At the age of 10, Kunhikuttan begins his long apprenticeship in the Indian art of Kerala, which includes dance, acting and mime. He undergoes an arranged marriage which is a failure, except for producing a much-loved daughter. Later, Kunhikuttan meets aristocratic Subhadra. She has a passion for Arjuna, the fictional hero of the classic Indian work, the Mahabharata, and is convinced that because Arjuna's love in the play is called Subjadra, so she must love him too. So when she falls in love with Kunhikuttan, she falls not for him, but for his performance of Arjuna.