Celluloid (2013)
This underrated Malayalam movie is about the legend of J C Daniel and his dream to make the first ever Malayalam movie. Set in the 1920s, the film depicts the cinema obsession of Daniel even in those early years. The man sold his property to bankroll his dream, wrote letters to Dadasaheb Phalke, and eventually bought the camera and other paraphernalia to make a movie. He did make the movie Vigathakumaran, but as it happened, his troubles were only beginning.
The film had Rosie, a woman from the lower caste playing an upper-caste woman. This triggers a huge outrage, and Daniel’s life is hit very badly. Written and directed by Kamal, the film has Prithviraj, Sreenivasan, Mamta Mohandas and Chandni in the lead roles.