The Motherless Child)[2] is 1961 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed and co-produced by L. V. Prasad and written by M. Karunanidhi from a story by S. R. Pinisetty.

The film stars T. S. Balaiah and M. V. Rajamma, with G. Muthukrishnan, Kalyan Kumar, S. Rama Rao, Manohar, L. Vijayalakshmi, Madhuri Roy, Sandhya and T. P. Muthulakshmi in supporting roles.

When Sasthri's wife Parvathi, who had two miscarriages, finds herself pregnant, she goes to her brother to get medical aid and incurs the displeasure of her husband.

[9] Karunanidhi said that, through the character of Pathanjali Sasthri, he portrayed "how casteist feelings, age-old customs and rituals and superstitious beliefs had been deeply entrenched in the human psyche for generations.

The reviewer also praised Rama Rao and Muthulakshmi for providing "good comic relief", and director Prasad for being able to "blend comedy and emotion so well".

[9] The film was commercially successful, running for over 100 days in theatres,[16] and became a milestone for "touch[ing] on caste" in that period.