Sarppakavu

Dr. Krishnan (Kottayam Chellappan) and his son Dr. Balan (Madhu) are dedicated to eradicating death by snake bite. They go on a mission to the dense forests surrounding the mountain ranges in search of the Thanka Sarpam or the Golden Snake, believed to be the most poisonous in the world. Their intention is to conduct research based on its venom and perhaps invent anti-venom that would be a remedy for all snake bites. Their compounder (Adoor Bhasi) also accompanies them. They stay in the forest guest house and the watcher there, Raghavan Pilllai (Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai), guides them in their search. But their efforts fail Balan falls in love with Nagaprabha (Ambika), the elder daughter of Swami (Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair), a hermit who lives in the forests along with his daughters and engaged in worshipping his family deity Nagamma, the Snake Goddess. The compounder falls in love with the younger daughter Nagalatha (Sukumari). One day, Balan and the compounder reach Swami’s hermitage and happen to see the Thanka Sarpam on the idol of Nagamma inside the cave temple there. Balan and his father request Swami to hand over the Thanka Sarpam to them and offer a huge sum of money. Swami becomes furious and drives them away. Meanwhile, Nagalatha is attacked by a bear and Krishnan’s attempts to save her fail. Swami is shocked when he comes to know on his return to the hermitage that the Thanka Sarpam is stolen by Balan when he was away. Swami reaches the guest house and begins playing the makudi or the snake charmer’s flute. The Thanka Sarpam comes out of the pouch in which it was tied up. Swami forces the snake to bite Balan and Krishnan is unable to save him. Nagaprabha begs her father to save the life of her beloved. Swami accedes to the request. He plays the makudi, the snake sucks out the venom, strikes its head on the floor and kills itself. Balan is saved. Kari Nagam or the Mountain Cobra believed to be the companion of the Thanka Sarpam reaches there and bites Swami. Krishnan shoots the snake to death. Before dying Swami wishes Krishnan all success in inventing the anti-venom but also requests him to respect snake worship, not to kill snakes, and to honour the traditional methods of treatment for snake bite.

• Madhu as Balachandran
• Sukumari as Nagalatha, Nagaprabha's Sister
• Ambika as Nagaprabha
• Adoor Bhasi as Compounder Unni
• Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai as Watchman Raghavan Pilla
• Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair as Temple Priest
• Kottayam Chellappan as Doctor

The music was composed by M. S. Baburaj and the lyrics were written by Abhayadev.

https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/sarpakkadu-1965/article7141288.ece

• Sarppakavu on IMDb