Adoor Gopalakrishnan

Biography

Gopalakrishnan was born on 3 July 1941 in the village of Pallickal (Medayil Bungalow) near Adoor, present-day Kerala. to a Malayali Nair family.

After securing a degree in Economics, Political Science and Public Administration in 1961 from the Gandhigram Rural Institute near Dindigul, he worked in Kerala as a statistical investigator for the Government of India's National Sample Survey Office (India) in its early years. In 1962, he left his job to study screenwriting and direction at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. He completed his course from there with a scholarship from the Government of India. With his classmates and friends, Gopalakrishnan established Chithralekha Film Society and Chalachithra Sahakarana Sangham; the organization was the first film society in Kerala and it aimed at production, distribution and exhibition of films in the co-operative sector.

Gopalakrishnan's debut film, the national award-winning Swayamvaram (1972) was a milestone in Malayalam film history. The film was exhibited widely in various international film festivals including those held in Moscow, Melbourne, London and Paris. The films that followed namely Kodiyettam, Elippathayam, Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan and Kathapurushan lived up to the reputation of his first film and were well received by critics at various film festivals and fetched him many awards. However, Mukhamukham was criticized in Kerala while Vidheyan was at the centre of a debate due to the differences in opinion between the writer of story of the film Sakhariya and Gopalakrishnan.

Gopalakrishnan's later films are Nizhalkuthu, narrating the experiences of an executioner who learns that one of his subjects was innocent, and Naalu Pennungal, a film adaptation of four short stories by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai.

All his films have won national and international awards (National award for best film twice, best director five times, and best script two times. His films have also won his actors and technicians several national awards). Gopalakrishnan's third feature, Elippathayam won him the coveted British Film Institute Award for 'the most original and imaginative film' of 1982. The International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) has gone to him six times successively for Mukhamukham, Anantharam, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and Nizhalkkuthu. Winner of several international awards like the UNICEF film prize (Venice), OCIC film prize (Amiens), INTERFILM Prize (Mannheim) etc., his films have been shown in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, London, Rotterdam and every important festival around the world.

In consideration of his contribution to Indian cinema, the nation honoured him with the title of Padma Shri (India's fourth highest civilian award) in 1984 and Padma Vibhushan (India's second highest civilian award) in 2006.

Gopalakrishnan is settled in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. His daughter Aswathi Dorje is an IPS officer (part of the Assam cadre, 2000 batch), currently acting as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Mumbai since June 2010.

In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Gopalakrishnan signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.

His biography Face to Face: The Cinema of Adoor Gopalakrishnan (2016) has been written by film scholar Parthajit Baruah of Assam.

Documentaries and 'New Cinema' movement

Apart from nine feature films, he has over 30 short films and documentaries to his credit. The Helsinki Film Festival was the first film festival to have a retrospective of his films. He has headed the jury at the National Film Awards and many international film festivals.

Apart from his films, Gopalakrishnan's major contribution towards introducing a new cinema culture in Kerala was the constitution of the first Film Society in Kerala, "Chitralekha Film Society". He also took active part in the constitution of "Chitralekha", Kerala's first Film Co-operative Society for film production. These movements triggered a fresh wave of films, called "art films", by directors like G Aravindan, PA Becker, KG George, Pavithran, and Raveendran. At a time this movement was so strong that even popular cinema synthesised with art cinema to create a new genre of films. Bharat Gopi starred as hero 4 times in his ventures.

Style and trademarks

According to Gopalakrishnan "[i]n movies, the actor is not performing to the audience like the stage actor. Here they are acting for me. I am the audience and I will decide whether it is correct or not, enough or not."

Controversies

In 2014, Gopalakrishnan, then heading the advisory committee of The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), irked controversy for introducing measures such as delegate passes being given only to those who can speak English since foreign films come with English subtitles, these changes were criticized for promoting old-world elitism and restricting the festival's appeal.

In 2023, he faced criticism for defending the K. R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts director, Shankar Mohan, accused of violating reservation norms and discriminating based on caste and class. Gopalakrishan's statements, dismissing allegations and emphasizing Shankar Mohan's credentials, have drawn ire.

