Nirmalyam

Nirmalyam Malayalam , meaning Remains or Yesterdays Offerings is a 1973 Malayalam film written and directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring P. J. Antony and Shanta Devi. Malayalam actor P. J. Antony won the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1974 for his performance as a velichappadu an oracle or a medium between the Goddess and the worshipper in a Hindu temple in this movie. The film received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and Kerala State Film Award for Best Film in 1974. It is one of the classics in Malayalam cinema.

The movie revolves around a neglected temple and the people dependent on the temple. P. J. Antony Velichapdu or oracle is the caretaker of the temple. The Velichapadus wife Narayani Kaviyoor Ponnamma runs the household with the meager income from temple. His son Appu Sukumaran is educated but is unemployed as a result he loses faith in the temple and goddess. Velcihapadus daughter Ammini helps him in temple rituals. The temple priest quits and starts a tea shop. A new priest from neighboring village Brahmadattan Nambothiri Ravi Menon now takes care of the temple. He is eager to get a government job as his situation at home is not good and younger sisters not yet married. He seduces Ammini, daughter of Velichapdu and leaves the village. Because of extreme poverty Velichapdu starts to beg. One day his son Appu tries to sell the holy sword to a pawn seller and Velichapadu finds it. He asks his son Appu to leave the house immediately.Meanwhile there is a smallpox outbreak in the village, first affected is Variyars Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair wife. Due to the outbreak of smallpox people become serious about the temple and its ritual. The villagers decide to conduct the festival in temple for the Goddess and started collecting money from all. On the day of festival Velichapadu found that his wife was selling her body to a local moneylender for a living. The Velichapadu was totally devastated. The film ends with a devastating scene. The oracle dances before the goddess, spits at her face with his blood, strikes his forehead with the sacred sword, till he falls down dead. ........

Source: Wikipedia