PK Rosy birth anniversary: Google Doodle honours Malayalam cinema's 1st female lead

Google on Friday honoured P.K. Rosy, the first female lead in Malayalam cinema, to celebrate her birth anniversary. On this day in 1903, Rosy was born Rajamma in Thiruvananthapuram, formerly Trivandrum (Kerala’s capital city).
Google paid a tribute to Rosy with a beautiful sketch of the actress surrounded by red roses.

At an early age, Rosy found her passion for acting and later gained recognition for her performance in Vigathakumaran ('The Lost Child') by film-maker J.C. Daniel.



Rosy, who lost her father at a young age, was raised in steep poverty. As a young girl, she spent most of her time as a grass-cutter. Rosy's passion and deep interest in arts was encouraged by her uncle who found a teacher for music and acting.

She even went to a local school to study Kakkirasi Nattakam, a form of Tamil folk theatre.
Rosy broke barriers with her acting in the film during the time when performing arts, especially for women, was discouraged and looked down upon in sections of society.

The 1928 social drama was the first Malayalam feature film to tell the story of Chandrakumar, son of a rich man in Travancore, who is kidnapped by the villain Bhoothanathan to Ceylon. After the parents' efforts to find him fail, Chandrakumar is brought up as a labourer in an estate owned by a British man. The story follows Chandrakumar's dramatic journey.

Rosy played the role of an upper caste Nair girl in the film and received a lot of flak after the film's release. Due to the backlash, Rosy had to leave her home.

The actress did not only had to overcome several obstacles for being a woman in the film industry, but also received a lot of negativity for being a Dalit Christian.

"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 said.