Pammal K. Sambandam 2002

In Chennai, the stuntman Kamal Haasan as Sambandham and the surgeon Simran as Janaki cross paths at the elopement of Anand and Malathi, played by Abbas and Sneha, and they instantly develop a mutual distrust of the opposite gender and a firm disbelief in the idea of marriage. Sambandham’s blunt, coarse charm clashes with Janaki’s sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude, and the two quickly become sworn enemies, each convinced the other’s view of love is naïve. Their spat at the police station over the pending wedding leads to Sambandham’s arrest, from which he is later released on bail.

The marriage between Anand and Malathi soon strains under suspicion and misunderstanding. Malathi feels lied to about a job in Australia before they eloped, and, following Janaki’s counsel, begins to harass Anand and shoulder most of the household duties. To mend the rift, Sambandham attempts to play matchmaker by trying to pair Anand with a girl named Vanaja to spark jealousy and rekindle Malathi’s warmth. But Janaki counters this plan by feeding Malathi suspicions that Anand might be unfaithful, pushing the couple toward divorce and driving a deeper wedge between them.

As the drama unfolds, Janaki barges onto a movie set where Sambandham appears and accuses him of animal cruelty for using a bull and a snake in the production. A chaotic sequence ensues when Janaki accidentally flings a snake onto the bull’s head; the bull goes berserk, the snake is killed, and Sambandham is injured in the struggle while trying to shield Janaki. A saving operation follows, performed by Janaki herself; during the emergency, her prized wristwatch slips into Sambandham’s stomach and is revealed on an X-ray. She pretends to grow close again in order to sedate him and recover the watch, while he remains unaware that the watch is the motive behind her emotional overtures and gradually falls in love with her.

The couple’s engagement is arranged at his grandfather’s house, but the truth about the watch and the deception comes to light, and Janaki breaks off the engagement, leaving Sambandham heartbroken. Complications deepen when his grandfather discovers the reason behind the broken engagement and suffers a fatal heart attack. In parallel, Malathi and Anand manage to reconcile during a tense elevator crisis, which complicates the already delicate family dynamics.

Guilt and revelation drive Janaki to realize that Sambandham had quietly planned to transfer the lodge to her and transform it into an orphanage if they had married. This act of generosity makes her reevaluate her feelings, and she begins to understand that she has fallen in love with him. Rather than confess immediately, she inadvertently pushes him toward another solution: marrying his relative Rajeshwari alias Raji. The clock is ticking, as the deal requires a marriage within days or the lodge would slip away to the caste union.

In the film’s comedic climax, Raji’s own romantic adventures come to the fore, as she elopes with her Malayali lover, prompting Sambandham, Janaki, Anand, and Malathi to intervene. In a final twist of fate, Sambandham and Janaki also elope, and the two couples legally wed in a police station within the allotted deadline. The lodge remains in Sambandham’s hands, and he ultimately provides it to the orphanage, sealing a happy ending that balances love, duty, and community.