Vigathakumaran
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''Vigathakumaran'' () is a 1928 (or possibly 1930) Indian
silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
written, produced and directed by J. C. Daniel, who also played the hero in the movie. The lead actress P. K. Rosy was a
Dalit Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...
who played an upper-caste Nair woman, which caused an uproar at the film's premiere at the Capitol Theatre in Trivandrum. It was the first Malayalam feature film and is considered India's first social drama. Daniel is regarded as the father of the Malayalam cinema industry for this work. ''Vigathakumaran'' is a
lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...
, of which no copy has survived.


Plot

Chandrakumar, son of a rich man in
Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...
, is kidnapped by the villain Bhoothanathan taken to
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. His parents' efforts to find him fail and Chandrakumar is brought up as a labourer on an estate. The estate owner, who is British, takes a liking to him and in time, Chandrakumar rises to the post of superintendent. At this time Jayachandran, a distant relative of Chandrakumar happens to come to Ceylon. Incidentally, he is robbed of all his belongings by Bhoothanathan. Stranded, he gets acquainted with Chandrakumar and they become close friends. They come to Travancore where Chandrakumar's sister falls in love with Jayachandran. Meanwhile, Bhoothanathan attempts to kidnap her and the duo's timely intervention saves her. A scar on the back reveals Chandrakumar's identity, which finally leads to the happy reunion of the family.


Cast

* J. C. Daniel as Jayachandran * P. K. Rosy as Sarojini * Johnson as Bhoothanathan * R. Sunder Raj as Chandrakumar * Sundaram Daniel (JC's son) * Sulochana Daniel (JC's daughter)


Production

J.C. Daniel developed a passion for cinema while completing his higher education in
Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...
. He was interested in
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
and was an expert in chelambatam, the traditional martial art of southern Travancore, and wished to popularise chelambatam by harnessing the popular influence of cinema. At that time the common people of
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
were not even aware of cinema, so the idea was quite a challenge. He took the challenge and left for
Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
(now Chennai) to learn techniques of film-making and to acquire necessary equipments. Madras was the budding centre of
film production Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
in
South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
and had the only permanent talkies cinema in South India, named Gaiety, established in 1912. However, he could not get what he wanted from Madras and was even denied permission to enter various studio premises there. He then travelled to
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
(now Mumbai), the centre of
Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
production. He asked the studio owners for entry, claiming to be a teacher from Kerala who wanted to teach his students about cinema, thus gaining entry to the studios there. He was able to gather enough knowledge and equipment for film production from Bombay, and came back to Kerala to fulfil his dream. The film was finally shot in his own studio, which he established in 1926, Travancore National Pictures. It was the first
film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...
in Kerala, and located in Pattom, Trivandrum. He made money for the purpose by selling a piece of land in his name for 400,000 British Indian Rupees, and started production of the film of his dreams. He wrote the script and titled it ''Vigathakumaran'' (English: ''The Lost Child''). He directed and wielded the camera for the film, which was silent. He was also the protagonist in the film. He also did most of the
post-production Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...
work, including
editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written language, written, Image editing, visual, Audio engineer, audible, or Film editing, cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing p ...
. The theme of the film was of social significance and was the first in that genre. Most of the Indian cinemas at that time were based on stories from the and cinemas with social themes were scarce. The film was shot using a Debrie camera. A British
cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
called Ms Lala (or Miss Lana) is also reported as being involved in the production. The film was made in 1928. The first
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
actress was a scheduled caste labourer named P K Rosy, from Trivandrum. She used to come with lunch to act in the movie and go to her other work in the evening. Daniel had earlier signed an actress from Bombay named Lana to act in the heroine role. Another important role, the
villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
Bhoothanathan, was played by the actor Johnson, who is the father of actress B. S. Saroja. It was Johnson who suggested that the role of Sarojini could be played by Rosy. Two of Daniel's children, his son Sundaram and daughter Sulochana, appeared in the film.


