Vigathakumaran
Encyclopedia
Vigathakumaran is a 1928 India
n silent film written, directed and produced by J. C. Daniel
, who also played the hero in the film. It is the first Malayalam feature film.
and was an expert in Kalarippayattu
, the traditional martial art of Kerala
. He published an English book titled Indian Art of Fencing
and Sword Play in 1915, when he was 22. Daniel was well aware of the scope of cinema as a public medium. He wished to popularise Kalarippayattu by harnessing the popular influence of cinema. At that time the common mass of Kerala were not even aware of cinema, hence the idea was quite a challenge. He took the challenge and left to Madras (now Chennai
) to learn techniques of film-making and to acquire necessary equipments for the purpose. Madras was the budding centre of film production in South India
and had the only permanent talkies in South India, named Gaiety which was established in 1912. However, he could not get what he wanted from Madras and was even denied permission to enter various studio premises in there. That didn't make him to give up. He travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai
), the centre of Hindi cinema production. He asked the studio owners for entry claiming that he is a teacher from Kerala and wanted to teach his students about cinema and got entry to the studios there. He could gather enough knowledge and equipments for film production from Bombay and came back to Kerala
to fulfil his dream.
named The Travancore National Pictures. It was near the present Public Service Commission office, Pattom
, Trivandrum. He made money for the purpose by selling a piece of land in his name for 4 lakhs. With all set, he started production works of the film of his dreams. He wrote the script and titled it Vigathakumaran (literally translated as The Lost Child). He directed and wielded the camera for the film, which was mute. He was also the pratogonist in the film. He also did most of the post production work including editing
. The theme of the film was of social significance and was one of the early films in that genre. Most of the Indian films at that time were based on stories from the puranas
and films with social themes were scarse.
The first Malayalam actress was a scheduled caste labourer named Rosie from a place called Thaikkat near Trivandrum. She used to come with lunch to act in the movie and go for her work in the evening. Daniel had earlier signed an actress from Bombay named Lana to act in the heroine role. Due to some reasons, she left the film and Daniel was forced to sign an unexperienced actress like Rosie in his film. Another important role was played by Johnson, who is the father of actress B. S. Saroja. Daniel's son Sundar Raj also acted in a pivotal role in the film.
groups in Kerala
, due to the presence of a woman in the film. At that time acting in films were considered as an act at par with prostitution. It was a period when female roles in even theatre were played by males. During the screening, stones were pelt on the screen, damaging it. The movie was also exhibited in Alleppey at the Star Theatre. Alleppey being one of the most important port towns in Kerala during that time, the audience were more liberal. They received the movie with exhilaration. There was a minor glitch when the screen faded and the audience booed. The announcer explained that since this is the first Malayalam film, there will be some minor problems and the audience received the 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 Quilon
, Trichur, Tellichery and Nagercoil
. The film did only a moderate business at the box office
and the collections were way less than the expenditure.
Since females acting in films or theatre was considered at par with prostitution, some of the orthodox society burned down the heroine Rosie's hut. She fled to Tamil Nadu
where she got married and spent the rest of her life. Nobody knows the whereabouts of Rosie after she left Trivandrum. It was only recently her photo was retrieved from Malloor Govinda Pillai's diaries.
After the film's failure at the box office, Daniel suffered from debts and to overcome the situation, he had to sell his equipments and close down his studio. Despite the setbacks, Daniel went on to make one more film, a documentary on martial arts, Adithadi Murai. He was completely bankrupt after the completion of this film. Almost a pauper, he left Trivandrum to seek a livelihood. Daniel spent the rest of his life as a dentist at Palayamkottai
, Madurai
and Karaikudi
.
The Kerala Government initially rejected to give Daniel any honour because of Daniel was not a Malayalee. The Government version was that if Daniel want any financial assistance, he has to apply it for 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." After Daniel's death in 1975, as an afterthought or penance, the instituted the J. C. Daniel Award
as a part of the Kerala State Film Awards, to honour lifetime achievements in Malayalam cinema
. Daniel is known as the father of Malayalam cinema.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n silent film written, directed and produced by J. C. Daniel
J. C. Daniel
J. C. Daniel was the first film-maker from Kerala, India. He produced, directed, wrote, photographed, edited and acted in the first film made in Kerala, named Vigathakumaran meaning the Lost Child. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, named The Travancore National Pictures. It was...
, who also played the hero in the film. It is the first Malayalam feature film.
Plot
Chandrakumar, son of a rich man in Trivandrum is kidnapped by the villain Bhoothanathan to Ceylon. The efforts of his parents to find him do not succeed and Chandrakumar is brought up as a labourer in 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 Thiruvananthapuram where Jayachandran's sister falls in love with him. Meanwhile Bhoothanathan attempts to kidnap her and the duo's timely intervention saves her. A scar on the back reveals Chandrakumar's identity which eventually leads to the happy reunion of the family.Cast
- J. C. DanielJ. C. DanielJ. C. Daniel was the first film-maker from Kerala, India. He produced, directed, wrote, photographed, edited and acted in the first film made in Kerala, named Vigathakumaran meaning the Lost Child. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, named The Travancore National Pictures. It was...
