Ethirparathathu (1954)

Sunder (Sivaji), the only son of Dayaparar (Nagaiah), a rich man in Madurai, is a student in Madras, living in a house with Sumathi (Padmini) and her father. The latter is depressed because his elder son, Doctor Gopu (Sahasranamam) has left home with his wife Nalini (Varalakshmi) to lead a modern life in Bangalore. Sunder interrupts his studies to visit the USA while, heavily indebted, Gopu and Nalini return home. To settle her brother’s debts, Sumathi offers to marry Dayaparar, not knowing that he is her boyfriend’s father. Besides, she believes Sunder died in a plane crash anyway, and she does not know that he survived, although blinded, rescued by tribals. Dayaparar eventually finds out that his wife was his son’s lover, and he leaves home without a word, in search of his son, whom he finds and brings back to visit Sumathi, who promises to be a faithful friend to him. Dayaparar then tries sending her a message that he has died. She believes herself to be a widow, but still refuses to marry her boyfriend who is now also her stepson, an awkward situation that also troubles Sunder, who has by now regained his sight. In the end, Dayaparar drops dead of a heart attack as he reveals all, leaving Sunder at the feet of his lover. The film was remade in Hindi as Sharada (1957).