Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairperson Premkumar passing on a torch to Harris Daniel, son of J.C. Daniel who made the first Malayalam film Vigathakumaran, during a torch-bearing rally organised by the academy to honour the major figures of Malayalam cinema, in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

IFFK 2024: torch-bearing march pays tributes to Malayalam cinema’s legends

Tributes paid to J.C. Daniel, P.K. Rosy, Sathyan, Prem Nazir and Neyyattinkara Komalam ahead of 29th International Film Festival of Kerala

by · The Hindu

The capital on Thursday witnessed a torch-bearing march to honour the major figures of Malayalam cinema, including J.C. Daniel, P.K. Rosy, Sathyan, Prem Nazir and Neyyattinkara Komalam, ahead of the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). The march organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy began from the J.C. Daniel memorial at Neyyattinkara, where K. Ansalan, MLA, inaugurated the run.

The march then moved to Vazhuthoor to pay homage to Malayalam actress Neyyattinkara Komalam and then to the iconic Merryland Studio, where tributes were paid to acknowledge the studio’s pivotal role in shaping the history of Malayalam cinema. It subsequently reached the memorial to legendary actor Prem Nazir at Chirayankeezhu, where his family and members of the Prem Nazir Suhruth Samiti paid their respects. The torch was then taken to Vattiyurkavu to honour the first heroine of Malayalam cinema P.K. Rosy and then to the Sathyan Memorial in LMS compound in the city.

Around 50 athletes participated in this march covering over 127km. It culminated on the Manaveeyam Veedhi in front of filmmaker and lyricist P. Bhaskaran’s statue as 2024 marks his 100th birth anniversary.

Prem Kumar, Chalachitra Academy chairperson, and the family members of J.C. Daniel and Sathyan were present.

The flame of remembrance will remain lighted throughout the film festival.

Published - December 13, 2024 12:06 am IST