Remembering the remarkable life of PK Rosy who is the subject of today’s Google Doodle

PK Rosy is considered to be the first actress in Malayalam cinema who was hounded out of the state and the film industry for portraying a Nair woman on screen while being from a Scheduled Caste herself.

PK Rosy was the first actress in Malayali cinema as well as one of the first Dalit actors in India. (Image: Google Doodle)

By: Explained Desk

6 min readNew DelhiFeb 10, 2023 04:33 PM IST First published on: Feb 10, 2023 at 04:33 PM IST

A trailblazer who seldom received the respect and recognition she deserved, PK Rosy is an oft-forgotten but all too important figure in Indian cinema. Described as the first ever actress in Malyalam cinema, she acted in J.C. Daniel’s Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child) at a time where social conventions and attitudes kept women far from the silver screen.

However, PK Rosy’s journey in cinema was far from easy. Not only did she defy gender norms by acting in a film, playing the role of a Nair woman while being of low caste herself, she also drew the anger of upper castes who eventually forced her out of the film industry and the state itself.

On the day of her 120th birth anniversary, she has been honoured with a Google Doodle.

A young girl with an interest in acting

Born in 1903 to a Pulaya family in present day Thiruvananthapuram, PK Rosy’s birth name was supposedly Rajamma. Belonging to a Dalit subcaste, her family worked as grass cutters on the lawns and fields of the elite. Rajamma lost her father at a young age and thus worked cutting grass to support her family.

However, at an early age, her affinity to acting was apparent – she used to frequent rehearsals for plays and learnt the traditional Kakkarissi Nattakam at a local performing arts school. A form of musical drama, Kakkarissi tells stories of Lord Shiva and Parvati travelling the earth as nomads.

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However, this was a time when there were major entry barriers for women in theatre and the nascent film industry. Considered immodest or vulgar for women, acting was a domain of men who played both male and female characters.

Despite reservations of her family, Rajamma joined a drama company in Thycaud where she slowly rose to prominence as a fine actor.

Getting cast as a Nair woman

J.C. Daniel, considered to be the father of Malyalam cinema, made Kerala’s first ever film – Vigathakumaran or The Lost Child, released in 1928. While he was the lead actor in the silent film, Daniel had trouble finding an actress. No woman from Kerala was ready to act in a film at the time.

The story goes this way: desperately looking for a female lead, Daniel brought over an actress from Bombay. But due to various difficulties, this actress left soon after shooting began, putting Daniel in a tough spot. In stepped PK Rosy. While it is unclear how Daniel met her or indeed how he chose her as his heroine, he probably did not have much choice. Rosy was not only an extremely skilled artist, she was also one of the very few women actors in the state at the time.

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The story of Vigathakumaran revolved around the kidnapping of the son of a rich man to Ceylon. Rosy played the role of a Nair woman in the film, angering many upper castes. A scene that particularly angered audiences depicted her lover (Daniel), kissing a flower in her hair. According to some reports, the audience at the theatre were so incensed that they pelted the screen with stones.

Hounded out from cinema and the state

J.C. Daniel expected some of the backlash. Thus, he did not invite Rosy for the premier of her own film. However, what followed far exceeded his expectations. The casting of a Dalit woman as a Nair did not go down well with the Malyali elite of the time. Nor did the explicit display of affection between an upper caste man and a Dalit woman on the screen.

There were reports of rioting and vandalism in the theatre and the city. A mob of upper caste men supposedly burnt down the hut of Rosy’s family. Rosy eventually sought shelter with her old theatre company but even that did not save her from constant harassment and repeated attacks from upper caste men.

Eventually, she fled to Nagercoil, in a lorry transporting some goods. There she married the truck driver who helped her escape and started living a new life, away from cinema. Ironically, her husband ended up being a Nair.

Remembering Rosy

PK Rosy acted in only one film before she was forced to leave acting and cinema for good. While doing so, she not only became the first actress in Malyalam cinema but also one of the first Dalit actors in India. However, she broke one too many glass ceiling at a time when society simply was not ready to welcome that. For a long period, PK Rosy was pushed to obscurity.

However, her name gained recognition once again as Dalit politics in the state and the country intensified. Becoming an icon for the Dalit movement and an example of the systemic exclusion of Dalits in Malyali public life, today, Rosy is remembered as a trail blazer.

Recently, Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) of the Malayalam film industry announced that they would launch a film society named after PK Rosy. WCC member Archana Padmini told Film Companion, “With the other names, we thought we could be questioned, but we knew PK Rosy would be acceptable to all.”

The sheer irony of the statement is probably the greatest example of the progress made by society over the last century. However, for a woman who was violently ostracised by the very film industry which today is eager to embrace her, the greatest tribute will undoubtedly be to make the film industry a more diverse and inclusive place for all.