Jayakodi (1940)

Rajam (Rukmini) is a poor Brahmin girl. She remains unmarried because of the family's inability to offer dowry. A neighbouring family helps Rajam's family in times of need. Attempts to get her married even to a dumb boy fail miserably. Due to misunderstandings over money, a greedy moneylender kills Rajam's father and sets their home afire. Now Rajam rises in a new avatar as a social rebel and takes up the cudgels against dowry. She is now known as 'Jayakodi' and prospective bridegrooms demanding dowry begin to vanish mysteriously making people wonder whatever happened to them. After solving many dowry problems, she marries a man after her heart (Natarajan) and the couple carry on their chosen battle against the menace.