PK Rosy birth anniversary: Google Doodle celebrates first lead Malayalam actress. Who was she?
The Malayalam actress had to overcome several obstacles in her time. Apart from being a woman in the industry, she faced stiff resistance as she belonged to the community of Dalit Christians.
Google Doodle on Friday celebrated the 120th birth anniversary of the first female lead in Malayalam cinema - PK Rosy. Born in the year 1903, Rosy was born in Rajamma in Thiruvananthapuram, formerly Trivandrum in Kerala.
“Today’s Doodle honours P.K. Rosy, who became the first female lead in Malayalam cinema,” Google said Friday.
On her passion for acting, the tech-giant praised the cinema icon and said, “In an era when performing arts was discouraged in many sections of society, especially for women, Rosy broke barriers with her role in the Malayalam film Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child). Though she never received recognition for her work during her lifetime, Rosy’s story is relevant to conversations about representation in the media. Today, her story serves as motivation and inspiration for many.”
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Who was PK Rosy?
The Malayalam actress had to overcome several obstacles in her time. Apart from being a woman in the industry, she faced stiff resistance as she belonged to the community of Dalit Christians. Her parents were daily wagers and Rosy herself engaged in jobs such as grass cutting for a livelihood, Kunal Ray, a cultural critic, associated with LAME University, Pune wrote in his review of ‘The Lost Heroine’ by author Vinu Abraham based on the actress.
Rosy was also a prolific actor in Kakkarissi plays, a kind of folk theatre in Kerala which blends both Tamil and Malayalam.
Her debut film was Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child, 1928) in which she played the role of an upper caste Nair girl, Sarojini. She received much flak after the film’s release and stones were hurled at her in the inaugural screening.
Ray’s account further mentioned that because of the backlash, Rosy had to flee as her hut was set ablaze. In those days when acting was equated with prostitution, the film and Rosy also faced a lot of criticism from several Hindu orthodox groups, Ray said.
Due to the resistance, the director of the film and her co-actor, JC Daniel, was driven to bankruptcy. While her film - Vigathakumaran’s no copy can be traced.
