| Vedham Pudhithu | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bharathiraja |
| Screenplay by | Bharathiraja |
| Based on | Saadhigal Illaiyadi Papa by K. Kannan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | B. Kannan[1] |
| Edited by | P. Mohan Raj |
| Music by | Devendran |
Production company | Janani Art Creations |
Release date |
|
Running time | 130 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Vedham Pudhithu (/veɪðəm pʊðɪðʊ/ transl. The new Vedas) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed and co-written by Bharathiraja. It is based on the play Saadhigal Illaiyadi Papa by K. Kannan, who wrote the film adaptation's dialogues and became known as Vedham Pudhithu Kannan. The film stars Sathyaraj, Saritha and Amala, with Raja, Charuhasan, Nizhalgal Ravi, Janagaraj and Master Dasarathi in supporting roles. It revolves around an atheist whose son falls in love with a Brahmin woman in the same village, leading to catastrophic consequences.
Vedham Pudhithu criticises the caste system, Tamil Brahminism and their hypocrisies. It was released on 27 December 1987, and became controversial for its depiction of Tamil Brahmins, with the Tamil Nadu Brahmins Association calling for its banning. Despite this, it became a critical and commercial success. The film won three Filmfare Awards South – Best Film – Tamil, Best Director – Tamil and Best Actor – Tamil (Sathyaraj) – and two National Film Awards – Best Film on Other Social Issues and Best Editing (P. Mohan Raj).