J.C. Daniel: The Tamil Dentist and Martial Artist Who Became the Father of Malayalam Cinema
This article profiles J.C. Daniel (Joseph Chellaiah Daniel), a Tamil dentist and martial artist revered as the father of Malayalam cinema. Driven by passion, he sold his family property and borrowed money to produce 'Vigathakumaran' (The Lost Child, 1930), the first Malayalam silent film. The film tells the story of a child kidnapped by a Sri Lankan plantation worker. Daniel established Travancore National Pictures, Kerala's first film studio, and shot scenes in Sri Lanka, making him an early Indian filmmaker to shoot abroad. The production faced challenges, including casting a local koothu artiste, P.K. Rosy, from a marginalized community, which provoked outrage from upper castes and disrupted screenings. The article also corrects misconceptions about his later life, noting he lived with dignity in his family home in Agastheeswaram, Tamil Nadu, contrary to his portrayal in the film 'Celluloid'.
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