National Award-winning filmmaker Dr Biju has issued a detailed rebuttal to veteran director Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s recent comments suggesting that Dalit, Adivasi, and women filmmakers selected for the Kerala State Film Development Corporation’s (KSFDC) funding scheme should undergo three months of intensive training before making their films. In a widely discussed social media post, Dr Biju outlined three key issues the public must understand: the nature of the government scheme, the merit of the films it has produced, and the double standards reflected in Adoor’s remarks.
Dr Biju, who has previously served on the scheme’s selection jury, clarified that the initiative is not based solely on identity. “There is a clearly defined selection process in place,” he wrote. “Applications are invited publicly through newspaper notices, and a selection committee comprising established figures in Malayalam cinema reviews the submitted screenplays.” Shortlisted candidates are interviewed over two stages before final selections are made. He further noted that filmmakers are not left without support: “Those selected are provided with structured mentorship before production begins. Renowned filmmakers such as Neeraj Ghaywan and Anjum Rajabali have offered mentorship under this scheme.”
On funding, Dr Biju challenged the notion that each selected filmmaker receives Rs 1.5 crore directly. “The KSFDC serves as the producer and directly oversees budgeting, expenditure, and disbursal. Only Rs 1.1 crore is used for actual production, while Rs 40 lakh is set aside for distribution and marketing,” he clarified. Regarding the films made so far, Dr Biju pointed out that eight have been completed under the initiative, five directed by women and three under the SC/ST category. “All eight are commendable works. Many have been selected for international film festivals. Most recently, Victoria won the Best Actress award in the Asian New Talent section at the Shanghai International Film Festival,” he wrote.
In this context, Dr Biju criticised Adoor’s generalisation. “Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s blanket statement effectively dismisses the talent and achievements of all eight directors involved,” he said. “Undermining the entire initiative based on assumptions of incompetence is tantamount to sabotaging the programme itself.” He also highlighted what he sees as a clear double standard. The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), under the central government, has supported over 300 films in the past 50 years using public funds, including some by Adoor himself. “Yet never once in all these years has Adoor Gopalakrishnan publicly insisted that NFDC-funded filmmakers must undergo intensive training,” he pointed out. “The answer is plain,” he wrote. “NFDC funds are open to the general category. KSFDC’s schemes, on the other hand, are meant specifically for historically marginalised communities and women.”
He concluded, “There exists a deeply ingrained belief that general category candidates are inherently competent, while SC/ST and women filmmakers are presumed to lack merit and must therefore be trained. This belief stems from a clear elitist bias.” Dr Biju, himself a member of the Scheduled Caste community, had earlier commented on the same issue: “If countless individuals in this country have been able to make films relying solely on creative instinct without any formal training, then similarly, people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women too should be able to make films here. The belief that they must first undergo training stems from viewing them through a particular kind of lens that sets them apart as different.” Citing his own journey, 15 films across languages and countries, three National Awards, and over thirty international honours, he argued that lived experience and artistic commitment are not the exclusive domain of the privileged.
