the movie is conceived as a touching portrayal of the sufferings of a person who had to make great sacrifices for his commitment to cinema
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A documentary film on J C Daniel, considered as the father of Malayalam cinema, and the first heroine P K Rosy, is all set for screening.
The 58-minute movie is produced by Magic Lantern and directed by Kiran Ravindran, film scholar and author. The script has been penned by Kiran with the support of film historian Kunnukuzhi Mani.
According to Kiran, instead of being a mere narration of the lives of Mr Daniel and Ms Rosy, the movie is conceived as a touching portrayal of the sufferings of a person who had to make great sacrifices for his commitment to cinema in the early decades of the 20th century.
Equally touching was the story of Ms Rosy, who had to literally flee her home, being hounded by the 'moral brigades' of the time who could not digest the idea of a Dalit woman essaying the role of an upper class lady in Mr Daniel's movie Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child).
J C Daniel, who hailed from an affluent family at Agastheeswaram in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu (part of princely state of Travancore then), made the first silent movie of Travancore in 1928, with Rosy as its heroine.
Though it scripted history, the movie was destined to end in disaster when it was screened in Capitol theatre here on November 7, 1928 as a section of viewers turned violent on seeing the local Dalit woman in the lead role.
According to film historians, the show had to be suspended after the screen was damaged in stone-throwing. The viewers fled the scene to escape attack by the hooligans.
For Mr Daniel, the passion for cinema proved to be a 'riches to rags' story in real life as its production and tragic end caused his rapid slide from immense riches to abject poverty.
But in later years, the director was restored in Kerala's cultural history as the pioneer of Malayalam cinema and the state Government instituted an annual award in his memory, on the lines of the Dadasaheb Phalke award at the national level.
"My movie is conceived as a tribute to the man who was belatedly acknowledged as the father of Malayalam cinema", Kiran told PTI.
"I have tried to do maximum justice to history as I have gone through all available material on the lives of J C Daniel and Rosy. We have chosen the 84th anniversary of the first (aborted) screening of Vigathakumaran for release of the film," he said.
The film would be premiered here tomorrow before an audience with the head of Travancore royal family, Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma as the chief guest.
Eminent filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan would introduce the film to the viewers.
The 58-minute movie is produced by Magic Lantern anddirected by Kiran Ravindran, film scholar and author. Thescript has been penned by Kiran with the support of filmhistorian Kunnukuzhi Mani.
According to Kiran, instead of being a mere narration ofthe lives of Mr Daniel and Ms Rosy, the movie is conceived as atouching portrayal of the sufferings of a person who had tomake great sacrifices for his commitment to cinema in theearly decades of the 20th century.
Equally touching was the story of Ms Rosy, who had toliterally flee her home, being hounded by the 'moral brigades'of the time who could not digest the idea of a Dalit womanessaying the role of an upper class lady in Mr Daniel's movieVigathakumaran (The Lost Child).
J C Daniel, who hailed from an affluent family atAgastheeswaram in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu (part ofprincely state of Travancore then), made the first silentmovie of Travancore in 1928, with Rosy as its heroine.
Though it scripted history, the movie was destined to endin disaster when it was screened in Capitol theatre here onNovember 7, 1928 as a section of viewers turned violent onseeing the local Dalit woman in the lead role.
According to film historians, the show had to besuspended after the screen was damaged in stone-throwing. Theviewers fled the scene to escape attack by the hooligans.
For Mr Daniel, the passion for cinema proved to be a 'richesto rags' story in real life as its production and tragic endcaused his rapid slide from immense riches to abject poverty.
But in later years, the director was restored in Kerala'scultural history as the pioneer of Malayalam cinema and thestate Government instituted an annual award in his memory, onthe lines of the Dadasaheb Phalke award at the national level.
"My movie is conceived as a tribute to the man who wasbelatedly acknowledged as the father of Malayalam cinema",Kiran told PTI.
"I have tried to do maximum justice to history as I havegone through all available material on the lives of J C Danieland Rosy. We have chosen the 84th anniversary of the first(aborted) screening of Vigathakumaran for release of thefilm," he said.
The film would be premiered here tomorrow before anaudience with the head of Travancore royal family, UthradamThirunal Marthanda Varma as the chief guest.
Eminent filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan would introducethe film to the viewers.
