Skip to content Skip to navigation

Adoor Gopalakrishnan to attend GPC programme

By AT News |

Dadasaheb Phalke awardee filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan will attend the next Guest of the Month programme of Guwahati Press Club (GPC) on Monday, March 30 next. The interactive programme will begin at 10.30 am sharp in the press club auditorium.

Mentionable is that Padma Vibhushan Gopalakrishnan is coming to Guwahati to receive the Biswaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award, initiated by Asom Sahitya Sabha, the apex literary forum of Assam. Member-journalists of Guwahati Press Club have been urged to join in the interactive session on time.

PS: Adoor Gopalakrishnan was born in Kerala, India in 1941 into a family that patronized Kathakali and other performing arts. He started acting on the amateur stage at the early age of eight. Wrote and directed several stage plays during his student days.

Adoor had his graduation from the Gandhigram Rural University in 1960 specializing in Economics, Political Science and Public Administration. He left the governmental job of a statistical investigator to study cinema at the Film Institute of India, Pune in 1962. Graduating from the Film Institute of India in1965 with specialization in Screenplay writing and Advanced Film Direction, he pioneered the film society movement in Kerala. The same year, he took the initiative to form India’s first film co-operative for production, distribution and exhibition of quality films.

He has scripted and directed eleven feature films and about thirty Shorts and documentaries. Notable amongst the non-feature films are those on Kerala’s performing arts. His debut feature, Swayamvaram went on to win the national awards for best film, best director, best cameraman and best actress.

All his films have won national and international awards (National award for best film twice, best director four times, and best script two times. His films have also won his actors and technicians several national awards). Adoor’s third feature, Elippathayam won him the coveted British Film Institute Award for 'the most original and imaginative film' of 1982. The International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) has gone to him six times successively for Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and Nizhalkkuthu. Winner of several international awards like the UNICEF film prize (Venice), OCIC film prize (Amiens), INTERFILM Prize (Mannheim) etc, his films have been shown in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, London, Rotterdam and every important festival around the world. In consideration of his contribution to Indian cinema, the nation honoured him with the title of Padmashri in 1984.

His collection of essays, Cinemayude Lokam (The World of Cinema) was given the national award for the Best book on Cinema in 1984. Cinemaanubhavam (The Experience of Cinema), a collection of articles dealing with the art and practice of cinema won the Kerala State award (2004) for best book on Cinema. His third book on cinema, Cinema, Saahityam, Jeevitham (Film, literature and Life) was published in 2005.

In 2002, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington honoured him by holding a complete retrospective of his work. Other major retrospectives of his films include those at the Cinematheque in Paris, La Rochelle, Pesaro, Lincoln Centre- New York, Fribourg, Alexandria, Helsinki, Figuera de Foz, Brussels, Madrid, Lyons etc. Tributes and homage at Cinematheque, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Cleveland Cinematheque, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Denver Film Festival, Festival of Manosque etc.

He has served on the juries of Venice, Singapore, Hawaii, Alexandria, New Delhi, Sochi, Shanghai etc. In recognition of his contribution to international cinema, the French Government has bestowed on him the title of ‘‘The Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters’ a top French honour for culture (2005).

In 2006 he received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India’s highest national honour for Life- time achievement in cinema. The same year Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala conferred on him the honorary degree of D. Litt. He has recently received India’s top civilian award, Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to the Arts (Cinema).

  • 13916 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Meghalaya High Court Quashes ST Certificate Rule for GHADC Polls

The Meghalaya High Court has set aside a controversial notification that made possession of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates contesting the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). Delivering the judgment on March 10, Justice H. S. Thangkhiew ruled that the February 17, 2026 notification issued by the GHADC Executive Committee lacked legal authority and did not follow the procedure required under the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951. The court observed that the notification effectively barred non-tribal voters and candidates from participating in the council elections...

Violence Erupts in Garo Hills, Meghalaya, Amid Election Tensions

TURA, Meghalaya – March 11, 2026: Tensions surrounding the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), scheduled for April 10, have triggered violent clashes in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, leaving two people dead and several others injured. The unrest has also resulted in widespread vandalism and arson in several areas of the district. The tensions stem from a controversial notification requiring candidates contesting the council elections to possess valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate documentation. The rule has effectively prevented many non-tribal residents—particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims living in the plains belt areas such as...

