The story begins in a remote village Bobbarlanka adjoining river Godavari. Inspector Ananda Rao (Jaggayya) is newly posted in that village. After entering village he comes across various characters. A diabolic person Bhushaiah (Satyanarayana), the president of Bobbarlanka who behaves himself as a dictator. A kind-hearted person Dharmaiah (Kanta Rao) working as a doctor and his sister Radha (Vanisri), a school teacher. Bhushaiah has a bad eye on Radha. Anand Rao particularly fascinating by seeing a person Madhu (N. T. Rama Rao) who always lies in a cauldron of misery. Actually, Madhu belongs to a Zamindari family who lost everything and the entire village reward him as inhuman beast including his love interest Radha. At present he has a boat for his livelihood, two henchmen Abbulu (Saradhi) & Subbulu (Balakrishna) and a village girl Manga (Jayasudha) who is affectionate towards him. Madhu always stands against the atrocities of Bhushaiah. Once Bhushiaah gives false complaint on Madhu and Anand Rao “feels his ears” against him without going into merits of the case he harshly acts on him and even whips him at the police station. However soon he comes to know the story of Madhu through Dr.Dharmaiah, Madhu’s grandfather (Mukkamala) is the Zamindar of the village and Bhushiah is used to work as his Diwan. Madhu completes his studies and comes back to village. He loves Radha and every one are expecting their marriage. Madhu starts making social service at the village and decides to construct a barrage to protect the village from floods, he asks his grandfather money for it but he denies coming into words of Bhushaiah. Next day the money is stolen from their house. Bhushaiah cleverly throws the blame on Madhu and he is sentenced. Bhushaiah also accuses another blame that Madhu had made a village girl pregnant before he could prove his innocence Bhushaiah kills her and creates it as suicide, which Radha also believes and starts hating Madhu. After completing his prison sentence Madhu returns back to his village when he finds his grandfather is killed by Bhushaiah, created it as natural death and grabbed his entire property.
Thereon Anand Rao embarks on a mission to reform Madhu
