Celluloid Page #7

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lt was as though

he had no interest...

to reminisce about the past,

and his memories.

No one had come looking

for me all this while.

Why, now?

Shouldn't the world know

that such a person is living here?

No. Who is J. C Daniel

forthe world to know about?

Janet, give him tea

and ask him to leave.

He is like this nowadays.

He is angry with everything,

and everyone

Please leave now and

come back some othertime.

Weren't you with him,

when he made the movie madam?

Can you tell me some of

the things that you remember?

Wasn't the picture completed then?

And it was screened

at Capitol cinema hall too.

What, then happened

to Vigathakumaran?

Even though she was reluctant

first,she talked to me later.

Even though

shooting started in 1928,

it was only on 23 October 1930...

after two years, that Vigathakumaran

- was screened at Capitol cinema.

Advocate Mulloor will come

to inaugurate the first show.

Then invitations have

been sent out to the Palace...

...and to other dignitaries here.

We must advertise in newspapers.

Only then will people know.

Yes. Notices are also being printed.

Ponnappan will do the announcements.

You should announce

even in small by-lanes.

Only then will we get a crowd.

You don't have to tell me that.

That is my job.

Daniel, we got the

notice printed.

So shall we start?

- Yes.

Travancore's first motion picture,

produced by J C Daniel...

Vigathakumaran...two shows daily...

at 6.30 in the evening

and at 9.30 every night.

lts start from tomorrow

at the Capitol near

the Huzur Katchery...

The first film made in Travancore.

Vigathakumaran...

The Lost Child...

Starring J C Daniel,Mullakkal

Johnson and our very own...

P K Rosy...

Come and see

Rosamma,

did you hear the announcement?

lt will be screened tomorrow.

Daniel Sir has asked me to tell you.

You should come to Capitol

tomorrow forthe inauguration.

The show is at 6.30 in the evening.

Please tell your father also.

You should come.

Travancore's first motion picture,

produced by J C Daniel...

Vigathakumaran...

The Lost Child...

All are welcome.

Starts with the

inauguration at 6.30...

Chair:
7 chakras

Floor:
3 chakras

Daniel Sir, please go there.

l will handle this.

Moorthy Anna,please take this...

for my happiness...

What's this?

Please get in.

Sundara, where is Janet and son?

- They are inside.

Please be seated.

What is this?

Putting the chairs at the back.

Don't you know Mr Thambi?

Do dignitaries have

to sit at the back?

Put all those chairs in front.

Don't you know dignitaries

sit in the back to watch movies?

All right.

Why are you late, Rosamma?

Father was late to come from work.

Get in, child.

When will it start?

- lt's time.

Hey, what is this? lnauspicious!

Do we see the cinema-show

seated with such untouchables?

Stand aside!

Can we consider such

things in the cinema-hall?

Be it the cinema-hall

or any other goddamned place...

the upper caste is upper caste...

...and the lower caste

remains lower caste.

Do you doubt it?

Mulloor, let us go.

Let him show it to the dalits

and all the lower caste.

lt is bad to insult us

this way after inviting us.

Sir, please don't go.lt is you

who has to inaugurate the show.

lt's not for them alone...

l also believe in caste

dividend untouchability.

Sir, please don't go...

Sorry Mr. Daniel.

Rosamma, please stand aside now.

Let them enter.

Rosy, you can see the next show.

They have come on our invitation.

Sir, please come.

Don't worry,

we can see the next show.

We can be proud that

the wonder of this century...

the motion picture,

has been produced in our land also.

Congratulating Mr Daniel,

who endeavored to ...

make this venture...

a grand success,

l declare the first exhibition

of this movie inaugurated.

Think the show is going to start.

My dear compatriots, the first

motion picture of Malayalam land...

Vigathakumaran... The Lost Child...

will begin in a few minutes

on this silver screen...

This is not a story from

the Mahabharata, ...

northe Ramayana...

This is a social story.

Those who have acted

in this story are...

J C Daniel

Mullakkal Johnson,

child artist Sundaram Daniel.

Damodaran Pillai and P K Rosy.

You have seen the child,

Chandrakumar,

kidnapped by Bhoodhanathan,

has grown up.

Moorthy Anna, how are things?

Now the heroine of

the movie is entering...

Now the hero of the story,

Jayachandran enters...

Now you are seeing

the scene in which...

...Jayachandran introduces himself...

to his neighbors.

Jayachandran falls in love

with the beautiful Sarojini...

Stop! Stop!

This show must not continue.

lt's not enough that

a dalit girl has acted...

...but she has acted as a Nair girl.

What is this?

We will not allow this.

Stop. l say stop.

Enough... enough.

Stop it.

Stop this filthy show.

Let's go.

There's the whore!

This vile girl insulted

us all by acting in this movie.

What should we do Mallur?

Don't let her go.

Thus the first show of

Daniel's movie was spoiled.

Malayalam's first movie...

became a victim of bad customs

and the caste system.

They branded Malayalam's

first heroine as a whore...

...and chased her

off from the cinema.

Rosy fled for her life that night...

not having the good

fortune to ever see...

...her face on the silver screen.

Rosy became the tragic

heroine of Malayalam Cinema.

The landlord Thambi and other

caste-blind lords and dignitaries...

...hunted Rosy continually...

...isolating herself

and family from social life.

Having somehow escaped

from the attack of the landlords...

Rosy fled under

cover of darkness...

Rosy fled under

cover of darkness...

What happened to her since,

is unknown.

Yet anotherjourney

to Agastheeshwaram...

This journey became necessary

because J C Daniel wrote a letter...

expressing his desire

to see me personally.

Come.

Daniel is inside.

When you came that day,

l felt like talking to you that way...

l feel a sense of aversion

towards everything...

How are your eyes?

Can see vaguely.

Still there is a blur.

Do sit down.

She read out to me the

article in the magazine you sent...

When l realized that there was

somebody to remind me of...

those days...

and come looking for me,l felt

bad about the way l treated you.

That's why l wrote

asking to see you.

l would have come regardless.

Madam told me only up to

the point where the first screening...

of Vigathakumaran was marred.

l need to know the

rest of your story as well

We read about Sathyan

in that magazine.

He also belongs to our community...

Nadar.

l have met him once or twice,

before he came into movie,

when he was in

the police department.

He had asked me about

Vigathakumaran then.

When 'Neelakkuyil' was playing...

l told Daniel that

we should go see it

in Thiruvananthapuram.

He did not agree.

There are many

movies playing now,isn't it?

Yes, Chemmeen has been

running for more than 100 days...

and it has been winning awards.

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