Release

The release date of the film is debated, with two dates reported: 7 November 1928 and 23 October 1930. Most sources suggest the earlier date, as the later date is based on an unverified copy of a handbill (illustrated here) about the film that only came to light in 2003. However, among others, R. Gopalakrishnan, who made a documentary film about Daniel in 2006 and published the 2020 book ''Broken Dreams'', about Daniel, his wife, producer R. Sunder Raj, his wife Devaki Bai, and Rama Reddy, who owned the Capitol Cinema, believes that the film was must have been released at the later date. ''Vigathakumaran'' premiered in
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
at the Capitol Theatre. The theatre was located opposite the present day AG's office near the present day State Legislature Building in the centre of Thiruvananthapuram city. The screening was inaugurated by Adv. Malloor Govinda Pillai. Since it was a silent movie, there was an announcer at the theatre who would explain the story and the situation. Despite being the first cinema made in Kerala and the social significance of the cinema, it faced the wrath of certain Hindu orthodox groups in
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, due to the presence of a woman in the film. At that time acting in films were considered as an act worse than prostitution.Cinema of Malayalam
Biography
It was a period when female roles in even
play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...
s were played by males. Rosy was barred from the theatre as some upper-caste Hindus, outraged that a converted Dalit could play a Nair woman in the film, created a ruckus. During the screening, stones were thrown at the screen, damaging it. It was later screened in Alappuzha (Alleppey), one of the most important port towns in Kerala during that time, at the Star Theatre. There the more liberal audience were more tolerant, receiving the film with praise. There was a minor glitch when the screen faded and the audience booed. The announcer explained that since this was the first Malayalam film, there would be some minor problems, and the audience received this statement with applause. It is said that J.C.Daniel himself came to Alleppey with the film box, since there was only one print. The film was also screened at
Kollam Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...
,
Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...
, Tellichery, and
Nagercoil Nagercoil, natively spelt as Nāgarkovil (, "Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a Municipal Corporation city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the ...
. The film did only a moderate business at the
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...
and the receipts were way less than the expenditure. The screenings at Kollam and Thrissur led to riots, including trashing of equipment. With the film not generating enough money at the box office, Daniel was heavily in debt, so he sold his equipment and closed down his studio. He left Thiruvananthapuram and spent the rest of his life as a dentist in Tamil Nadu.


Aftermath and legacy

No copy of ''Vigathakumaran'' has survived. On the 90th anniversary of Malayalam cinema in
Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...
in 2018, JC Daniel's youngest son, Harris (or Haris) Daniel, said that he had burnt the only print of the film as an act of revenge upon his elder brother, who featured in the movie. Harris was six years old in 1928, and he was being bullied by his brother. The
Government of Kerala The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK), also known as the Kerala Government, is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who ...
initially refused to give Daniel a pension or award Daniel any honours because he was born and also later settled in Kanyakumari district, which later became a part of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, in 1956. It said that if Daniel wanted any financial assistance, he had to apply for it from the Tamil Nadu Government. At the far end of his life, he had told R. Kumaraswamy, the editor of the film magazine '' Nana'': "Malayalam cinema is a thriving industry now. But never have anyone bothered to recognise me as someone who made a film all by himself in those days. As for the new generation, they don't know me. But it is not their fault, I soothe myself." Long after Daniel's death in 1975, the Kerala Government instituted the J. C. Daniel Award in 1992, as a part of the Kerala State Film Awards, to honour lifetime achievements in
Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
. Daniel is now known as "the father of Malayalam cinema". The failure of ''Vigathakumaran'' is attributed by some to it being a silent film, Devaki Bai, who acted in the 1933 film '' Marthanda Varma'', suggested that it could have been because at the time, talkies in other languages were being screened and "a silent film wasn't much of a novelty".


In popular culture

''Nashtanayika'' is a 2008 novel by Vinu Abraham which details the life of P. K. Rosy, the heroine of ''Vigathakumaran''.Saraswathy Nagarajan (11 October 2012)
"Flashback in tinsel town"
. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
It was translated into English and published in 2020 as ''The Lost Heroine''. In 2013, Kamal wrote and directed a biopic about J.C. Daniel titled ''
Celluloid Celluloids are a class of materials produced by mixing nitrocellulose and camphor, often with added dyes and other agents. Once much more common for its use as photographic film before the advent of safer methods, celluloid's common present-day ...
''. The film details the struggles of Daniel to produce and exhibit ''Vigathakumaran'', while plunging into financial crisis. The film, based partially on Abraham's novel ''Nashta Naayika'' as well as the ''Life of J. C. Daniel'', a biography by film historian and journalist Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan, also deals with the life of Rosy. Prithviraj plays the role of Daniel, while Mamta Mohandas plays his wife Janet, and newcomer Chandni plays Rosy. The film generated criticism over its subtle reference to an IAS Officer and the then Kerala Chief Minister, which purportedly points to the bureaucrat and writer Malayattoor Ramakrishna Iyer and K. Karunakaran, who allegedly worked together to deny J. C. Daniel credit for his contribution to Malayalam cinema since he was a Nadar (Christian)."Barbs in ‘Celluloid’ lead to bloodletting"
. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
Author and civil servant N. S. Madhavan and D. Babu Paul, former Chief Secretary of Kerala, have pointed out factual inaccuracies in the film's depiction of Malayattoor and Karunakaran."N S Madhavan against Celluloid movie"
. DC Books. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
There are also several documentary films centred on the life and legacy of PK Rosy.


Footnotes


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, 0215336 Lost Indian films Indian silent films 1928 directorial debut films Indian black-and-white films 1928 drama films 1928 films Indian drama films Films shot in Thiruvananthapuram Films shot in Kollam Films shot in Alappuzha 1928 lost films Silent drama films