Shivaiah, an autistic, lives in a village with his grandmother. All he is good at is obeying his trusted grandmother. In an attempt to do good to Lalitha, a destitute young widow with a five-year-old son, marries Shivaiah during an auspicious village festival.
The villagers are shocked and try to harm him as his act goes against traditional societal norms. In the meantime, Shivaiah's grandmother dies. Lalitha wants to save her new husband's life and so moves with him and her son to a city in search of better prospects. With support from a few of their acquaintances, the family of three settle down.
Life for them, thereafter, looks good and promising. Lalitha begins to appreciate Shivaiah's innocence and warmth. She grows closer to him and eventually bears him a son. Years pass, the children grow up, and then Lalitha breathes her last. Shivaiah lives with her memories for a long time. At the end, he is seen leaving his old house in the company of his children and grandchildren, carrying with him a tulsi plant which symbolizes his memories of Lalitha.
A critic from Deccan Herald wrote that "Remake of the Telugu hit ‘Swati Muthyam’; ‘Swati Muthu’ manages to retain the same charm and lovable simplicity of the original".[4] A critic from Chitraloka.com called the film "a must see film".[5]
