Filmmaker Akhil Sathyan has responded strongly to online criticism that labels his father, veteran Malayalam director Sathyan Anthikad, as a “Gramapadam” (village drama) filmmaker.

In an interview with Club FM, Akhil said those who continue to troll his father’s body of work should “go look at Wikipedia” before passing judgment. He pointed out that Sathyan Anthikad has not made what critics loosely describe as “Gramapadam” films for more than 15 years.

“People often say the 1990s were his prime time. Films like Manassinakkare, Vinodayathra, Oru Indian Pranayakadha, Njan Prakashan and Achuvinte Amma were all made after 2000. I feel that this is people’s blind or lazy judgment. They comment that he is a regular ‘Gramapadam’ director. It has been 15 years since my father made anything like that. What I want to say is—go look at Wikipedia,” he added.

Akhil also spoke about the expectations and emotional baggage that come with being the son of one of Malayalam cinema’s most successful filmmakers. “If my name were something else, like Praful Kumar, I wouldn’t have carried this baggage of ‘goodness’. People associate Anoop and me with the veteran who has directed 58 films, most of them hits,” he said.

Highlighting the irony, he said filmmakers with one or two successful films are often celebrated, while his father’s consistency and scale are taken for granted. “My father has made three times more films than they have, many of them blockbusters,” Akhil said.

Reflecting on Sathyan Anthikad’s long career, Akhil said his father belongs to a generation that grew up alongside cinema itself. “When my father entered films, Malayalam cinema was still in black and white. He evolved with the medium,” he said.

Akhil also stressed Sathyan Anthikad’s continued relevance in contemporary cinema, pointing out that Hridayapoorvam, one of the year’s ₹100-crore Malayalam films, was directed by his father. “That is rare,” he added.