''Gnana Kuzhandhai'' ( ) is a 1979 Indian

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

-language

Hindu mythological film This is a list of genres of literature and entertainment (film, television, music, and video games), excluding genres in the visual arts. ''Genre'' is the term for any category of creative work, which includes literature and other forms of art ...

, directed by K. Kameshwara Rao and written by Era. Pazhanisamy. The film stars Baby Sudha and

Master Sridhar Sridhar, known as Master Sridhar was an Indian actor in the Tamil film industry. He acted in about 150 films. He was introduced to Tamil cinema as a child actor. Personal life Sridhar married actress Indira (also known as Baby Indira) who was ...

, with

Gemini Ganesan Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred as Kaadhal Mannan (King of Romance) for his romantic roles in films. G ...

Venniradai Nirmala

V. S. Raghavan V S Raghavan (18 February 1925 – 24 January 2015) was an Indian actor, who has acted both in Tamil films as well as television. He started his career as a dramatist and stage actor and went on to act as a character actor in films, starting ...

R. S. Manohar Rasipuram Subramaniyan Iyer Manohar (29 June 1925 – 10 January 2006) was an Indian actor who performed roles ranging from hero to villain to comedic characters. He was born at Namakkal in 1925. He acted in over 200 films. He is known for hi ...

, S. V. Subbaiah,

Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh (1946 – 12 February 2001) was an Indian actor who appeared in Tamil plays and films. He had supporting roles in the films '' Aval Oru Thodar Kathai'' and '' Aattukara Alamelu'', among others. His most popular roles have been as a ...

, Latha and K. A. Thangavelu in supporting roles. It was released on 24 June 1979.

Plot

The film chronicles the miraculous life of Thirugnana Sambandar, one of the four great Shaiva saints (

Nayanars The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; , and later 'teachers of Shiva') were a group of 63 Tamils, Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. Along with the Alvars, their contemporaries who were de ...

) of Tamil Nadu, from his divine birth to his spiritual accomplishments. The story begins with the birth of Sambandar in Sirkazhi to devout Shaiva parents Sivapada Hrudiyar (

) and his wife. As an infant, when his parents visit the Shiva temple, the child mysteriously disappears from his cradle. Lord Shiva (

) and Goddess Parvathi (

Vennira Aadai Nirmala Vennira Aadai Nirmala (born as A. B. Shanthi in Kumbakonam) is an Indian actress who has appeared in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She was a prominent lead actress from 1960s and 70s. She is credited as Ushakumari in Malayalam film indust ...

) appear before the distressed parents, revealing that they have blessed the child with divine milk and wisdom. The infant Sambandar returns with extraordinary spiritual powers and the ability to compose devotional hymns (

Thevaram Thevaram is a town in Theni district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thevaram is located in Tamil Nadu near the border of Kerala at the Eastern side foot-hill of the Western Ghats. It is connected with State Highway SH100. Farming is main ...

) in praise of Lord Shiva, earning him the title "Gnana Kuzhandhai" (Child of Wisdom). As the child grows, his devotional fervor and miraculous powers become evident. He engages in theological debates with Jain and Buddhist scholars, defeating them through his profound knowledge of Shaiva philosophy. The film depicts several of his legendary miracles, including healing the sick, bringing the dead back to life, and converting non-believers to Shaivism through his divine hymns. The narrative follows young Sambandar's travels across Tamil Nadu, visiting various Shiva temples and composing devotional songs that would later become part of the sacred Thevaram literature. His encounters with other devotees, including his meeting with Thirunavukkarasar ( S. V. Subbaiah), showcase the rich tradition of Tamil Shaivism. The film also portrays the saint's role in reviving Shaivism during a period when Jainism held significant influence in the Tamil region. Through divine intervention and his unwavering devotion, the young saint helps restore the worship of Lord Shiva in temples that had been converted to Jain centers. The climax depicts Sambandar's ultimate spiritual achievement - his marriage to Princess Amudhavalli (

Jayachitra Jayachitra (born 5 September 1957) is an Indian actress films who works mostly in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. Early life Her father Mahea was a veterinary doctor, who had earlier worked as a lawyer. Her mother Ammaji (a.k.a. Jayasree) ...

) which transforms into a divine union, as both the saint and his bride merge with the sacred flame of Lord Shiva, achieving moksha (liberation). This miraculous event, witnessed by devotees, establishes Sambandar's eternal place in Tamil religious tradition as one of the greatest child saints in Hindu history.

Cast

Soundtrack

Music was composed by

K. V. Mahadevan Krishnankoil Venkadachalam Mahadevan (14 March 1918 – 21 June 2001) was an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician who won the inaugural National Film Award for Best Music Direction in (1967) for '' Kandan Karunai''. ...

and lyrics were written by

Kannadasan Muthiah Sathappan Chettiar better known as Kannadasan (; 24 June 1927 – 17 October 1981) was a poet, film song lyricist, producer, actor, script-writer, editor, philanthropist, and is heralded as one of the greatest and most important l ...

, A. Maruthakasi,

Alangudi Somu Alangudi Somu (12 December 1932 − 6 June 1997) was an Indian Tamil film lyricist who wrote many popular songs in several films. He was active in the field from 1960 till late 1990s. About Alangudi Somu born on 12 December 1932 in Alangudi vil ...

, Pazhanisamy and Raja Gopal.

Reception

References

External links

* {{Kamalakara Kameswara Rao 1970s Indian films 1979 musical films 1970s Tamil-language films 1979 films Films about Hinduism Films about reincarnation Films about shapeshifting Films directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao Films scored by K. V. Mahadevan Hindu devotional films Hindu mythological films Indian musical films Indian religious epic films Tamil-language Indian films