J.C. Daniel
| J. C. Daniel | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Joseph Chellayya Daniel Nadar 26 February 1900 Agasteeswaram, Travancore Kingdom |
| Died | 27 April 1975 (aged 74) Agasteeswaram, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, dentist |
| Years active | 1926–1928 |
| Height | 5′ 11” |
| Spouse(s) | Janet |
| Children | Sundaram Daniel,Sulochana Justin,Subamathi Vijaya,Lalitha and Haris Daniel ,Grandchildren: Rohan, Lilani Janet, Alex Motilal, Janet Chandrika, David Vijayakumar, Janet Hemalatha, Patrick Silas Manohar, John Selvanathan, Samuel Aaron, Jossy Ray and Sudha |
| Parent(s) | Dr. N. J. Daniel and Njanambal |
| Awards | 1929 – Public Mirror Prize (Vigathakumaran) |
| Website | Facebook Page |
J. C. Daniel (Malayalam:ജെ.സി.ഡാനിയേൽ) was an Indian filmmaker who is considered as the father of Malayalam cinema. He was the first film-maker from Kerala. He produced, directed, wrote, photographed, edited and acted in the first film made in Kerala, Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child). He also established the first film studio in Kerala, The Travancore National Pictures. The Government of Kerala instituted the Kerala State Film Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1992 in his name, as a part of the Kerala State Film Awards, to honor lifetime achievements in Malayalam Cinema.
Daniel was born on 26 February 1900 to a Nadar Christian family in Agasteeswaram taluk, Travancore (present-day Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu). He finished his formal education from Maharaja's College, Trivandrum. He was interested in martial arts 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 15 years old.
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 man of Kerala was not even aware of the medium of cinema, hence the idea was quite a challenge. He took up the challenge and left for Madras (now Chennai) to learn techniques of film-making and to acquire necessary equipment 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 1917. However, he was unable to realise his plans in Madras and was even denied entry to various studios in the city. That didn't stop the determined Daniel from pursuing his dream. He travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai), the centre of Hindi cinema production. He was able to obtain entry into film studios in the city, claiming that he is a teacher from Kerala and wanted to teach his students about cinema. He gathered enough knowledge and equipment for film production from Bombay and came back to Kerala to fulfill his dream.
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