Chaayam or '(paint), is story of a village schoolteacher (played by Raagavan). He has a younger stepbrother (Sudheer) who studies in college, as usual the elder brother is dutyful and the younger brother is a lier, who always seems to be in need of money. In the village the neighbour is a lawyer (Shankaradi!) who has a beautiful teenaged daughter (Shobhana) who is attracted to Raagavan.Sheela plays a village girl whose brother runs an antiques shop and she runs a Chaayakkada (she is the original chaayakkadakkaari - in this movie doing a Pathmavathiyamma a good 8 years before Vijayalalitha in Blackbelt!)The younger brother does not appear in his BA examination. Unknown to Raagavan comes to villages falls for the neighbours daughter and she is pregnant. Comes again and kills her. Since no one else knew that he was there. So the blame is now on the schoolteacher elder brother. How he is saved and the younger brother is made to pay for his sins is rest of the story.The music is excellent - specially "Amme Amme...", "Shreevathsam Maaril.." are very good and excellent use has been made of Ayiroor Sadhashivan's voice.