Uliyin Osai is a touching tale that deals with the passion, dedication and sincerity of a young sculptor.

The story begins in 1005 B.C. Chola King Rajarajan (Sarat Babu) is a fervent admirer and patron of all art forms. His son Prince Rajendra too has a similar zeal. The senior king plans to build a temple, adorning the walls and ceiling of the structure with beautiful sculptures. So Rajaraja orders his men to find a good, capable sculptor to complete the task. Dancer-sculptor Iniyan (Vineeth) suits the requirements and is assigned the job. Iniyan is also accompanied by a trained danseuse named Muthunagai (Akshaya) to model the poses to be sculpted.

Iniyan, on identifying some imperfections in Muthunagai's poses, conveys the same to her. But Muthunagai's brother and close aide refuses to accept the mistakes and asks him to prove his point. Iniyan justifies his stand by giving a stunning performance. Soon, agreeing to Iniyan's demand, Rajaraja orders his men to find some other suitable danseuse for the purpose. With great confidence, he allocates the search to his son Rajendra. But the search does bear fruit. Soon, fraught with worry over the issue, the elderly King falls sick. Prince Rajendra too becomes worried and frustrated.

At that juncture, a shepherd woman (Manorama) helps the Prince out of the problem. She agrees to send her granddaughter (Keerthi Chawla) to assist the sculptor. gifted with a natural charm, grace and talent, she substitutes Muthunagai. When work proceeds at a smooth pace, Iniyan falls in love with the pretty girl; in one compelling moment, overcome by attraction, he hugs the girl. That also happens to be the moment when Rajendra visits the gallery to check the progress of the project. The scene stuns Rajendra. Completely shaken and stuck without any option, the Prince reveals a big secret concerning the shepherd girl's background. What was it? When Iniyan comes to know about the truth, what does the dedicated craftsman do? Does he punish himself for his error? What happens to Muthunagai? A whole episode of drama then leads us to a convincing climax in Uliyin Osai.

Uliyin Osai is indeed a throwback to the good old days; the grand sets, costume and jewellery provide a luxurious treat to the eyes. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi's dialogues are very simple and easy to follow. He has also penned the lyrics for a couple of songs. Songs in Ilayaraja's music are real gems. Vineeth's dancing skills as well as acting sets him apart from the usual brand of heroes and heroism. Kanja Karuppu and Kovai Sarala treat us with their cheerful comedy. Both Akshaya and Keerthi Chawla enchant us with their performances. Director Ilavenil has presented the film without altering the originality of the story and characters.