JC Daniel, a Tamil dentist and martial artist who became the father of Malayalam cinema
Few people in Kerala know JC Daniel by his full name: Joseph Chellaiah Daniel. To most, he is simply JC Daniel, revered as the father of Malayalam cinema. The 2013 film Celluloid rekindled the public memory of his life and struggles with the evocative song “Kaatre Kattre” performed by Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, which lingers in the minds of the audience. Yet beyond the borders in Tamil Nadu, it remains little known that this pioneering figure of Malayalam cinema was actually a Tamil who spent his last years in Agastheeswaram, a small town near Kanniyakumari. “Contrary to popular opinion – and his portrayal in Celluloid as a man neglected by his children and poor – JC Daniel lived an honest and dignified life at Puthu Veeda, his family home in Agastheeswaram,” says Janet Chandrika, his granddaughter and retired college professor. She remembers seeing him sitting in a folding chair.
A family of medical professionals
Born into a wealthy family of medical professionals, Daniel was the son of Gnanabaranam Joseph Daniel, a physician trained in Calcutta and England, who served as Chief Medical Officer of Travancore. The family house built by his father resembled a miniature palace and the family came to be known locally as the ‘Puthu Veedu Doctor Family’. Daniel was also an accomplished martial artist and it was this passion that inspired him to make a film about this art form. He trained in silambam and other martial arts from a young age, and his years in Thiruvananthapuram deepened his involvement in the kalari traditions. He even wrote a book called The Indian Art of Fencing and Swordplay. As Kumar Solomon notes in his biography of JC Daniel-Vaazhvin Nizhal, Daniel eventually realized that a compelling story was essential to the film’s success and changed the plot.
Daniel’s tireless efforts and heavy personal investment – selling his share in Panachamood property in Kanniyakumari and borrowing money and jewelery from friends and relatives to produce Malayalam’s first silent film, Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child) – ended in heartbreak. Vigathakumaran told the story of a child kidnapped by a Sri Lankan plantation worker and later reunited with his family.
Kerala’s first film studio
Defying his family’s opposition, Daniel bought a plot of land in Pattam, Kerala, rented Saradha Vilas’ house, and established what became Travancore National Pictures, Kerala’s first film studio. He also shot parts of the film in Sri Lankan plantations, making him one of the first Indian filmmakers to shoot abroad. His son, Sundaram Daniel, appeared in the film, an early example of a child artist in Malayalam cinema. Daniel himself performed the stunt sequences. However, the production was full of challenges. He initially cast Anglo-Indian actress Lana as the heroine, but disagreements over salary and accommodation led to her exit, even though he offered her a salary of ₹10,000 and paid ₹5,000 in advance. With few options, he approached a local koothu artist, Rajamma, whom he convinced to act in the film and rechristened PK Rosy. Daniel’s wife Janent even gave her dress and jewelry to support the production. The film was released in 1930.
Upper castes outraged
What followed revealed the harsh social reality of the time. The casting of a woman from a marginalized community in the heroine’s role sparked outrage among the upper castes. The screening was interrupted, even for a scene as innocuous as the hero plucking a flower from the heroine’s hair. Rosy’s house was set on fire. She ran away from Kerala. The film was met with protests elsewhere and Daniel suffered devastating financial losses. Yet failure did not define his life. Daniel rebuilt himself with remarkable resilience. He graduated in dentistry and set up a respected practice in Madurai, regaining stability and dignity after the collapse of his film dream, recalls Janet Chandrika.
But during his training at Karaikudi, his love for film resurfaced. Famous singer and actor PU Chinnappa visited his hospital for treatment. When they discussed the film, Chinnappa invited him to Chennai. “Daniel left his hospital and went to the city to pursue his dream, but success eluded him. He squandered the money he had earned as a dentist, notes Kumar Solomon. An emaciated Daniel retired to Agastheeswaram and became a target of criticism within his family. “But there is no truth to the claim that Chandrika, named after his wife, was a drunkard,” says Janet.
Back to dentistry
Realizing his earlier mistakes, he returned to dentistry and opened clinics at Neyyattinkara and Jamestown in Kanniyakumari. Between 1950 and 1954, he earned enough to marry his four children. He also opened a gymkhana club in Kottaram near Agastheeswaram where he taught martial arts, sold cashew nuts and prepared nannari sherbet during festivals. He invited actors from Madurai and staged dramas. He died of old age on April 27, 1975.
Despite his contribution, there has been a reluctance to recognize him as a pioneer of Malayalam cinema. It was Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan who collected the evidence to establish his primacy. Even then, questions were raised about his identity as a Tamil and how he could be considered the father of Malayalam cinema. Gopalakrishnan countered that Kanniyakumari was a part of Travancore until its merger with Tamil Nadu in 1956. Finally, the government of Chief Minister K. Karunakaran formally recognized him as the father of Malayalam cinema in 1991. The Government of Kerala instituted the annual JC Daniel Award statues in 1992 for individuals installed in Malayalam who have contributed to his cinematography in Malayalam. Thiruvananthapuram (Chithirangi Studio) and Neyyattinkara.
Published – 03 Apr 2026 05:30 IST