Thigambara Samiar (1950)

The movie begins in Kumbakonam where crooked advocate Sattanathan Pillai (D. Balasubramaniam) is keen to get Vadivambal (M. S. Draupadi) married to his useless brother Masilamani (T. K. Ramachandran). Sattanathan Pillai pretends to help the innocent Sundaram Pillai from his crooked sister Alangaram. Sundaram Pillai is a good man who helped his sister. However his sister Alangaram plans to grab his brother's wealth. Crooked Sattanathan Pillai and the judge play a double game against the unaware Sundaram Pillai. Vadivambal's mother Anjalai and her husband Namachivaayam Pillai force Vadivambal to marry Masilamani. One day Vadivambal is visited by her maternal grandmother, she came to know from her grandfather that he is staying in Mannnargudi Velayudham Pillai's house and Vadivambal's mother is not married. She decides to leave their house to Mannargudi to meet her maternal grandfather. Meanwhile, Digambara Samiyar (M. N. Nambiar)m who has renounced his life, is advised by a female monk to save people from crooked Sattanathan Pillai. One night Digambara Samiyar passes by Alangaram house and overhears the judge and Alangaram discuss their cruel intentions. On his way Vadivambal is attacked by robbers. Digambara Samiyar passes by and saves her and gets to know about Vadivambal's forceful wedding arrangement with Sattanathan's brother Masilamani. While they reach Mannargudi, they are attacked by Masilamani and Namachivaayam Pillai. However, Kannapa passes by and rescues Vadivambal and Digambara Samiyar. Both Kannapa (P. V. Narasimha Bharathi) and Vadivambal fall in love at first sight. Velayudha Pillai and Kannapa greet Digambara Samiyar into their house. Velayudha Pillai had once worked in Sattanathan Pillai. Once Velayudha Pillai's pregnant wife was ill with cholera. Sattanathan Pillai chased out Velayudha Pillai. Velayudha Pillai was helped by Chokka Lingam Pillai. Sattanthan Pillai cheated Chokka Linga Pillai and tried to rape Chokkalingam Pillai's wife. She was saved by Velayudha Pillai. Digambara Samiyar visits Sundaram Pillai and hears about his wife's status. Sundaram Pillai says that his 3-year-old daughter was kidnapped 15 years ago. His wife gets upset and visits a saint to know the whereabouts of their daughter. The good man tells Sundaram Pillai's wife that she will not return until she is married. While Sundaram Pillai and Alangaram decide to leave, Sundaram questions his wife's presence. Alangaram and Sattanathan Pillai accused Sundaram Pillai's wife of having an affair with the saint, which makes Sundaram Pillai reject his wife and leave. The lawyer is at cutting corners, and a person in saintly robes known as Digambara Saamiyar (M. N. Nambiar) is out to expose him. He appears in various disguises and succeeds in his attempt after the story has several twists and turns. The novel is based on a theory that if a man is made to stay awake without sleep for 3 to 4 days, he will be in a mood to confess everything hidden in his mind. This theory has been used to great effect in the film; to keep the lawyer awake, a song-and-dance sequence featuring Kumari Kamala is introduced.