The Kerala Police have received a legal opinion that film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s assertion that aspiring filmmakers hailing from marginalised sections of society and women should undergo intensive training as a prerequisite for availing themselves of State funds earmarked for creating movies and documentaries with artistic and social value.
The police had sought the district public prosecutor’s opinion after social activist Dinu Veyil registered a complaint at the Musuem police station accusing Mr. Gopalakrishnan of articulating a deeply discriminatory caste prejudice against aspiring filmmakers from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) at a cinema conclave organised by the State government here recently.
Mr. Veyil demanded that the police book Mr. Gopalakrishnan on the charge of violating the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Thiruvananthapuram City, Nakul Rajendra Deshmukh confirmed to The Hindu that the government lawyer had opined that there was no “legal ground [for the registration of] a case” against Mr. Gopalakrishnan.
Another officer privy to the process said the prosecutor said Mr. Gopalakrishnan’s remarks did not target any specific individual or a community. The prosecutor opined that Mr. Gopalakrishnan’s viewpoint on training novices in filmmaking before providing them with public funding did not meet the legal criterion of a casteist slur. The prosecutor said a close examination of Mr. Veyil’s complaint did not prima facie reveal any evidence that warranted a registration of a case against Mr. Gopalakrishnan.
However, Mr. Gopalakrishnan’s legal jeopardy seemed far from over. Several activists have signalled that they would file criminal miscellaneous petitions in magistrate’s court demanding the filmmakers’ prosecution.
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Welfare Minister O.R. Kelu said the department has received several complaints and is examining the matter with the necessary seriousness. The Kerala State Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Welfare Commission has requested a report from the Museum police. Furthermore, several women activists have petitioned the Kerala Women’s Commission accusing Mr. Gopalakrishnan of misogyny.
The controversy showed scarce signs of abating on Wednesday with more opinion leaders and politicians, including CPI State secretary Binoy Viswam, CPI leader Annie Raja, and CPI(M) leaders K Radhakrishnan, MP, and former Culture Minister A K Balan chiming in.
Published – August 06, 2025 09:32 pm IST
