adoor gopalakrishnan

DO YOU KNOW?
Adoor Gopalakrishnan was born in Kerala, India in 1941 into a family that patronized Kathakali and other performing arts. He started acting on the amateur stage at the early age of eight. Wrote and directed several stage plays during his student days.

Adoor had his graduation from the Gandhigram Rural University in 1960 specializing in Economics, Political Science and Public Administration. He left the governmental job of a statistical investigator to study cinema at the Film Institute of India, Pune in 1962. Graduating from the Film Institute of India in1965 with specialization in Screenplay writing and Advanced Film Direction, he pioneered the film society movement in Kerala. The same year, he took the initiative to form India’s first film co-operative for production, distribution and exhibition of quality films.

He has scripted and directed elevan feature films and about thirty Shorts and documentaries. Notable amongst the non-feature films are those on Kerala’s performing arts.
His debut feature, Swayamvaram went on to win the national awards for best film, best director, best cameraman and best actress.
All his films have won national and international awards (National award for best film twice, best director four times, and best script two times. His films have also won his actors and technicians several national awards). Adoor’s third feature, Elippathayam won him the coveted British Film Institute Award for ‘the most original and imaginative film’ of 1982. The International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) has gone to him six times successively for Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and Nizhalkkuthu. Winner of several international awards like the UNICEF film prize (Venice), OCIC film prize (Amiens), INTERFILM Prize (Mannheim) etc, his films have been shown in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, London, Rotterdam and every important festival around the world.
In consideration of his contribution to Indian cinema, the nation honoured him with the title of Padmashri in 1984.
His collection of essays, Cinemayude Lokam (The World of Cinema) was given the national award for the Best book on Cinema in 1984. Cinemaanubhavam (The Experience of Cinema), a collection of articles dealing with the art and practice of cinema won the Kerala State award (2004) for best book on Cinema.
His third book on cinema, Cinema, Saahityam, Jeevitham (Film, literature and Life) was published in 2005.
In 2002, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington honoured him by holding a complete retrospective of his work. Other major retrospectives of his films include those at the Cinematheque in Paris, La Rochelle, Pesaro, Lincoln Centre- New York, Fribourg, Alexandria, Helsinki, Figuera de Foz, Brussels, Madrid, Lyons etc. Tributes and homage at Cinematheque, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Cleveland Cinematheque, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Denver Film Festival, Festival of Manosque etc.

He has served on the juries of Venice, Singapore, Hawaii, Alexandria, New Delhi, Sochi, Shanghai etc.

In recognition of his contribution to international cinema, the French Government has bestowed on him the title of ‘‘The Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters’ a top French honour for culture (2005).
In 2006 he received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India’s highest national honour for Life- time achievement in cinema. The same year Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala conferred on him the honorary degree of D. Litt.
He has recently received India’s top civilian award, Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to the Arts (Cinema).

2010 – Honorary Doctorate [D.Litt] from University of Kerala
2006 – Padma Vibhushan — Second highest civilian award from Government of India
2004 – Dadasaheb Phalke Award — Lifetime Achievement Award in Film awarded by the Government of India
1984 – Padma Shri — Fourth highest civilian award from Government of India
1984 – Legion of Honour — French order, the highest decoration in France

International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) — won consecutively for six feature films (Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and Nizhalkkuthu)

London Film Festival — Sutherland Trophy — in 1982 for Elippathayam
British Film Institute Award — Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 — Elippathayam
Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French Government (2003)
Lifetime achievement award at Cairo International Film Festival.

National Film Awards
1973 – Best Film – Swayamvaram
1995 – Best Film – Kathapurushan
1973 – Best Director – Swayamvaram
1985 – Best Director – Mukhamukham
1988 – Best Director – Anantharam
1990 – Best Director – Mathilukal
2008 – Best Director – Naalu Pennungal
1978 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam – Kodiyettam
1982 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam – Elippathayam
1985 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam – Mukhamukham
1990 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam – Mathilukal
1994 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam – Vidheyan
2003 – Best Feature Film in Malayalam – Nizhalkkuthu
1985 – Best Screenplay – Mukhamukham
1988 – Best Screenplay – Anantharam
1980 – National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Non-Feature Film) – The Chola Heritage
1984 – Best Book on Cinema – Cinemayude Lokam

Kerala State Film Awards
1977 – Best Film – Kodiyettam
1981 – Best Film – Elippathayam
1984 – Best Film – Mukhamukham
1993 – Best Film – Vidheyan
2008 – Best Film – Oru Pennum Randaanum
1977 – Best Director – Kodiyettam
1984 – Best Director – Mukhamukham
1987 – Best Director – Anantharam
1993 – Best Director – Vidheyan
2008 – Best Director – Oru Pennum Randaanum
1977 – Best Story – Kodiyettam
1993 – Best Screen Play – Vidheyan
2008 – Best Screen Play – Oru Pennum Randaanum
1982 – Best Documentary Film – Krishnanattam
1999 – Best Documentary Film – Kalamandalam Gopi
2005 – Best Short Film – Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair
2004 – Best Book on Cinema – Cinemanubhavam
A retrospective of his films was conducted in

Kolkata, by Seagull Foundation for the Arts and Nandan, 2009.
The Slovenian International Film Festival, 2009.
The Munich Film museum, 2009.
The French Cinematheque,Paris, 1999.