Biotechnologist Govindarajan Ramaswamy speaks at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and explains about chaos theory and the butterfly effect. He begins by reciting events from the 12th century in Chidambaram, when King Kulothunga Chola II, a Saivite, persecutes Vaishnavites and intends to destroy an idol of Govindaraja. Rangarajan Nambi, a Vaishnavite, protects it and offends the king, who orders Rangarajan to be executed by being pierced, stoned, submerged into the sea with the idol. Nambi’s wife Kodhai Radha is shocked by this and she kills herself in front of the king.
Scene shifts to 20 December 2004, where a nanobiotechnology lab in the United States designs a vector-virus intended as a bio-weapon following the September 11 attacks to defend further terrorist attacks on US soil.
While the team members are watching a news programme, Govindarajan aka Govind notices the footage of his lab monkey breaking out of his cage and retrieving a sample of the test virus. The monkey takes the vial, thinking it to be the usual chocolate Govind would feed him, and swallows the sample of the virus.
Govind and his team try to save him but are too late, and they watch helplessly as he dies. Govind, saddened by the event, quarantines the lab room and fills it with a concentrated salt solution. After understanding the original virus’s lethal potential the hard way, Govind refuses to hand over the main single vial containing the virus due to fear of misuse. However his boss and senior scientist, Dr. Sethu has a malicious plan in mind – to sell it to a terrorist nation.
Understanding this, Govind sneaks the vial out of the lab and is pursued by the security guard and the officials. Govind flees to his friend and coworker Suresh’s house for refuge, who secretly betrays him.
