Adoor Gopalakrishnan is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer from the Malayalam film industry. He led the new wave film movement in Malayalam films during the 1970s. He is one of the founders of the first film society of Kerala known as Chitralekha Film Society. He has published several books and articles on cinema. As of 2023, Adoor has scripted and directed 12 feature films and over 30 short films and documentaries. He is known for the films Swayamvaram (1972), Kodiyettam (1978) and Ellippathayam (1982).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Muttathu Gopalakrishnan Unnithan, popularly known as Adoor Gopalakrishnan or simply Adoor most of the time, was born on Thursday, 3 July 1941 (age 82 years; as of 2023) in Medayil Bungalow, Pallikal, Adoor, Travancore, British India ( Now, in Pathanamthitta district). Kerala, India). His zodiac sign is Cancer.
Adoor during his student days
His parents separated during his childhood, and as a result, he grew up in a joint family with his maternal uncle, who influenced his reading and writing. His ancestral family favored classical performing art forms like Kathakali. He had a Kathakali troupe known as Kaliyogam. Since it was an integral part of his upbringing, he started writing and acting in plays at the age of eight. He did his BA in Economics, Political Science and Public Administration from Gandhigram Rural Institute in Dindigul Tamil Nadu. After a brief stint as a government official, he completed his Diploma in Screenwriting and Advanced Film Direction in 1965 at the Film Institute of India, Pune, now known as the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. .
family and caste
Adoor belongs to a Kerala Hindu family. He belongs to the Unnithan sub-caste of the Nair community. He gave up using the subgenre title along with his name at the age of 20.
parents and siblings
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s father was Madhavan Unnithan, and his mother was Muttathu Gowri Kunjamma. He was the second but last of their five children.
Adoor as an infant with his family
wife and children
Adoor married his wife Sunanda in September 1972. She was a housewife and died in 2015 after suffering from cancer.
Adoor’s wedding photo with Sunanda
His daughter Ashwathi Dorje, IPS, is an officer in the Indian Police Service from Assam cadre. His son-in-law Dr. Tsering Dorje, IPS is also an officer in the Indian Police Service. His grandson is Taishi Norbu.
Adoor with daughter and family
religion/religious views
Adoor revealed that he is not an atheist but follows Gandhian and secular ideology.
Address
Darshanam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
signature/autograph
Adoor’s signature
livelihood
early career
Adoor started his career as an investigator in the National Sample Survey in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. His initial interest in the job was mainly because it required traveling to different places. The enthusiasm faded for several reasons, one of them being that his passion for theater was not satisfied. So, after more than a year, he quit the job and went back to FTII in Pune as a student to learn about screenwriting and direction.
non-feature films
Adoor made his first short film, A Great Day (1962) as part of his education at the Indian Film Institute, now FTII, Pune. Light (1965), another short film, was also part of his diploma education. After receiving his diploma, he along with his friend Kulathur Bhaskaran Nair founded the first film societies in Kerala – Chitralekha Film Society and Chalchitra Sahakarana Sangham in 1965. Along with the Film Society, Adoor took the initiative and established India’s first film co-operative society. The idea of producing, distributing and screening quality films. He actively participated in the management and functioning of the Society.
Chitralekha Film Society Office
Many of Adoor’s non-feature films provide insight into various performance art forms. Some short films and documentaries are The Myth (1967), Pratisandhi (1970), Yakshagana (1979), Krishnanattam (1982), Koodiyattam (2001), Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair (2005), and Dance of the Enchantress (2007).
film
Adoor’s first feature film is Swayamvaram (1972) or One’s Own Choice starring actors Madhu and Saradha in lead roles. Although it had a lukewarm release, the announcement of the National Awards changed the film’s fortunes. It won 4 National Awards, 3 State Awards and an International Certificate of Merit at the Colombo Film Festival. It was screened at several international film festivals such as the Nantes and Helsinki Film Festivals.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan during the shooting of Swayamvaram
The film Kodiyettam (1977) or Ascent won many accolades inside and outside the country. Bharat Gopi played the lead character named Sankarankutty, for which he received the National Award for Best Actor. The film was screened at various international film festivals such as La Rochelle, Berlin and Munich.
An image of a scene from the film Kodiyettam
This was followed by the film Elippathayam (1981) or Rat-Trap, which received international, national and state awards in various categories. The film received much praise globally and was one of the best reviews written by Tony Ryan in the global magazine, Time Out.
The treatment is extraordinary: using rats as his regulative metaphor, Gopalakrishnan constructs the film like a cinematic rondo, giving importance to every composition and every camera movement.
