Padatha Painkili (1957)

Padatha Painkili (Malayalam: പാടാത്ത പൈങ്കിളി, English: The Mute Nightingale) is a 1957 Malayalam social drama film based on the novel of the same name by Muttathu Varkey and directed by P. Subramaniam from a screenplay by Varkey. The film is a social drama that revolves around marriage and dowry problems. It depicts the machinations of a wicked, though wealthy man, against a poverty-stricken, God-fearing school master, with the final defeat of evil in the end. It stars Prem Nazir, Miss Kumari and Shanthi in the lead roles.

The film released in theatres on 22 April and went on to become a major critical and commercial success. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam.

Synopsis

Vendor Kutty (Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair), a wealthy villager, is jealous and scheming to marry his daughter Lucy (Shanthi) to the richest bachelor of the town. He is, however jealous of Luke (T. S. Muthiah), the neighbour, who is kind-hearted village school teacher and has a daughter Chinnamma (Miss Kumari), of marriageable age.

Actors