Adoor Gopalakrishnan is an Indian film director, script writer, and producer. and is regarded as one of the most notable filmmakers in India. With the release of his first feature film Swayamvaram (1972), Adoor pioneered the new wave in Malayalam cinema during the 1970s.In a career spanning over five decades, Adoor has made only 12 feature films to date. His films are made in the Malayalam language and often depict the society and culture of his native state Kerala. Nearly all of his films premiered at Venice, Cannes and Toronto International Film Festival. Along with Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, Adoor is one of the most recognized Indian film directors in world cinema.
For his films, Adoor has won the National Film Award 16 times, next only to Ray and Sen. He also won the Kerala State Film Awards 17 times. He was awarded the State honours Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2004 for his valuable contributions to Indian cinema.The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have established an archive and research center, the Adoor Gopalakrishnan Film Archive and Research Center, at their Peck School of Arts where research students will have access to 35 mm prints of the eleven feature films and several documentaries made by Adoor.
As the 16 times National Award winning legendary filmmaker is turning 79, here’s taking a look at some of his magnificent creations you must watch right away. These include ‘Swayamvaram’, ‘Elippathayam’ and ‘Mathilukal’.
Swayamvaram
One should start examining Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s movies right from its title. ‘Swayamvaram’, the Malayalam word means one’s own choice or will. Released in 1972, the movie speaks about unemployment and how a woman copes, and her husband, whom she herself has selected, copes up with that. Adoor was highly influenced by the new wave movement, and the movie has traits of it. Madhu and Sharada played the leads of Vishwam and Sita respectively in the movie. Adoor also happens to be the first filmmaker from India to use sound as a leitmotif in the movie. The black and white movie will draw you into the day and when the movie ends, Sita has lost her husband and has no way to feed her newborn baby. The knock at the door and the Goddess’ poster on the wall are interchangeably shown, and the filmmaker doesn’t spoon-feed the audience but asks them to think what her choice would be. The movie has also won the National award for best film.
Elippathayam
As the title reads, life is nothing but a rat trap for the family of three sisters and their aged brother Unni. Karamana Janardanan Nair, Sharada, Jalaja, Rajam K. Nair, and Soman are the actors who played the lead parts. The end of feudalism has weakened the family. The movie is rich with metaphors including the rat trap and Adoor picturizes what the four of them choose for life. As the movie also happens to be the first movie of Adoor shot in color, he has used the colors to distinguish his characters. Sridevi, the younger sister, is full of energy and she wears bright colors including red. Sridevi never fell in the rat trap as she elopes with her lover, for a better life. The protagonist wears white and is a dying, hopeless, patriarchal man, who would not let his beliefs change. While Rajamma, wears blue, and she desires to get married off to a family, but she is too submissive and dutiful for her brother Unni, and so won’t say anything. Rajamma sees the outer world of the house only when she is ill. Rajamma seeing the outer world is shown through the shadows and lights she moves through. The movie is full of imagery and it’s a loss if you haven’t watched the movie yet.
Mathilukal
Based on the autobiographical novel by the same name by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, ‘Mathilukal’ is a poignant watch. As the title sounds, the movie is about the walls or limits. Writer Basheer is in prison and how he communicates with a lady in the women’s cell through a wall and which later blossoms into love forms the crux of the movie. Mammootty essayed Basheer and his lady love Narayani’s voice is dubbed by KPAC Lalitha. Basheer, who is a writer, is well treated inside the prison. He is a man, who has wide thoughts on life and happens to hear a woman’s voice from the other side of the prison’s wall. He tries to communicate with her and which later blossoms into love. From sharing rose plants to snacks, their communication goes on. Throughout the movie, one can’t see Narayani, similarly, even Basheer cannot, but can only hear her. Later on a day, Basheer unexpectedly gets a notice that he is free to go, and he can see Narayani signaling on the other side of the wall to talk. Unable to say a word or communicate that he is leaving the jail, Basheer has to leave. The movie won four National awards, and it is one of the best movies in Mollywood so far.
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