Complaints filed against Adoor Gopalakrishnan over remarks on SC/ST filmmakers

Thiruvananthapuram: A Dalit activist has lodged a complaint with the police and Kerala SC/ST Commission against veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan over his controversial remarks on government grants for women and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) filmmakers.

Dinu Veyil, a Dalit activist, said on Monday that he filed the complaints against Gopalakrishnan for his remarks, which he made at a recent conclave questioning the Kerala government’s inclusive film policy. It sparked a sharp reaction from Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian and rights activists.

The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee, speaking at the Kerala Film Policy Conclave in Thiruvananthapuram, stated that the Rs 1.5 crore grant provided to filmmakers from marginalised communities by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) was excessive and could lead to corruption.

He allegedly suggested that such filmmakers should be given “intensive training” for at least three months, and the grant amount should be reduced to Rs 50 lakh to benefit more individuals.

Dinu Veyil, in his complaint with the Museum Police in Thiruvananthapuram and the SC/ST Commission, alleged that Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s statements were a violation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Dinu Veyil, in his Facebook post, said, “Through his statement, Adoor Gopalakrishnan appears to portray members of the SC/ST communities as inherently criminal, dishonest, or prone to corruption. This generalisation may attract penal provisions under Section 3(1)(u) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which prohibits the promotion of ill-will or hostility against members of these communities.”

“By suggesting that beneficiaries of government welfare schemes from the SC/ST sections take the money and run, the speaker implies that these communities engage in misuse of public funds. Such remarks associate SC/ST persons with dishonesty and corruption, potentially encouraging prejudice and social antipathy,” stated the activist in the post.

“Furthermore, the specific phrases ‘They should be told to understand that this is public fund’ and ‘They have thought that they will take this money, they can take it and take a picture’ cast the SC/ST communities as ignorant and irresponsible. This characterisation amounts to deliberate humiliation in public view, which is punishable under Section 3(1)(r) of the same Act,” his post said.

Dinu Veyil said that though Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s remarks might not have been directed at individuals by name, they collectively demean all SC/ST persons associated with the ongoing scheme — those present at the event, those who had earlier applied for the benefit, and those viewing the statement through media coverage.

In a strong rebuttal at the same event, Minister Saji Cherian had defended the government’s initiative, calling it a landmark decision to correct historical imbalances in the film industry. The Minister asserted that the policy was designed to bring individuals from under-represented communities into mainstream cinema after nearly a century of exclusion, a decision the government will not roll back.

IANS