Ariyatha Veethigal (1984)

Insightful and intriguing, this crime drama delves into the twists and turns in the life of an accomplished and well-respected man in society, Judge Jaganathan (Madhu), who stands by the law and his morals, no matter what kind of problem he faces. Judge Jagannathan has a wonderful wife and three children – Shekarankutty, a young man with whom the judge is very strict, Somu, who is staying at a hostel to pursue his education, and Sheela, a talented young woman with whom he is very loving and lenient. The judge is also very fond of Balan, who works in a factory and cares for his mother and younger sister, Ambili. When the judge finds out about Sheela's love affair with Babu, he gracefully accepts the union and fixes their marriage. However, Babu's father, Baskaran is a gold smuggler. When he shamelessly asks Judge Jagannathan to perform unethical tasks in order to help his smuggling venture, the Judge refuses and breaks the engagement between Sheela and Babu. However, taking into account the true love between the youngsters, Shekarankutty and Balan help them register their marriage without parental approval. Holding onto his grudge against Judge Jagannathan throws the newlywed couple out of the house, and they seek refuge at the judge's home. The whole family, along with Somu, the judge's youngest son and Ravi, a citharismatic family friend, are happy together. Then, tragedy strikes when Balan's beloved younger sister, Ambili is found murdered, and shockingly, not only is Balan accused of the crime, he actually confesses to it. Did Balan really commit this heinous crime? If not, who is Ambili's murderer and why is Balan accepting the false charges against him? Can Judge Jagannathan digest the enormity of the truth and expose the identity of the real killer, in order to provide true justice for Balan?