Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan stirred a controversy at the Kerala government’s Film Policy Conclave with comments perceived as dismissive towards women and Scheduled Caste (SC) filmmakers who receive financial support from the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC).  

During his speech, Adoor expressed concern that the Rs 1.5 crore allocated for SC and ST filmmakers could be misused. “I had earlier pointed out to the Chief Minister that this amount could lead to corruption. But no corrective action has been taken,” he said. He suggested that instead of awarding Rs 1.5 crore to a single filmmaker, it would be more effective to support three filmmakers with Rs 50 lakh each.

He further said that structured training was essential before providing such financial aid. “Those selected from the SC community should undergo at least three months of intensive training by experts to learn budgeting and basic film production skills,” he said. In a remark that drew strong reactions, Adoor said, “Don’t give funds just because someone is a woman,” though he added that several talented women filmmakers are now emerging.