A fresh complaint has been filed against acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, this time concerning remarks made against singer and Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Vice Chairperson, Pushpavathy Poypadathu The complaint has been submitted to the Kerala State Women’s Commission by several women’s groups, including the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), Disha, Anveshi, Wings, NIS, and Penkoottu.

The complaint follows an incident during a film policy conclave where Gopalakrishnan made comments alleged to be anti-Dalit and misogynistic. Pushpavathy, who was present, raised objections to his speech. In response, Gopalakrishnan reportedly questioned her qualifications to speak at the event, which the organisations have termed as derogatory and casteist.

Earlier complaint on caste remarks

Prior to this, Dalit activist Dinu Veyil had filed a complaint against Gopalakrishnan at the Museum Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram, demanding that action be taken under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for his caste-based comments during the same event.

Gopalakrishnan’s defence on funding remarks

The veteran filmmaker’s remarks during the Kerala Film Policy Conclave also sparked criticism. He had questioned the allocation of Rs 1.5 crore by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation for first-time SC/ST and women filmmakers, arguing that such funds should be given only after adequate training. “The government is providing Rs 1.5 crore to SC/ST filmmakers. I told the Chief Minister that while the intention is good, such large sums without proper training could lead to corruption. These new filmmakers should be given at least three months of intensive training,” he said.

Adoor maintained that his comments came from his experience and were not intended to demean anyone. “I have never made a film costing Rs 1.5 crore. For a newcomer, it’s a huge amount. I complete my films in 30 days with planned budgets. My suggestion was that, instead of giving Rs 1.5 crore to one person, it would be better to give Rs 50 lakh each to three deserving filmmakers. I spoke in favour of better outcomes, not against anyone,” he explained.

Backlash continues

Despite his clarification, criticism continues to mount, particularly over the suggestion that training should precede funding and that some of the funded films were of substandard quality. Gopalakrishnan’s views have led to a broader debate on representation, funding, and equity in Kerala’s film industry.