Vijay (Rajinikanth) is a professional photographer who falls in love with a rich girl, Priya (Sridevi). They marry against her parents' wishes. But soon the marriage is on the rocks due to the difference in their backgrounds. They have a fight and Priya goes back to her parents' house. After a few days, Priya stomach aches a lot. The doctor says that she is pregnant. Hearing this news, Priya is ready to mend fences with Vijay. She wants to go and tell him the news. But her dad does not allow her to go as he had fixed her marriage with someone else. But she gives her dad the slip and goes to Vijay's house, just to find out that he vacated the place recently. The next scene shows Vijay in the hospital to visit his friend. Priya's stomach ached and she was brought to the same hospital. Hearing this, Vijay is very happy and tries to talk to Priya, but her dad tells Vijay that he will give him the baby on the condition that he promises he will never see Priya again and Vijay promises. Priya gives birth to a son and Vijay takes him away. Priya's father tells her that the baby is stillborn. She is very depressed and thinks that her son is still alive. Vijay brings up the son. Many years later, Priya comes close to where Vijay lives and sees a boy. She follows that boy who turns out to be her son and he leads Priya to Vijay. They were united.

• Sridevi as Priya
• Rajinikanth as Vijay
• Manorama
• Girish Karnad
• Ajith kumar As Rajini son
• V. K. Ramasamy
• Thengai Srinivasan
• Vijayakumar
• Delhi Ganesh
• Vanitha
• Pushpalatha
• Senthamarai

Naan Adimai Illai was Sridevi's final appearance in a Tamil film before she shifted her focus to Bollywood, though she would later return with English Vinglish (2012).

• Lyrics - Vaali, Vairamuthu, Muthulingam
• Oru Jeevan Dhaan - S.P .Balasubramaniam, S.Janaki
• Oru Jeevan Dhhan (Sad) - Vijay Anand, S. Janaki
• Pona poguthu - S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
• Vaa Vaa - S. Janaki, SPB
• Devi Devi Thenil - SPB, S. Janaki