Pattinathar (1962 film)

Pattinathar பட்டினத்தார்
Theatrical Poster
Directed by	K. Somu
Produced by	Film Center
Written by	Thanjai Ramaiah Doss Akilan
Starring	T. M. Soundararajan M. R. Radha
Music by	G. Ramanathan
Cinematography	R. Chitti Babu
Edited by	E. Dharmalingam
Production company	J. R. Productions
Distributed by	J. R. Productions
Release date	1962
Running time	120 mins
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Pattinathar (தமிழ்: பட்டினத்தார்) is 1962 Tamil biographical film was directed by K. Somu and produced by Film center with distribution by J. R. Productions. The film script was written by Thanjai Ramaiah Doss and Akilan. Music by G. Ramanathan is an added asset to the movie. The film stars T. M. Soundararajan who played the title role and M. R. Radha played the antagonist. Another film of the same name was previously released in 1936.That film was directed by T. C. Vadivelu Nayakar and the male lead actor was M. M. Dhandapani Desikar.

The movie starts with a dream by a pious couple, where Lord Shiva appeared and told them that, they would find a baby boy at a certain spot. They were to take that baby to Poompugaar (Kaveripoom pattinam) and hand over the baby boy to Thiruvengadar, also called pattinatthar, (played by T. M. Soundararajan) and he would give gold equal to the weight of the baby to the pious couple. The saintly devotees found the baby and took him to pattinatthar and his wife Sivakalai (Gemini K. Chandra). A similar dream had also appeared to pattinatthar and his wife; who then adopted the child and gave the pious couple wealth, as told in their dream. They name the child Marudhavaanan, the divine child grows up and follows in his father's footsteps.

Once, the father pattinatthar sent his adopted son Marudhavaanan on a ship with Merchantile goods for overseas trading. When the son came back, there was a severe storm and he arrived safely at home. Marudhavaanan's merchant friends from his business trip meet his father & say that they had lost all their goods in the storm at sea, but Marudhavaanan had only brought back sacks full of paddy husks and cow dung cakes. Then Marudhavaanan gives his father just a small box containing three cow dung cakes and palm leaf documents which are loan promissory notes from his friends. The angered father throws the cow dung cakes out, and to his surprise sees there are gold coins and precious gems like diamonds & pearls in them. Thiruvengadar hurries home to see his son.

But Marudhavaanan was not at home and Sivakalai gives Thiruvengadar a very small box, which the son Marudhavaanan had given her, to be handed over to his father, before the son had disappeared. Inside the box, Thiruvengadar sees a palm-leaf manuscript and a needle without an eyelet. On the script were the following words (in English for understanding):