as Chandrakumar - Rosie as Sarojam
- Johnson as Bhoothanathan
- Sunder Raj as young Chandrakumar
Pre-production
Daniel was interested in martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and was an expert in Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
, the traditional martial art of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He published an English book titled Indian Art of Fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
and Sword Play in 1915, when he was 22. Daniel was well aware of the scope of cinema as a public medium. He wished to popularise Kalarippayattu by harnessing the popular influence of cinema. At that time the common mass of Kerala were not even aware of cinema, hence the idea was quite a challenge. He took the challenge and left to Madras (now Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
) to learn techniques of film-making and to acquire necessary equipments for the purpose. Madras was the budding centre of film production in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
and had the only permanent talkies in South India, named Gaiety which was established in 1912. However, he could not get what he wanted from Madras and was even denied permission to enter various studio premises in there. That didn't make him to give up. He travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
), the centre of Hindi cinema production. He asked the studio owners for entry claiming that he is a teacher from Kerala and wanted to teach his students about cinema and got entry to the studios there. He could gather enough knowledge and equipments for film production from Bombay and came back to Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
to fulfil his dream.
Casting and filming
In 1926, Daniel established the first film studio in KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
named The Travancore National Pictures. It was near the present Public Service Commission office, Pattom
Pattom
Pattom is a suburb of the Thiruvananthapuram city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located approximately 6 kilometres north of central Thiruvananthapuram. Pattom is one of the important administration and shopping centres of the Thiruvananthapuram city...
, Trivandrum. He made money for the purpose by selling a piece of land in his name for 4 lakhs. With all set, he started production works of the film of his dreams. He wrote the script and titled it Vigathakumaran (literally translated as The Lost Child). He directed and wielded the camera for the film, which was mute. He was also the pratogonist in the film. He also did most of the post production work including editing
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
. The theme of the film was of social significance and was one of the early films in that genre. Most of the Indian films at that time were based on stories from the puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
and films with social themes were scarse.
The first Malayalam actress was a scheduled caste labourer named Rosie from a place called Thaikkat near Trivandrum. She used to come with lunch to act in the movie and go for her work in the evening. Daniel had earlier signed an actress from Bombay named Lana to act in the heroine role. Due to some reasons, she left the film and Daniel was forced to sign an unexperienced actress like Rosie in his film. Another important role was played by Johnson, who is the father of actress B. S. Saroja. Daniel's son Sundar Raj also acted in a pivotal role in the film.
Release and post-release events
Vigathakumaran was exhibited in Trivandrum at the Capitol Theatre on 7 November 1928. 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 film made in Kerala and the social significance of the film, it faced wrath of certain orthodoxOrthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
groups in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, due to the presence of a woman in the film. At that time acting in films were considered as an act at par with prostitution. It was a period when female roles in even theatre were played by males. During the screening, stones were pelt on the screen, damaging it. The movie was also exhibited in Alleppey at the Star Theatre. Alleppey being one of the most important port towns in Kerala during that time, the audience were more liberal. They received the movie with exhilaration. There was a minor glitch when the screen faded and the audience booed. The announcer explained that since this is the first Malayalam film, there will be some minor problems and the audience received the 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 Quilon
Quilon
Quilon may refer to,* Venad, a former state on Malabar Coast, India* Kollam , Kerala state, India* Kollam district, Kerala state...
, Trichur, Tellichery and Nagercoil
Nagercoil
Nagercoil is the 12th largest city in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District...
. The film did only a moderate business at the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
and the collections were way less than the expenditure.
Since females acting in films or theatre was considered at par with prostitution, some of the orthodox society burned down the heroine Rosie's hut. She fled to Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
where she got married and spent the rest of her life. Nobody knows the whereabouts of Rosie after she left Trivandrum. It was only recently her photo was retrieved from Malloor Govinda Pillai's diaries.
After the film's failure at the box office, Daniel suffered from debts and to overcome the situation, he had to sell his equipments and close down his studio. Despite the setbacks, Daniel went on to make one more film, a documentary on martial arts, Adithadi Murai. He was completely bankrupt after the completion of this film. Almost a pauper, he left Trivandrum to seek a livelihood. Daniel spent the rest of his life as a dentist at Palayamkottai
Palayamkottai
Palayamkottai , known as the "Oxford of South India", is a town in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Tirunelveli city corporation. It is on the eastern bank of the Thamirabarani river, while its twin city Tirunelveli is on the western bank.-Etymology:The archaic word Palayam...
, Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
and Karaikudi
Karaikudi
Karaikudi is a town in Sivaganga District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Chettinad literally 'Chetti land' in Tamil, is a collection of 76 villages/towns. Chettinad stretched from Ramnad District and Pudukottai State of 'British' India. The Chettiars, or more properly the Nattukottai...
.
The Kerala Government initially rejected to give Daniel any honour because of Daniel was not a Malayalee. The Government version was that if Daniel want any financial assistance, he has to apply it for 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." After Daniel's death in 1975, as an afterthought or penance, the instituted the J. C. Daniel Award
J. C. Daniel Award
The J. C. Daniel Award is an annual award given by the Government of Kerala. The Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala instituted the award in honour of J. C. Daniel in 1992. The award, a part of the Kerala State Film Awards is to honour lifetime achievements and outstanding...
as a part of the Kerala State Film Awards, to honour lifetime achievements in Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
. Daniel is known as the father of Malayalam cinema.
External links
- Vigathakumaran at the Malayalam Movie Database