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PK Rosy: The forgotten Indian actor who lost her legacy to caste oppression

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PK Rosy was the first female lead in Malayalam -language cinema in 1920s pre-independence India .

She starred in a movie called Vigathakumaran , or The Lost Child , in the 1920s .

The film's reel was destroyed and the cast and crew have all died.

Rosy belonged to a lower-caste community and faced intense criticism for portraying an upper-castse woman.

She fled her home after an angry mob set her house on fire to avoid being recognised.

In recent years , Dalit filmmakers and activists have sought to reclaim Rosy 's legacy.

Influential Tamil director Pa Ranjith has launched a yearly film festival in her name.

But there is still a haunting sense that while Rosy was ultimately saved, it was at the cost of her passion and identity.