Padatha Painkili

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}

{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Padatha Painkili

| image = Padatha Painkili.jpg

| caption =

| director = P. Subramaniam

| producer = P. Subramaniam

| writer = Muttathu Varkey

| based_on = {{based on|Padatha Painkili|Muttathu Varkey}}

| starring = Prem Nazir
Miss Kumari
K. V. Shanthi

| music = Brother Lakshmanan

| cinematography =

| editing = K. D. George

| studio = Neela Productions

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1957|3|22}}

| country = India

| language = Malayalam

}}

Padatha Painkili ({{translation|The Mute Nightingale}}) is a 1957 Indian Malayalam-language drama film based on the novel of the same name by Muttathu Varkey and directed by P. Subramaniam from a screenplay by Varkey.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U-BkAAAAMAAJ&q=padatha+painkili|title=Economics of Indian cinema|author=M. A. Oommen, Kumbattu Varkey Joseph|year=1991|publisher=Oxford & IBH Publishing Company |isbn=9788120405752}} The film revolves around marriage and dowry problems. It depicts the machinations of a wicked, though wealthy man, against a poverty-stricken, God-fearing school master, with the final defeat of evil in the end. It stars Prem Nazir, Miss Kumari and Shanthi.

The film released in theatres on 22 March and went on to become a major critical and commercial success.{{cite news|author=B. Vijayakumar|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/02/14/stories/2009021453821200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629063350/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/02/14/stories/2009021453821200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 June 2011|title=Padatha Painkili 1957|newspaper=The Hindu|date=14 February 2009 |access-date=17 March 2011}} It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam.{{cite journal|title=State Awards for Films|year=1958|publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals, India|page=3}}