Paththini

Paththini

Year: 2016

Runtime: 135 mins

Language: Sinhalese, Sinhala

Director: Sunil Ariyarathna

Kannagi, born in the Chola kingdom, enjoys a prosperous marriage to the wealthy Kovalan. During a royal ceremony honoring the Chola dancing queen, Princess Madhavi, the king requests she choose a husband from among the assembled guests. Madhavi selects Kovalan, and he becomes captivated by her beauty and talent, leading to a tragic downfall of their marriage and the immense suffering of Kannagi.

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Timeline & Setting – Paththini (2016)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Paththini (2016). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Ancient Tamil period, circa 1st millennium CE

The tale unfolds during the classical Tamil kingdoms—Chola, Pandya, and Chera—over 2000 years ago. Royal courts, courtly dances, and epic quests frame daily life in that era. Wealth, ritual, and social codes shape the characters' choices, leading to a fateful arc that transcends personal romance.

Location

Puhar, Madurapura (Madurai), Pandya Kingdom, Chola Dynasty

Puhar, the port-city of the Chola kingdom, is the opening backdrop where Kannaki's marriage and Madhavi's royal appointment unfold. The narrative then travels to Madurapura in the Pandya realm, with royal courts, temples, and markets illustrating the era's grandeur. The story is steeped in the cultures and rivalries of the three Tamil dynasties that defined the period.

🗺️ Puhar 🏰 Chola & Pandya realms 🕰️ Ancient Tamil kingdoms

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:51

Main Characters – Paththini (2016)

Meet the key characters of Paththini (2016), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Kannaki (Pooja Umashankar)

Kannaki is Kovalan's loyal wife whose chastity and steadfast endurance guide her through heartbreak and hardship. She believes in truth and purity, and she seeks Kovalan's return when he estranges himself for Madhavi. After Kovalan's execution on a false charge, she confronts power, curses the king, and is revered as the goddess Kannagi.

💎 Virtue ❤️ Love ⚖️ Justice

Kovalan (Uddika Premarathna)

Kovalan is a wealthy merchant who is seduced by Madhavi and spends his fortune away from Kannaki. His impulsive choices set the tragedy in motion, and he ultimately faces execution after a misjudged theft. He repents his actions, but not before the devastating consequences for his wife and their family.

💰 Wealth 💔 Betrayal 🚶 Journey

Madhavi

Madhavi is a celebrated court dancer whose beauty and talent draw Kovalan and the royal attention. Her relationship with Kovalan catalyzes the couple's downfall and Kannaki's heartbreak, even as she moves through power, pregnancy, and shifting loyalties within the courts.

💃 Dancer 💫 Catalyst ⚖️ Ambition

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:51

Major Themes – Paththini (2016)

Explore the central themes of Paththini (2016), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔮 Fate

The epic frames human actions within a larger, inexorable fate. Kannaki's purity and Kovalan's missteps trigger a chain of consequences that no city can outrun. A false accusation, harsh judgment, and eventual divine retribution demonstrate that mortal courts are bound to cosmic justice. The climax reinforces that destiny, once set, reshapes lives and landscapes alike.

❤️ Love

Romance drives the central conflict: Kovalan's affection for Madhavi strains his marriage to Kannaki and drains their wealth. Kannaki's heartbreak sets her on a path of endurance and moral authority. Jealousy, desire, and loyalty collide, illustrating how love can both sustain and destroy. The narrative shows love not as mere sentiment but as a force that tests integrity and choices.

🛡️ Chastity

Kannaki's chastity is a defining code that commands respect and incites controversy in equal measure. Her virtue makes the wrongful execution of Kovalan feel like a social catastrophe, fueling her righteous anger. The tale uses chastity as a moral currency that society misreads, triggering catastrophe for rulers who fail justice. In the end, purity becomes a catalyst for divine rebuke and cultural reverence.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:51

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Explore Movie Threads

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.

Mythic tales of justice and revenge like Paththini

Stories where profound personal tragedy ignites a world-altering act of justice.For viewers who appreciated the epic scale of vengeance in Paththini, this thread collects movies where a personal tragedy erupts into a legendary quest for justice. Discover similar stories of righteous fury, mythological consequences, and protagonists whose suffering transforms them into agents of divine retribution.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically begin with a devastating personal loss or betrayal that shatters the protagonist's world. This event propels them on a path not just of revenge, but of righteous reclamation, often invoking higher powers or cosmic laws. The climax is not merely personal victory but a monumental act that restores balance, often at a great and bittersweet cost.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here due to their shared focus on the transformation of profound grief into mythic action. They share a high emotional weight, a melancholic or bittersweet tone, and a plot structure where personal heartbreak escalates into a consequential act of justice that defines a legend.

Heartbreaking stories of marital betrayal like Paththini

Epic stories where a single betrayal unravels a seemingly perfect union into devastation.If the core of Paththini's tragedy—the destruction of a marriage by betrayal—resonated with you, this thread is for you. Find other movies that delve into the epic downfall of relationships, where personal weakness and courtly temptation lead to heartbreaking consequences and a heavy emotional journey.

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Narrative Summary

These stories often depict a prosperous and happy marriage that is poisoned from within or challenged by external forces, typically in a high-stakes setting like a royal court. The narrative follows the agonizing unraveling of trust and love, leading to financial ruin, social exile, and often fatal outcomes, painting a somber picture of vows broken and lives shattered.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their primary focus on marital betrayal as the central engine of plot and emotion. They share a steady, deliberate pacing that allows the tragedy to unfold with maximum impact, a melancholic tone, and a bittersweet or sad ending that underscores the permanent scars left by the betrayal.

Unlock the Full Story of Paththini

Don't stop at just watching — explore Paththini in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Paththini is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Paththini Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Paththini, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Paththini Summary

Paththini Timeline

Track the full timeline of Paththini with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Paththini Timeline

Paththini Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Paththini that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Paththini Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Paththini

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