Karutha Pakshikal is the story of a Tamilian immigrant Murugan, who makes a living out of ironing clothes of city-dwellers in Kerala. He is a widower living in a slum with his three children, one of whom is blind and thereby his pet.

Revolves around the murder of a delivery boy. And more murders happen. After some serious probing, it is suspected that a huge mafia network behind these murders. How the culprits are tracked down is the rest of the movie.

Vishwanath Rai is a wealthy, kind-hearted businessman who has earned much respect by his deeds. Naganna, his brother-in-law, plots against him so as to execute some of his wicked schemes and make it big in the field of black money. When the former discovers this he fights Naganna and dies in the process. Thirsty for vengeance, his son Tejashri "Teja" returns from abroad after several years to confront his nemesis.