Padheyam

Synopsis

Chandradas, a famous and best-selling poet and author arrives in Kodaikanal to attend a school felicitation ceremony. There he meets Harita, a brilliant student who conceives and performs the lead in a group dance skit based on one of his poems.

Chandradas is intrigued by the originality and brilliance of the performance and tries to find more about Harita. After a meeting with her, he realizes she is his own daughter, estranged for the past 15 years. He tries to contact her again but is hindered in his efforts by the strict rules of her school. He arranges a meeting with her through one of her favorite teachers and reveals the truth to her.

Harita is initially shattered by the news of hearing that the person who she thought of as her father is not actually her real father. However, she gradually comes to terms with her new identity and goes away and spends some time with Chandradas. Haritha's grandfather, Govinda Menon, arrives to pick her up after her exams and is taken aback when the school principal tells him she is missing. They inform her parents and they come and pick her up once she returns after her trip.

Chandradas comes to her parents' house to request them to send Haritha with him for a few days to his ancestral house, but Haritha's grandfather treats him badly and asks him to leave. Chandradas resorts to legal recourse to claim his rights over his daughter. At the end of the arguments, when the court asks Haritha who she wants to spend time with while the matter is being adjudged, Haritha picks Chandradas, shattering her family.

Chandradas and his brother take Haritha to their ancestral home where she spends a few days happily with them. However as the days pass on, she is haunted by the memories of the family she left behind and the happy times she spent with them - especially by the thoughts of the love and kindness showered on her by her step-father.

After spending a last, idyllic day with his daughter where she cooks for him and his brother and they spend some happy and memorable time together, Chandradas takes her back to her parents on his way back to Kolkata. He tells Harikumara Menon, her stepfather that "Her love for you is 1000 times more stronger than her love for me". He tells them the memories he has had in the past few days that he spent with her daughter would be enough for him for the rest of his life.

After returning her daughter to where her heart belongs, Chandradas walks off to the waiting car to return to Kolkata, back to his old life and Harita watches him leave, tears in her eyes.

Cast

Actress Chippy made her debut in this movie.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the movie was composed by Bombay Ravi with lyrics penned by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri.

Awards

The film won the following awards.