Adoor Gopalakrishnan is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer from the Malayalam film industry. He spearheaded the New Wave film movement in Malayalam cinema in the 1970s. He was one of the founders of the first film society in Kerala called Chitralekha Film Society. He has published several books and articles on film. As of 2023, Adoor has written and directed 12 feature films and more than 30 short films and documentaries. He is famous for his films “Swayamvaram” (1972), “Kodiyettam” (1978) and “Elippathayam” (1982).
Wiki/Biography
Mouttathu Gopalakrishnan Unnithan, popularly known as Adoor Gopalakrishnan or most often simply Adoor, was born on Thursday, July 3, 1941 (age 82; as of 2023) in Medayil Bungalow (now Pallikar, Travancore, British India) For Pathanamthitta district)Kerala, India). His zodiac sign is Cancer.
Ador as a student
His parents separated during his childhood, and he grew up in a joint family with his uncles, whose reading and writing were influenced by them. His ancestral family favored classical performing art forms such as Kathakali. They have a Kathakali troupe called Kaliyogam. Since it was an integral part of his upbringing, he began writing and performing plays at the age of eight. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics, political science and public administration from Gandhigram Rural College, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. After a brief stint as a government official, he completed his diploma in screenwriting and advanced film directing from the Film Institute of India, Pune, now known as the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, in 1965.
family and caste
Adore comes from a Hindu family in Kerala. He belongs to the Unnithan sub-caste of the Nair community. At the age of 20, he gave up using subcaste titles in his name.
Parents and siblings
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s father is Madhavan Unnithan and his mother is Mouttathu Gauri Kunjamma. He was the second and last of their five children.
Ador as a baby with his family
wife and children
Adore married his wife Sunanda in September 1972. She was a housewife who died of cancer in 2015.
Adore and Sunanda’s wedding photos
Their daughter is Aswathi Dorje, IPS, a police officer with the Assam Police Service. His son-in-law Dr. Chhering Dorje is also a police officer in the Indian Police Service. His grandson is Tashi Norbu.
Out with my daughter and family
Religion/Religious Views
Adore revealed that he is not an atheist but follows Gandhian and secular ideologies.
address
Darsanam, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Signature/Autograph
Adore’s signature
Profession
early career
Adore started his career as an enumerator for the National Sample Survey in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. He was initially interested in the job primarily because of the travel required. The excitement faded for a number of reasons, one of which was that his passion for theater was unsatisfied. So, after more than a year, he quit his job and returned to Pune as a student to study screenwriting and directing at FTII.
non-feature film
Adore made his first short film, A Great Day (1962), as part of his education at the Film Institute of India, Pune (now FTII, Pune). Another short film, The Light (1965), was also part of his diploma education. After obtaining his diploma, he along with his friend Kulathur Bhaskaran Nair founded the first film society in Kerala – Chitralekha Film Society and Chalachitra Sahakarana Sangham in 1965. Along with the Film Society, Adoor initiated and established India’s first film cooperative concept to produce, distribute and screen quality films. He actively participates in the management and operation of society.
Chitralekha Film Society Office
Adore’s many non-feature films provide insights into various performing arts forms. Some of the short films and documentaries include Myth (1967), Pratisandhi (1970), Yaksha (1979), Krishnanatam (1982), Kudiyatam (2001), Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair (2005) and Danse Nair (2007).
Movie
Adoor’s debut film was Swayamvaram (1972) or One’s Own Choice, starring actors Madhu and Sarada. Despite a rather lukewarm release, the announcement of the National Awards changed the film’s fortunes. The film won 4 National Awards, 3 National Awards and the International Merit Award at the Colombo Film Festival. It was shown at many international film festivals, including the Nantes and Helsinki Film Festivals.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan during the shooting of Swayamvaram
The movie “Kodiyettam” (1977) or “The Rise” won many accolades at home and abroad. Bharat Gopy played the lead role of Sankarankutty, which earned him the National Award for Best Actor. The film has been screened at many international film festivals such as La Rochelle, Berlin, and Munich.
Pictures of scenes from the movie “Kodiyettam”
Next came the film Elippathayam (1981) or Rat Trap, which won international, national and state awards in various categories. The film was well-received worldwide, with one of the reviews written by Tony Reigns in the global magazine Time Out being:
The approach is extraordinary: using the rat as his primary metaphor, Gopalakrishnan structures the film like a cinematic rondo, making every composition and every camera movement matter. “
The film Mukhamukham (1984) or Face to Face tells the story of a revolutionary facing changing political and social conditions. The film won many domestic and international awards and recognitions. In his next film Anantaram (1987) or Monologue, Adore had the protagonist tell his story in the first person. It explores the impact of mental illness caused by the circumstances of the protagonist’s childhood.Movie
Adoor during the shooting of the movie Anantaram
The film Mathilukal (1990) or The Wall is a free adaptation of the autobiographical novel of the same name by Vaikom Muhammed Basheer. The protagonist, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, played by Mammootty, experiences different meanings of freedom as the film progresses. The film also participated in several international film festivals.