The students accused Gopalakrishnan, the chairman of the film institute, of shielding the institute director and not addressing their concerns.

Awards and milestones

Some of the awards and appreciation Gopalakrishnan has won for his films include:

• 2016 - On the occasion of India celebrating its 70th Independence day, news agency NDTV compiled a list called "70 Years, 70 Great Films" and Swayamvaram was among the four Malayalam films that found place in the list.
• 2015 - Biswaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award
• 2013 - Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award C. B. Kumar Endowment for Cinema yum Samskaravum (Essay)
• 2010 - Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt) from University of Kerala
• 2006 - Padma Vibhushan — Second highest civilian award from Government of India
• 2004 - Dadasaheb Phalke Award — Lifetime Achievement Award in Film awarded by the Government of India
• 1996 - Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt) from Mahatma Gandhi University
• 1984 - Padma Shri — Fourth highest civilian award from Government of India.
• 1984 - Legion of Honour — French order, the highest decoration in France
• National Film Awards — Various categories for Swayamvaram, Kodiyettam, Elippathayam, Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan, Nizhalkkuthu and Naalu Pennungal
• Kerala State Film Awards: — Various categories for Kodiyettam, Elippathayam, Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Vidheyan and Oru Pennum Randaanum
• International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) — won consecutively for six feature films (Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and Nizhalkkuthu)
• London Film Festival — Sutherland Trophy — in 1982 for Elippathayam
• British Film Institute Award — Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 — Elippathayam
• Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French Government (2003)
• Lifetime achievement award at Cairo International Film Festival.

National Film Awards (Detailed):

• 1973 - Best Film - Swayamvaram
• 1973 - Best Director - Swayamvaram
• 1978 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Kodiyettam
• 1980 - National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Non-Feature Film) - The Chola Heritage
• 1982 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Elippathayam
• 1984 - Best Book on Cinema - Cinemayude Lokam
• 1985 - Best Director - Mukhamukham
• 1985 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Mukhamukham
• 1985 - Best Screenplay - Mukhamukham
• 1988 - Best Director - Anantharam
• 1988 - Best Screenplay - Anantharam
• 1990 - Best Director - Mathilukal
• 1990 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Mathilukal
• 1994 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Vidheyan
• 1995 - Best Film - Kathapurushan
• 2003 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Nizhalkkuthu
• 2008 - Best Director - Naalu Pennungal

Kerala State Film Awards (Detailed):

Best Film

• 1977 - Best Film - Kodiyettam
• 1981 - Best Film - Elippathayam
• 1984 - Best Film - Mukhamukham
• 1993 - Best Film - Vidheyan
• 2008 - Best Film - Oru Pennum Randaanum

Best Director

• 1977 - Best Director - Kodiyettam
• 1984 - Best Director - Mukhamukham
• 1987 - Best Director - Anantharam
• 1993 - Best Director - Vidheyan
• 2008 - Best Director - Oru Pennum Randaanum

Best Story

• 1977 - Best Story - Kodiyettam

Best Screen Play

• 1993 - Best Screen Play - Vidheyan
• 2008 - Best Screen Play - Oru Pennum Randaanum

Best Documentary Film

• 1982 - Best Documentary Film - Krishnanattam
• 1999 - Best Documentary Film - Kalamandalam Gopi

Best Short Film

• 2005 - Best Short Film - Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair

Best Book on Cinema

• 2004 - Best Book on Cinema - Cinemanubhavam

Kerala Film Critics Association Awards (Detailed):

• 1984 - Best Film - Mukhamukham
• 1987 - Best Director - Anantaram
• 1989 - Best Film - Mathilukal
• 1989 - Best Director - Mathilukal
• 1993 - Best Film - Vidheyan
• 1993 - Best Director - Vidheyan
• 1995 - Best Film - Kathapurushan
• 1995 - Best Director - Kathapurushan
• 2016 - Ruby Jubilee Award

A retrospective of his films was conducted in

• Kolkata, by Seagull Foundation for the Arts and Nandan, 2009.
• The Slovenian International Film Festival, 2009.
• The Munich Film Museum, 2009.
• The French Cinematheque, Paris, 1999.

