When a young Sri Lankan woman returns home to her fishing village after growing up in an orphanage, she is appalled by its feudal prejudices and iniquities. She is determined to change things.

Valli is the daughter of the deceased fisherman Sebastian. She grows up in a religious convent and when she becomes an adult leaves the convent with her uncle Peduru. She begins her life in the fisher family. Peter is a rich man and offers her a job in his family home. He shows that he is in love with Valli and has a secret affair with her. Valli on discovering he is to be married to his pregnant girlfriend leaves the house and goes back to her fishing lifestyle and she attempts to commit suicide. Peter comes back and tries to get her back to his house.