According to Adore, the film Vidheyan (1993) or Enslavement is a psychological study on the effects of power on both the oppressed and the oppressor. The next film, Kathapurushan (1995) or Characters of the Story, is a historical film that explores the impact of social change over a period of time through the lives and writings of its protagonists. The movie Nizhalkuthu (2002) or Shadow Kill depicts the emotions and life of the executioner, played by Oduvil Unnikrishnan.
Images from Adoor’s movie Nizhalkuthu
The film Nalu Pennungal (2007) or Four Women is freely adapted from various short stories written by writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. The film tells the story of four women from different walks of life. The next film Oru Pennum Randaanum (2008) or Climate of Crime is a compilation of different stories with a common criminal background. The movie Pinneyum (2016) or Again starring actors Dileep and Kavya Madhavan shows the social impact of unemployment and income on middle class families.
Adoor during the filming of the movie Pinneyum
dispute
Allegations of casteism at KRNNIVA film school
Addo has resigned as chairman of the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Sciences and Arts (KRNNIVA) in Kottayam, Kerala, amid accusations of caste discrimination and related allegations against a colleague and director of the institute. His support for the director and his resignation sparked various discussions on the topic.
Awards, Honors and Achievements
- In 2017, he received the J.C. Daniel Film Lifetime Achievement Award.
- In 2015, he was awarded the Biswaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award for his contribution to the field of cinema.
- In 2014, he received the Deshikottama Award (D. Litt) from Visva-Bharati University, Santinigadan.
Received Deshikottama Award from Visva-Bharati University
- In 2013, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee established the Adore Gopalakrishnan Film Archive and Research Fund to preserve and promote the study of his films.
- In 2010, the University of Kerala awarded Adol an honorary doctorate (D. Litt).
- In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF).
- In 2006, Adore received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award awarded by the Indian government.
- In 2004, he won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in the Indian film field.
Received Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- In 2004, Adore was awarded France’s highest honor, the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, for his contribution to the field of film.
- In 1984, he won the National Award for Best Book in Indian Cinema for his book “Cinemyude Lokam”.
- In 1984, he received the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award awarded by the Indian government.
- In 1982, he won the Sutherland Award, the British Film Institute’s Most Creative Film Award, for his film “Elippathayam”.
Adoor wins BFI award
- He received a total of 18 national awards in different categories for his different films, one of which was the Special Jury Prize/Special Mention for the non-feature film The Legacy of Chola (1980).
Addo wins National Award for ‘Kodiyettam’
- He has received a total of 17 Kerala Awards, 13 of them in different categories for various films, 2 for his documentary, 1 for his short film and another for his book “Cinemanubhavam” (2004).
- He won the FIPRESCI Award (International Federation of Film Critics) for six consecutive years for his films “Mukhamukham”, “Anantaram”, “Mathilukal”, “Vidheyan”, “Kathapurushan” and “Nizhalkkuthu”.
- He is a member of the juries of many international film festivals.
Favorites
- Films: Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy – Pather Panchali (1955), Apararijito (1956), The World of Apu (1959)
- Director: Satyajit Ray / Werner Herzog / Girish Kasaravali
- Song: Oru Vattam Koodiyen; lyrics by ONV Kurup, music by MB Sreenivasan
Facts/Trivia
- Adore revealed in an interview that the time it usually takes for his films to go from conception to completion is five to six years.
- Adore has authored several books on cinema such as Cinemayude Lokam (World of Cinema), Cinemanubhavam (Cinema Experience), Pantrandu Thirakkathakal and Cinema Samskaram.
Adoor’s book “Cinemanubhavam”
- There are several books on Adoor such as “The Cinema of Adoor Gopalakrishnan” by Suranjan Ganguly and “Face to Face The Cinema of Adoor Gopalakrishnan” by Parthajith Barua.
- As a student, Adol wrote and directed a play “Aniara”, which won first prize in a national competition.
- Legendary filmmaker Mani Kaul and Bollywood actor Asrani star in a short film shot by Adoor during his student days at FTII.
- Adore was close to film producer Satyajit Ray. He was always invited to Adore’s film screenings. In one of Adore’s interviews, he recalled how filmmaker Satyajit Ray burst into laughter during the screening of the film Kodiyettam.
Adoor by Satyajit Ray
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education