P K Rosy

Poulose Kunji Rosy (10 February 1903 – 1988), known as P. K. Rosy, was an Indian actress and the first woman to act in a Malayalam film. She starred in J. C. Daniel's silent film Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child), for which she was targeted at the 1928 premiere by an angry mob because of her lower-caste status. Celluloid shows Rosy being invited to see the film, Rosy went to the screening with a friend. An eminent lawyer of the time, Malloor Govinda Pillai (Forward Caste Nair), had come to inaugurate the film. “He said that I will not inaugurate this film until she (Rosy) is removed from here,” So Daniel asked her to watch the next show of the film instead.”

Born and raised as Rajamma in a Pulaya family, she developed an early interest in acting and began performing in local plays with the support of her uncle. In 1928, she was selected for the lead role in J. C. Daniel's debut film Vigathakumaran, in which she portrayed Sarojini, an upper-caste Nair woman. When the film premiered at the Capitol Theatre in Trivendrum, the upper-caste members of the audience expressed strong opposition to a Dalit portraying a Nair and a scene where the hero kisses a flower from her hair. The incident turned into violence, resulting in damage to the theatre and the arson of Rosy's house by a mob. Rosy was forced to leave the town and moving to Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu with a truck driver, where she changed her name to Rajammal. Her real name was probably Rajamma, but she has also been referred to by the name Rosamma.

Neither Rosy nor Daniel were recognised for the part they played in the development of Malayalam cinema for many decades, until the Kerala government instituted the J. C. Daniel Award in 1992. Official recognition for Rosy only came in 2015, with the establishment of the P.K. Rosy Smaraka Samithi (P.K. Rosy Memorial Committee). At least one book and several films have been dedicated to honouring her legacy. On 10 February 2023, Rosy was honoured with a Google Doodle, on the occasion of her 120th birthday.

Early life P. Kunji Rosy was born as Rajamma on 10 February 1903 at Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram), in the then kingdom of Travancore (now the Indian state of Kerala), to a Pulaya family of grass cutters. Pulaya people were considered one of the lowest castes, and treated as slaves at that time, sold off with land and given harsh punishments for any transgressions. Rosy is often represented as a Dalit Christian woman named Rosamma. However, according to journalist Kunnukuzhi Mani, who spoke to Rosy's family, her real name was Rajamma, and her family was Hindu. He says it was J. C. Daniel who changed her name to Rosy for his film. She was supported by her uncle, a performing artist. Rosy was performing the dance drama based on Hindu mythology, Kakkirasi (Kaakarashy). Before she started performing in it, only men performed in it. She played the character of Sarojini, a Nair (upper-caste) woman, in the movie. She was paid five rupees a day, over the 10 days of filming, which was "a substantial amount of money" in those days. The theatre, usually a venue for stage plays, was attended by Rosy and her family. Upper-caste members of the audience were upset that the Pulaya (a Dalit caste) people were in the audience at all, and when they realised that Rosy was an actress in the film, the audience became an angry mob and damaged the screen and the theatre. Members of the Nair community were outraged to see a Dalit woman portray a Nair, By contrast, the director Daniel, after much lobbying, finally had his name restored at the end of the 20th century. The Government of Kerala acknowledged Daniel as a resident of the city and officially conferred the title "Father of Malayalam Cinema" on him. In 1992, the state's Department of Cultural Affairs instituted the J. C. Daniel Award, part of the Kerala State Film Awards, to honour lifetime achievements in outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema.

In 2018, the inaugural three-day film festival celebrating Dalit culture in Indian cinema was held by director Pa. Ranjith's Neelam Cultural Centre. This grew into a month-long celebration of Dalit culture and history, with the film festival named the P. K. Rosy Film Festival. Films are shown at the Prasad Lab Preview Theatre in Chennai. The festival took place from 2 to 4 April in 2025. in 2019, called the P. K. Rosy Film Society. Headed by an all-women panel of 11 women who are executive members of the WCC, the society aims to include all those who have been excluded from cinema history and industry because of their gender, class, religion, or caste. It is only the fourth all-women film society (out of a total of 170) in India, and the first to be run by women film professionals.

When Kani Kusruti was awarded Best Actress in Malayalam for her performance in Biriyaani in 2020, she dedicated the win to Rosy.

In popular culture In 2008, a novel about Rosy called Nashtanaika, by Vinu Abraham, was published in Malayalam. It was translated into English by film critic and writer C. S. Venkiteswaran and professor of English and translator Arathy Ashok, and published by Speaking Tiger Books in 2020 as The Lost Heroine.

A documentary film about her life, Ithu Rosiyude Katha (This is Rosy's Story), directed by Kanjiramkulam Sanal, was released in 2011.

The Lost Child is a one-hour documentary film about both Daniel and Rosy directed by Kiran Ravindran, released in 2012.

Celluloid is a 2013 biopic about JC Daniel directed by Kamal. The film is partially based on Vinu Abraham's 2008 novel Nashtanaika, and also deals with the life of Rosy. Newcomer Chandni Geetha portrays her.

Swapnaayanam, directed by K. O. Akhil and starring Abhirami Bose as P. K. Rosy, is a narrative film that uses animation to show the development of Malayalam cinema, and honouring the role of Rosy. Its concluding scene "repositions Rosy as a cornerstone of Malayalam cinema's heritage". It was selected as the signature film of the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala in 2024.

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