The film Mukhamukham (1984) or Face to Face was about a revolutionary who faces changing political and social circumstances. The film received many awards and recognition from inside and outside the country. In his next film Anantharam (1987) or Monologue, Adoor asked the hero to narrate his story in the first person. It explores the effects of mental illness caused by the circumstances of the protagonist’s childhood. the film
Adoor during the shooting of the film Anantram
The film Mathilukal (1990) or The Walls is a free adaptation of an autobiographical novel of the same name by Vaikom Muhammad Bashir. The protagonist Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, played by Mammootty, goes through different senses of freedom as the film progresses. This film also participated in many international film festivals.
According to Adoor, the film Vidheyan (1993) or The Servant is a psychological study of the effects of power on the oppressed and the oppressors. The next film Kathapurushan (1995) or The Man of the Story is a period film that explores the impact of social changes over a period through the life and writings of the protagonist. The film Nizhalkoothu (2002) or Shadow Kill portrays the emotions and life of an executioner, played by Oduvil Unnikrishnan.
An image from Adoor’s film Nizhalkoothu
The film Naalu Pennungal (2007) or Four Women is a free adaptation of various short stories written by author Thakazhi Sivasankar Pillai. The film depicts the stories of four women from different sections of the society. The next film Oru Pennam Randanam (2008) or A Climate for Crime is a compilation of various stories with the general background of crime. The film Pinniam (2016) or Once Again starred actors Dileep and Kavya Madhavan in the lead roles, which depicts the social impact of unemployment and underemployment on a middle-class family.
Adoor during the shooting of the film Pinniam
controversies
Allegation of casteism in film school KRNNIVA
Adoor resigned as Chairman of the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Sciences and Arts (KRNNIV) in Kottayam, Kerala over caste discrimination and related allegations against a colleague and the director of the institute. His support towards the director and his resignation gave rise to various discussions on the topic.
Awards, Honors and Achievements
- In 2017, he received the Jesse Daniel Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema.
- In 2015, he received the Vishwaratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award for his contribution to the field of cinema.
- In 2014, he received the Deshikottam Award (D.Litt) from Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan.
Adoor was awarded the Desikotama Award from Visva-Bharati University.
- In 2013, the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee inaugurated the Adoor Gopalakrishnan Film Archive and Research Fund to preserve and promote the study of his films.
- In 2010, the University of Kerala conferred an honorary doctorate (D.Litt) on Adoor.
- In 2009, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) 2009.
- In 2006, Adoor received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of the Government of India.
- In 2004, he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in the field of cinema in India.
Adoor honored with Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- In 2004, Adur was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, the top French honour, for his contributions to the field of films.
- In 1984, he received the National Award for Best Book on Indian Cinema for his book Cinemayud Lokam.
- In 1984, he received the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India.
- In 1982, he received the Sutherland Trophy, British Film Institute Award for Most Original Film, for the film Elippathayam.
Adoor honored with BFI Award
- He received a total of 18 National Awards in different categories for his different films, one of which is the Special Jury/Special Mention Award for the non-feature film The Chola Heritage (1980).
Adoor gets National Award for Kodiyettam
- He received a total of 17 Kerala State Awards, of which 13 are in different categories for different films, 2 for his documentary films, one for his short film, and another for his book Cinemanubhavam (2004).
- He received the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) award for six consecutive years for the films Mukhamukham, Ananthram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and Nizhalakkuthu.
- He was part of the jury team of several international film festivals.
Favorite
- Film: Satyajit Ray’s The Apu Trilogy – Pather Panchali (1955), Aparijito (1956), The World of Apu (1959)
- Directors: Satyajit Ray, Werner Herzog, Girish Kasaravalli
- Song: Oru Vattam Koodiyan; Lyrics are by ONV Kurup and music is by MB Srinivasan
Facts/General Knowledge
- In an interview Adoor revealed that the production period of his films is usually five to six years.
- Adoor wrote several books on cinema such as Cinemayud Lokam (The World of Cinema), Cinemanubhavam (The Experience of Cinema), Pentrandu Thirakkathakal and Cinema Sanskaram.
Adoor’s book Cinemanubhavam
- Several books have been written on Adoor, such as Suranjan Ganguly’s The Films of Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Parthajit Barua’s Face to Face the Cinema of Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
- During his school days, Adoor scripted and directed a play titled Aniyaara, which won first prize in a state level competition.
- Legendary filmmaker Mani Kaul and Bollywood actor Asrani acted in Adoor’s short film taken during his student days at FTII.
- Adoor had a close relationship with filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He was always among those invited to Adoor’s film screenings. In an interview with Adoor, he recalled how filmmaker Satyajit Ray used to laugh during his screening of the film Kodiyettam.
Adoor with Satyajit Ray
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn