Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan sparked outrage with his casteist remarks
He objected to excessive funds for women, and SC/ST filmmakers
A complaint has been filed against him
At the Film Policy Conclave in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan made controversial statements, criticising the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) for funding filmmakers from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) communities and women filmmakers. When renowned singer and activist Pushpavathy Poypadathu interrupted to speak against it, she was allegedly denied a mic and stopped.
Later, in a television interview, Adoor not only defended his controversial remarks but also disparaged Pushpavathy. He said that she had "no connection to cinema" and no right to interrupt him. The filmmaker also called it a "publicity stunt".
"A woman stood up and said something. She has no connection to cinema. I don’t know who she is. She’s not part of this field. She interrupted me while I was speaking," he said.
He added, "I’ve been working in cinema for 60 years. I’m not some random person. Who is she to stop me from speaking?”
Adoor even dismissed her credentials when he was told that she is a popular playback singer and cultural activist.
"Is the conclave a place for any woman walking down the street to give her opinion? This is not a market square. It is for people from the film industry to talk about their issues," the Dadasaheb Phalke awardee stated further.
What did Adoor Gopalakrishnan tell at the event?
At the conclave, Adoor, opposing the Kerala government's Rs 1.5 crore grant for SC/ST and women filmmakers, claimed that it would lead to "corruption" and "misuse," and even proposed to cut it to Rs 50 lakh.
He said, "Those from SC backgrounds should be given at least three months of training under experienced filmmakers before being supported."
He also said that the "government money shouldn’t be used just because a film has a superstar or simply because the director is a woman."
Further criticising the quality of films produced under the initiative, he claimed that "many of them lack both quality and artistic value."
Pushpavathy Poypadathu's statement on Adoor's remarks
Later, in a statement, the singer said she was disheartened not just by Adoor’s words at the conclave, but also by the audience who applauded after Adoor's remarks.
"I respect his legacy, but what he said was deeply anti-progressive. Our communities were enslaved for generations. We gained access to education and art only recently. This policy tries to correct that injustice. His outlook ignores that history," she said.
She also said that she was the only one at the event to speak up.
For the unversed, Poypadathu is currently serving as the vice chairperson of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.
Adoor's controversial statements followed a storm of criticism, with several SC/ST organisations reportedly calling for protests. Police security has also being tightened round Adoor’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
Complaint filed
A complaint has been filed against the Padma award-winning filmmaker by social activist, Dinu K. The complaint was both emailed to the police and the state SC, ST Commission seeking action against Gopalakrishnan under the SC, ST (Prevention of atrocities) Act.
