In the 1980s Anantapur district, a man and a boy are trekking across a river, carrying homemade bombs. In another part of the village, a woman, a man, and a young girl are also hiding from the police.
The narrator reveals in a flashback that the man is Narappa and the boy is his son Seenappa. In contrast, the woman, man, and child are Narappa's wife, Sundaramma, her brother Basavaiah and daughter Bujjamma. They also had an older son called Munikanna. They are a family of farmers living in Ramasagaram. Narappa has a close relationship with his older son but is distant, almost abusive with Seenappa. Narappa's family of farmers.
Panduswamy is an landlord from Vadakoor (lit. northern village), who plans a cement factory with his youngest Doraswamy and they needs Narappa's 3 acres of land, to which the family is against selling, especially Munikanna. One day Sundaramma is attacked by Panduswamy's son Rangababu, to which Munikanna retaliates by severely injuring him and gets imprisoned. Consequently. Narappa pleads with Panduswamy to get Munikanna released, and he asks Narappa to prostrate before every male resident of the landlord's village as atonement. Being cognizant of it, Munikanna slaps Panduswamy with a slipper. In revenge, Panduswamy's henchmen, led by a hunter Gampanna, behead Munikanna. Sundaramma is broken, and after a year, Seenappa is compelled to kill Panduswamy in revenge. Narappa views the attack, and flees with the family.
The film switches back to the present. Gampanna is ordered by Doraswamy & Rangababu to find the pair, tracks them down, and almost kills Seenappa. Narappa defeats them all and when they recovers, Narappa explains why he spared their lives.
Twenty years earlier, he is a village-famous moonshine brewer and trusted servant to Shankaraiah, a landlord. One day, he convinces his employer to employ Seenu, Shankaraiah's distant relative, as a clerk. Narappa's brother Munnappa and Varadarajulu, a lawyer, are attempting to regain their poor farming community's land from landlords who had seized it illegally. Narappa's family repeatedly fails to find a bride for him as he is a brewer. Frustrated Narappa's elder sister's daughter Kannamma, proposes to her uncle which he and the family accepts. Seenu slowly gains Shankaraiah's trust and becomes his mill accountant. Once Narappa beats Seenu inside the mill, for refusing to loan Rs. 1 to him and he plans revenge. Meanwhile, Narappa gifts sandals to Kannamma. Noticing Kannamma wearing sandals, Seenu hits her and forces her to walk through the village with the sandals on her head. Narappa retaliates by hitting him with sandals in the middle of the village and ties him up but is reprimanded by Shankaraiah. Humiliated Narapppa quits brewing and joins his brother. One night, before a meeting is conducted by Munnappa and Narappa, the news arrives that Varadarajulu is arrested, and Narappa is sent to get the documents authorizing the meeting. When he returns, Munappa has been killed by Seenu and Narappa's entire family is burned alive in their huts along with Kannamma. Enraged, Narappa brutally kills Shankaraiah, Seenu, and their men.
After that, Narappa leaves the village and months later is found by Basavaiah, who taught him farming. He's also introduced to Sundaramma, who is not getting marriage proposals. Then, he narrates his story, and Sundaramma admires what he did for his family. He surrenders to the court and is given a short-term penalty. After serving his sentence he marries Sundaramma. Seenappa is amazed at his father's past and starts to admire him. Narappa reconciles with his wife and reaches Varadarajulu for help who advises them to turn up to court the next day.
Doraswamy and Rangababu plan an ambush near the court premises and Narappa and his son flee. Later Narappa reluctantly sells his land to protect Seenappa from Panduswamy's family. However, Seenappa is abducted and tortured by Doraswamy & Rangababu, in direct violation of the agreement. At this point, infuriated Narappa kills them and many of their henchmen. Though he and Seenappa sustain serious injuries. Basavaiah and their village people arrive armed and defuse the situation.
In the end, it's revealed that the two villages agreed that the conflict should end and prevented a village clash. Narappa's family has gathered in the court, and he has agreed to go to jail instead of Seenappa if necessary. He tells his son to study hard and get a job, and that, unlike land and money, the landlords can't seize their education. The film ends with Narappa smiling at his family as he enters the court.
