of the film of his dreams. He wrote the script and titled it Vigathakumaran. The film did not have sound or dialogue. He directed and wielded the camera for the film and also played the role of the protagonist in the film. P. K. Rosie acted as the heroine. He also did most of the post-production work including editing. The theme of the film was of social significance and was one of the earliest films of the genre. Post-release of Vigathakumaran Vigathakumaran was exhibited in Trivandrum at the Capitol Theatre on 7 November 1928. Despite being the very first film made in Kerala and having a socially-significant message, it faced the wrath of certain orthodox sections in the society due to the presence of a woman in the film. Rosie, who played the role of the female protagonist, was disbarred from entering the theatre, as upper-caste Hindus, outraged that a converted dalit played the role of a Nair woman in the film, created a ruckus. During the screening, stones were pelted on the screen, damaging it. The film did moderate business at the box office but the collections were way below the production cost. The movie was also screened in Alleppey at the Star Theatre. Since it was a silent movie, there was an announcer at the theatre who would explain the story and the situation. Alleppey being one of the most important port towns in Kerala during that time, the audience were more liberal. They received the movie with excitement. There was a minor glitch once, when the screen faded and the audience booed. After the announcer explained that some minor problems might occur since this was the first Malayalam movie ever made and screened, the audience welcomed his statement with applause. Vigathakumaran was also screened at Quilon, Trichur, Tellichery and Nagercoil. Daniel became indebted as the movie was not a commercial success. To pay his debtors, he had to sell his equipments and close down the studio. He spent the rest of his life as a dentist at Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu. He spent his last years in his ancestral home called NEW HOUSE at Agastheeswaram. Though he applied for pension under the scheme for ailing artists, the Government rejected it since he was born in Tamil Nadu. In his books and articles, noted film journalist Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan originally established that Vigathakumaran was the first Malayalam film and that