Filmography

Trivia

Kaamuki (Lover) is an incomplete 1967 movie directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and starring Madhu, Ushanandini, and Adoor Bhasi. The movie, produced by a friend from Kuwait, was dropped midway due to financial problems. The screenplay of the movie was later adapted, with some changes, as Theerangal (1978) by Rajeev Nath. Two of the four songs rendered by Yesudas in the original movie were also included in Theerangal (1978). The lyrics were by Ettumaanoor Somadasan, and the music was composed by the team of V.K. Sasidharan and P.K. Sivadas.

References

References

1. (25 February 2018). "Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) keen to go global, train foreign actors & technicians - Times of India".
2. (31 July 2016). "Golden rigmaroles: Adoor Gopalakrishnan on the Malayalam screen". [[Deccan Chronicle]].
3. "Adoor Gopalakrishnan".
4. "Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Biography, Movies, & Facts".
5. (6 September 2005). "Adoor selected for Phalke award". [[The Hindu]].
6. Attipetty, Peter. (6 May 2013). "Milwaukee chose me: Adoor Gopalakrishnan".
7. "Page on Adoor Gopalakrishnan at Kerala tourism".
8. A correspondent Date: 2 June 2010 Place: Mumbai. (2 June 2010). "Husband-wife set to take charge as Mumbai's DCPs". Mid-day.com.
9. (23 January 2005). "Crimebusters". The Telegraph.
10. (28 December 2023). "Gaza : des cinéastes du monde entier demandent un cessez-le-feu immédiat". [[Libération]].
11. Newman, Nick. (29 December 2023). "Claire Denis, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Christian Petzold, Apichatpong Weerasethakul & More Sign Demand for Ceasefire in Gaza".
12. (31 December 2023). "Directors of cinema sign petition for immediate ceasefire". [[The Jerusalem Post]].
13. "Face-to-Face".
14. Baruah, Parthajit. (2016). "Face to Face: The Cinema of Adoor Gopalakrishnan". HarperCollins India.
15. "'Naalu Pennungal' not complex like my other films: Adoor". [[Yahoo]] India Movies.
16. Ramnath, Nandini. (2014-11-13). "Adoor Gopalakrishnan stirs controversy by restricting entry at state-run film fest to viewers who know English".
17. Shaji, Sukanya. (2023-01-17). "Dear Adoor, caste did not end because you discarded your surname at age 20".
18. "Film institute row: Jeo Baby withdraws 'Freedom Fight' from Kannur festival".
19. "Happy Independence Day: 70 Years, 70 Great Films".
20. (21 March 2006). "Adoor honoured with Padma award". [[Rediff.com]].
21. (5 October 2014). "Mahatma Gandhi University".
22. (27 June 2017). "Celebrating Cinema: 5 Reasons You Should Know About this Pioneer of New Wave – The Penguin Digest".
23. "Official Website of Adoor Gopalakrishnan".
24. (17 August 2016). "Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Adoor Gopalakrishnan completes 50 years in cinema".
25. (22 October 2003). "Adoor receives French honour". [[The Times of India]].
26. [https://www.keralafilmcritics.com/2020/10/film-critics-awards-complete-list-from.html "കേരള ഫിലിം ക്രിട്ടിക്‌സ് അവാര്‍ഡ് 1977 - 2012"]. Kerala Film Critics Association. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
27. (9 March 2009). "Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Retrospective in Kolkata".
28. (15 November 2008). "Adoor retrospective at Slovenian festival". [[The Hindu]].
29. (5 September 2009). "Adoor retrospective". [[The Hindu]].
30. "Interview: Adoor". Cinema of Malayalam.
31. "8th Moscow International Film Festival (1973)". MIFF.
32. https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2021/Oct/07/veteran-singer-v-k-sasidharan-passes-away-2368532.html
33. https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/columns/adoor-gopalakrishnan-movie-kamuki-kj-yesudas-song-1.5800325