Veteran Malayalam filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has decided to donate his ancestral property under the new scheme of the Kerala government, which proposes to build houses for the poor.
The filmmaker informed the Minister of Local Self Government MV Govindan of his decision and the latter accepted his offer. The filmmaker has pledged to donate 13 cents of land at his hometown in Adoor.
Gopalakrishnan’s decision came in response to the government’s new campaign – Manasodithiri Mannu – seeking contributions from the public to provide housing for the poor. Minister Govindan inaugurated the campaign in January and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the initiative aims to provide houses for 2.5 lakh families within three years.
Govindan, who visited the filmmaker on Thursday and accepted his offer, noted that it was a great gesture and should inspire others to do the same. Gopalakrishnan said that he would soon visit his hometown to transfer the land to the concerned local body official.
The celebrated filmmaker was born in Pallickal village near Adoor. He worked as a government officer before entering the cinema industry.
Gopalakrishnan studied screenwriting and direction at the Film and Television Institute in Pune. In a career spanning over five decades, the 80-year-old filmmaker has made only 12 feature films. However, his body of work includes several short films and documentaries.
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He made his first feature film titled Swayamwaram in 1972. Some of his prominent works include the short films A Great Day (1965), Mathilukal (1990), Naalu Pennungal (2007) and a documentary on dancer Kalamandalam Gopi. His last feature was Pinneyum (2016). In 2019, he made a short film titled Sukhantyam.
Gopalakrishnan has won 17 National Film Awards and 17 Kerala State Film Awards. He is also the recipient of accolades like Padma Shri, Padma Vibushan, Dadasaheb Phalke Award and JC Daniel Award for his contributions to cinema.
Additionally, Gopalakrishnan has held various film-related public posts, including being a committee member of the National Film Award and Chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala in 1999. He also headed the National Film Development Corporation of India.