Pasi

Pasi

Year: 1979

Runtime: 138 mins

Language: Tamil

Director: Durai

Drama

Muniyan, a cycle‑rickshaw puller, lives on the roadside with his wife Valliamma and their seven children—two daughters and five sons. Though he is the family’s sole breadwinner, Muniyan squanders most of his meager income on liquor, leaving his wife to shoulder the daily struggle to keep the household together.

Pasi (1979) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Pasi (1979) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the cramped, bustling outskirts of a South Indian town, Muniyan makes his living pulling a cycle‑rickshaw. He is the sole provider for a sprawling family: his wife Valliamma, seven children, and the constant hum of traffic and market chatter that surrounds their modest shelter. The film opens on a world where every rupee is stretched to its limit, and the line between survival and surrender is razor‑thin, giving the story an unflinching, earthy realism.

Valliamma bears the weight of the household’s daily grind, her resolve tested by Muniyan’s habit of spending what little they earn on liquor. A quiet pillar of the community, her friend Rakkamma runs a street‑food stall and offers both practical help and emotional steadiness, illustrating the small acts of solidarity that keep the neighbourhood afloat. Their interactions reveal a tapestry of neighborly reliance that feels both intimate and universal.

Further down the lane, Kuppamma and her companion Chellamma survive by scavenging discarded rags, their modest earnings a stark contrast to the aspirations of the family’s more educated members. The arrival of Rangan, a lorry driver who befriends Kuppamma, adds another layer to the social fabric, hinting at connections that bridge the gaps between the various shades of poverty. As the children begin to chart their own courses—some seeking education, others longing for independence—the household’s fragile equilibrium is quietly tested.

Through muted colours, lingering street‑level soundscapes, and a compassionate gaze, the film paints a portrait of hardship laced with humanity. It invites the audience to contemplate dignity amid destitution, the silent negotiations of love and duty, and the fragile hope that can blossom even in the most unforgiving corners of urban life.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 17:52

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Gritty Family Survival Dramas like Pasi

Stories where poverty and addiction strain a family's survival to the breaking point.Find more movies like Pasi that explore the devastating impact of poverty and addiction on a family. These similar drama stories capture the heavy, unrelenting struggle for survival amidst desperate circumstances and tragic consequences.

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Narratives in this thread typically follow a family, often centered on a flawed breadwinner, as they navigate a relentless cycle of hardship. The plot is driven by compounding misfortunes and difficult moral choices, leading to tragic outcomes that test the bonds of kinship.

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Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on family as the core unit of struggle, their bleak tone, high emotional intensity, and their realistic depiction of social issues like poverty and addiction creating a desperate, oppressive atmosphere.

Bleak Social Realism Movies like Pasi

Grim, socially conscious stories that offer no easy escapes from harsh reality.If you liked the stark realism of Pasi, explore these similar movies. This thread features heavy, steady-paced dramas with a bleak tone, focusing on social struggle, survival, and the often tragic realities of life on the margins.

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These stories unfold with a steady, cumulative pace, layering hardships to build a sense of inescapable fate. The narrative structure is often linear, focusing on the day-to-day grind of existence, where small hopes are routinely crushed by larger systemic or personal failures.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by a dominant bleak tone, high emotional weight, and a steady pacing that immerses the viewer in a somber, realistic world. They share a common focus on social issues and a refusal to offer Hollywood-style redemption.

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Pasi

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