Did you have a chance to check out the Google doodle today?

It features PK Rosy, a pioneer of Malayalam cinema.

Today marks the 120th birth anniversary of this star, who went down in history as Malayalam cinema’s first woman actor and first Dalit actor.

Through her body of work, she set the space for great talent to emerge and paved the path for women in the entertainment field.

Rosy was born in 1903 in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram and displayed a talent for acting from a young age.

Following her time at a local performing arts school where she learnt Kakki Rasi Nattakom, a blended Tamil and Malayali folk theatre form, Rosy got her big break in the movie Vigathakumaran.

The movie was directed by JC Daniel, who is believed to have given the actor the name Rosy.

Following her role in Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child) in 1928, she won acclaim but also criticism.

This was because she portrayed the role of an upper-caste woman while being a Dalit woman.

Due to the backlash the film received, Rosy was forced to flee the state in a lorry and moved to Tamil Nadu where she lived as ‘Rajammal’.

In 2019, Women in Cinema Collective was quoted saying that a film society will be established under the name of PK Rosy.

“Our logo invokes Rosy visually and has been designed by the Mumbai-based designer Zoya Riyas. The P.K. Rosy Film Society is an endeavour from our side to establish a viewing space for cinema, which has often been an all-male space,” their statement read.

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