Thursday, August 29, 2024

 

WELCOME BACK, MY DEAR READERS


We have been out of touch for more than a year.

(Well, nothing happened without me, the world is still

the same. Perhaps a shade better, who knows!)

Well, I feel like a fish out of water without you.

So, for my own benefit let me continue these postings.

We shall resume from where we stopped.


SOME WOMEN


“Here’s the story of Kunji Rajamma

Who changed her name to Paulose Kunji-Elsie Rosy

She knows how to act and she knows how to dare

But all her elite upper-class men beat her out of sight…..”

 

Let me express my apologies to the American pop singer Johnny Wakelin who wrote and sang the original song about the “Black Superman” Muhammed Ali. I just parodied the first four lines! However, there is one thing in common. The main theme of both is the discrimination meted out to the downtrodden. Though Muhammed Ali defied the President of USA, inspiring billions of hearts the world over against Vietnam war, our heroine had to beat a hasty retreat. Why?

The caste-system was so predominant in India and being a woman, she was destined to be at the receiving end of things. (Sadly enough, the milieu in India is more or less the same even now!)

Rajamma was born in 1903 to a Pulaya (Dalit) family at Nanthancode, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). Her family worked as grass-cutters at the lawns of the aristocratic families and toiled in their far-away fields. Meanwhile, her father got the job as a cook at nearby LMS (London Mission Society) Compound and subsequently changed his name to Paulose. Rajamma became Rosy. Her mother Kunji metamorphosised into Elsie. As fate would have it, Paulose died shortly after. Now the responsibility for running the family mainly fell on Rosy. She had the spark in her as an actor. While going for work, she used to stop and listen to the going-on at “Cheraman Kalaavedi”, a training institute for “Kakkarissi Natakam”. They had their own productions too!

Kakkarissi Natakam is a full-length musical drama in a mix of unpolished Malayalam and Tamil where the hero Kakkan is always at the centre-stage. His wife as well as his concubine complete the cast. All of them are country bumpkins acting either as nomads or fortune-tellers! Through their rustic ways, they make fun of everything especially the hypocrisy prevailing in the society, in good humour.

As days went by, Rosy was let in and she was trained in the performing art. Yes, her family had reservations about it. Anyway, a star was born! She became a celebrity in her own right and production houses were vying each other to rope her in.

Around this time JC Daniel, the progressive graduate son of a wealthy doctor from Kanyakumari was toying with the idea of making a film in Malayalam.

Three years senior to Rosy, he went all the way to Mumbai and found a heroine, Ms.Lana. 

In fact, Daniel’s the main purpose was to learn the intricacies of film-making and he even met doyens like Dadasaheb Phalke! Armed with the rudimentary technical knowledge about cinema, Daniel dared to produce, write, act, cinematograph, edit and direct the first film in Malayalam “Vigathakumaran” (The Lost Child). The film didn’t have sound or dialogue.

Ms.Lana, the leading lady who was brought in from Bombay by JC Daniel  had to be shown the door! She was putting on airs for no rhyme or reason! The accommodation provided to her was not upto her liking! She wanted a sprawling bungalow amidst greenery for her and hangers on, much like the place where the Maharajah of Travancore stayed!

Anyway, the search for a leading lady zeroed in at Rosy who was already well-known in theatre circles. She was to play the role of Sarojini, a Nair woman. Daniel knew full well that he was playing with fire as acting in a film was a taboo for women and to make matters worse, a Dalit was portraying the Nair woman in his film! It was a period when female roles even in plays were enacted by men. Acting in films were considered nothing less than prostitution. To add insult to injury, there was scene in Vigathakumaran in which Daniel kisses a flower in Rosy’s hair.

It was enough to turn hell upside down!

Whatever it is, the fact remains that Vigathakumaran is the first movie in Malayalam, a social drama feature film. It is the first film with a social significance from India (perhaps) because Bombay and Madras were concentrating on films with storyline from ‘purana’.

The entire film-making of "Vigathakumaran" was so casual. The leading-lady used to come with lunch to act in the movie and go for work in the evening! Her shoot was for ten days and was paid a daily wage of five rupees!

The film was to be premiered on 07.11.1928 at Capitol Theatre, T’puram (where the YWCA stands now) with two shows, one at 6.30 pm and the other at 9.30 pm. Renowned lawyer Malloor Govinda Pillai was to inaugurate the event. He was such a formidable figure among practicing advocates and there was a popular saying going rounds in the verandahs of the Court;

"ആയിരം രൂപയും മള്ളൂരുമുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ ആരെയും കൊല്ലാം !"

(If you have one thousand bucks and Malloor with you, why scared of killing anybody?

However, the advocate refused after reaching the venue. He had a glimpse of Rosy at Capitol standing away from the glitterati. He too was furious that a Dalit was playing the role of a Nair woman. In fact, Daniel hadn’t invited Rosy for the screening but she did come with a friend. Foreseeing trouble, Daniel asked them to wait so that they could attend the next show.

The screening started much to the discomfiture of upper-caste Hindus who were already outraged at the converted Dalit – Nair woman issue. Then came the bone of contention i.e., Daniel kissing a flower in Rosy’s hair. The audience went wild and pelted stones on the screen damaging it. Rosy ran for cover and took refuge in her old “alma mater”, Cheraman Kalaavedi. However, the mob chased her and set the building of the drama troupe on fire. Luckily Rosy sneaked out on the sly, reached the highway and took a lift in the first vehicle, a goods lorry driven by a Malayalee, Kesava Pillai, going towards Tirunelveli and escaped.

The crowd, without knowing about her escape marched towards Rosy’s hut and showered stones on it. As if this was not enough, a mob of upper-caste women contributed their bit by striding towards Rosy’s battered hut and setting it on fire!

Now, Kesava Pillai was  a Nair from Neyyattinkara, offered his hand to the damsel in distress and they got married. Rosy changed her name yet again to Rajammal, suffixing the “Ammal” part to her name denoting high birth. It was a life incognito even to Rosy’s children as she never disclosed anything to anybody including her children. They were raised as Nairs.

The couple had five children out of which two, Nagappan Pillai and Padmaja survived. Both of them are quite reticent to meet strangers and live in a self-imposed exile.

Rosy died in 1988. Forced to live incognito in an unknown land. Departed this life too unidentified.

Whose fault is it, anyway?

*******