It revolves around Jayakrishnan (Mohanlal) who falls in love with two women; Radha (Parvathy), a distant relative of his, and Clara (Sumalatha), an escort in town.

[4][5] It was ranked eighth by IBN Live in the list of greatest Indian films of all time.

[6] Jayakrishnan is a well-to-do bachelor who lives a contrasting dual life: one among his friends in the town, and the other with his mother and sister at their village.

While he is an audacious guy celebrating life with his friends in town, he is a frugal family man at home.

The film is about his dual life, how he falls in love with two women, Clara and Radha, and his difficulty in deciding between them.

While working on his farm one day, Jayakrishnan becomes reacquainted with Radha, a distant relative he hasn't seen since childhood.

One day, Jayakrishnan is persuaded to write a letter on behalf of his friend, Thangal, a pimp, to a girl named Clara.

Jayakrishnan, saddened by Radha's rejection and urged on by his friend Thangal, agrees to be Clara's first client.

She admires his sincerity and scruples but does not want to cause Jayakrishnan any hurt socially or personally (as she considers herself a sex worker), hence decides to disappear from his life.

She hears more about the dual life of Jayakrishnan, his small games of fooling people around him, and his ready-to-do-anything-for-friends attitude.

Clara expresses her joy at his new relationship, but also wonders if she is the reason Jayakrishnan is unable to commit to Radha.

One day, Jayakrishnan receives a late-night phone call that Clara is coming to see him, and this will be their last meeting, taking place at Ottapalam railway station.

Part of the film, especially Jayakrishnan's lifestyle in the town, is loosely based on one of Padmarajan's friends, Karakath Unni Menon.

[9] The film was shot in places such as Sree Kerala Varma College[10] and Vadakkunnathan Temple.

Initially, O. N. V. Kurup was the lyricist, who wrote the lyrics first as a poem, and Raveendranath composed the tune based on it.

For the scenes of "Megham Poothu Thudangi", the lyrics he wrote began in the line "Ini Nin Manassinte Koodu Thurannathil Oru Minnaminniye Konduvakkam".

However, Padmarajan felt that the song did not align with the scenes in the film, hence, it was decided that the tune should be set first and lyrics should be written based on it.

He wrote "Megham Poothu Thudangi" in a single night by watching the scenes of the song.

In a 2013 online poll, IBN Live listed it as the 8th greatest Indian film of all time.

[15] In the 2012 film Trivandrum Lodge, Babu Namboothiri reprised his role as Thangal, a professional pimp.