He has made just 12 films, but for his admirers, Adoor Gopalakrishnan has structured the Indian film aesthetic over the past five decades, a worthy successor to the likes of Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen. The tragedy is that his movies, including the latest Pinneyum (which has had a national release), have largely escaped the mainstream audience outside his home state of Kerala.
It is a huge landmark, but without the usual fanfare, much like the man who lets his masterly films speak for him. Adoor’s body of work, so deeply rooted in his native soil, transcends the limits of local habitation and name to reach a rare universality because (not in spite of) it is uncompromisingly true to its vision. Most people outside Kerala have seen his films at festivals and special screenings. The difference now is that his latest, Pinneyum (Once Again), has had a national release in major cities, but without wide coverage in the mainstream English media — with a few honourable exceptions.
Ask Adoor Gopalakrishnan why he has made just twelve films in his 50–year cinematic journey — it is a frequently asked question. “I am lazy,” is a disarming confession often made without fussy apologies or put-on self-deprecation for effect. He is a master who believes in quality, not the meaningless weight of numbers. Even when a producer comes to him with the budget for a star like Mohanlal, Adoor has turned it down because he has no story that has been burgeoning in his mind, waiting to grow into a full screenplay.
This story is from the September 2016 edition of Man's World.
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This story is from the September 2016 edition of Man's World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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