Who was PK Rosy? Google Doodle honours first lead Malayalam actress

PK Rosy was Malayalam cinema's first woman actor. But far from being hailed for breaking the glass ceiling, PK Rosy was hounded out of the state.

New Delhi, Feb 10: Google on Friday honoured PK Rosy, the first female lead in Malayalam cinema, with an animated doodle.

"Today's Doodle honours P.K. Rosy, who became the first female lead in Malayalam cinema," Google said Friday.

"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)," Google said.

"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," Google added.

Who was PK Rosy?

Besides being a woman in the industry, the Malayalam actress faced stiff resistance as she belonged to the community of Dalit Christians.

When her movie Vigathukumaran was released, members of the Nair community were enraged to see a Dalit woman portray a Nair.

Due to her "crime" of acting as a Nair, her home was reportedly burnt down by upper castes. Reports then state that she fled in a lorry that was headed to Tamil Nadu, married the lorry driver, Kesavan Pillai and lived her life quietly in Tamil Nadu as "Rajammal".

The story of the film was first rediscovered in the late 1960s by Chengalatt Gopalakrishnan while in 1971 Kunnukuzhi published his first article about her.

In 2013, Kamal directed a biopic on Daniel, titled Celluloid. The film is partially based on the novel Nashta Naayika by Vinu Abraham, and also deals with the life of Rosy. Newcomer Chandni Geetha portrays her.

It faced criticism for portraying Rosy as mindless and submissive to upper castes.

Two other films about her life have also been made: The Lost Child and Ithu Rosiyude Katha (This is Rosy's Story). A society of women actors in Malayalam cinema named itself the PK Rosy film society.

On 10 February 2023, Google honoured Rosy with a doodle, on the occasion of her 120th birthday.