Google dedicated a doodle to P K Rosy, Malayalam cinema’s first woman actor and Dalit actor, on her 120th birthday on Friday.
Rosy, who was born in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district in 1903, realized her love of acting at a young age. In 1928, she rose to prominence as the female lead in the film ‘Vigathakumaran’ (The Lost Child). Her portrayal of an upper-caste woman in the film, which included a scene in which the male lead kisses a flower in her hair, sparked outrage. Rosy was forced to flee the state, and it is said that she fled in a lorry to Tamil Nadu, where she married the lorry driver and settled as ‘Rajamma’.
Despite her brief career, Rosy broke several barriers, particularly because women were not encouraged to pursue careers in the performing arts at the time.
In Malayalam cinema, the 2013 Prithvi Raj-starrer ‘Celluloid’ is based on J. C. Daniel, the director of ‘Vigathakumaran,’ and Rosy’s role in the film’s production.
Despite the fact that she received no recognition during her lifetime, her story continues to inspire many.
