes moves, Ramesh uses the ruse to protect Vanaja, hiding her at his mother’s house and explaining the misidentification to her, while Vanaja begins to see the truth behind the tangled web of deceit. In time, Ramesh takes a decisive step to protect Vanaja by marrying her at his mother’s request, a consummation that ties him to the family beyond the immediate crisis.

After three days, the plan reaches a critical point: Ramesh returns to prison, and the switch with Raja is completed, allowing Raja to live free while Ramesh briefly steps back into his prior life. Raja, now free and reunited with Rakkayi, shares with her the revelations about Ramesh’s sacrifice and the double life he chose to lead in order to safeguard the truth. Vanaja’s faith in him is tempered by the complexities of his choices, but her relationship with Ramesh endures as they navigate the consequences of their actions.

With the immediate threat contained, Paranthaman’s murder finally comes under clear scrutiny. Chandran and Venkatachalam are revealed to be the principal culprits, and Raja records the entire confession on tape. The confrontation spills into the courtroom as Ramesh and Raja confront the pair and their criminal network, subduing the thugs who stand in their way. The incriminating tape is played in court, catching the killers in their lies and securing their arrest.

In the aftermath, Ramesh’s release is secured through Vanaja’s support, closing a chapter marked by suspicion, mistaken identity, and perilous deception. The narrative culminates in a courtroom victory that serves as a reminder of the power of perseverance and justice, even when the path to truth is tangled with lies and identities that aren’t what they seem.