International Women’s Day Observed by NEADS in Jorhat

North East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots development organisation based in Jorhat working with people’s struggles and community development initiatives, observed International Women’s Day at Chumoni Chapori village under the Jhanjimukh area in Jorhat district on Sunday, bringing together local women, community leaders and youth to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society. The programme was organized with the participation of women from riverine communities who shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations for greater social and economic empowerment. The event focused on raising awareness about women’s rights, gender equality and...

Assamese Poet Jiban Narah’s The Yellow Metaphor Published by Penguin

A significant milestone for literature from Northeast India has been marked with the publication of The Yellow Metaphor, a collection of poems by Assamese poet Jiban Narah, now released by Penguin Random House India. The book is a translated anthology of Narah’s poetry and is considered a rare achievement for the region. It is reportedly the first translated poetry collection by a single poet from Northeast India to be published by Penguin, and among only a handful of works in a regional Indian language to receive such recognition from the global publishing house. The Yellow Metaphor brings together 99 selected poems written over a span of 33 years, reflecting Narah’s long poetic...

Meeting Urges Tai-Ahoms to Record Taoism and Tai-Ahom as Mother Tongue in Census

Sivasagar, March 6: A meeting of organisations associated with the religious and intellectual affairs of the Tai-Ahom community was held on Thursday (March 5) at the public auditorium of Bakata Parijat Panchayat in Sivasagar district. The meeting was chaired by Jibeshwar Mohan Deva, founding principal of Tingkhang College. Several prominent personalities attended the meeting, including Manaranjan Baruah, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Sanmilan; Vidya Phukan, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Pandit Parishad; former president of Phra-Lung-Moung Assam Golap Gohain; secretary Pranjal Mohan; noted Tai cultural researcher Kamal Jyoti Mohan; Tai-Ahom scholar Nripen Mohan;...

Assam’s Move for OIL Stake Sparks Debate

Guwahati, Feb 28: The Assam government’s decision to seek a 5 per cent stake in Oil India Limited (OIL) has triggered discussion on the State’s long-term approach to the oil and gas sector in the Northeast. The proposal, under which Assam has sought a minority share in OIL — where the Government of India holds 56 per cent — will be examined by the Centre, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the State is extending full cooperation to oil sector companies and urged that shares be allocated to Assam to support smoother functioning and stronger coordination. Reacting to the development, Shantikam Hazarika — former Chairman of...

Citizen Flags Data, Nutrition Gaps in HPV Vaccination Drive

New Delhi, March 1: Concerns have been raised over the national HPV vaccination campaign launched on February 28, 2026, with a citizen questioning its scientific basis, operational preparedness, and public health prioritisation. In a public statement, Donthi N. Reddy said that not a single state has published baseline data on cervical cancer incidence or HPV prevalence prior to the rollout. Without such baseline indicators, he argued, outcomes cannot be measured, and without measurable outcomes, the reported annual expenditure of ₹1,300 crore cannot be properly evaluated. The campaign involves administration of the HPV vaccine Gardasil-4 to 14-year-old girls across the country, aiming...

NEADS Assam Participates in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development at UNESCAP

North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, participated in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) from 24–27 February, 2026, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of NEADS, represented the organisation at the Forum. He also participated in his capacity as the Constituency Focal Point for People Affected by Conflicts and Disasters and as a Regional Coordinating Committee Member of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM). During...

APCC Files ‘Chargesheet 2026’ Against BJP-Led Assam Government in ‘People’s Court’

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday submitted a detailed “Chargesheet 2026” against the BJP-led Assam government, symbolically placing it before what it termed the “People’s Court of Assam.” The chargesheet targets the government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, covering the period from May 10, 2021 to February 18, 2026. In a press briefing in Guwahati, APCC leaders alleged large-scale corruption, economic mismanagement, constitutional violations, and failure to protect the rights of indigenous communities. The document lists 20 major charges, including the alleged operation of a “syndicate raj,” accumulation of illegal wealth, rising public debt, and...

33 Dead in Meghalaya Illegal Mine Blast; Judicial Commission Formed

Shillong, February 16, 2026: The death toll in the devastating explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills has risen to 33, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma confirmed on Monday during a suo-motu statement in the State Assembly. The tragedy occurred on the morning of February 5 in the remote Mynsngat-Thangsko area, where an illegal “rat-hole” coal mine reportedly exploded, allegedly due to the unauthorized use of explosives inside narrow underground tunnels. The incident has triggered widespread outrage and prompted the state government to constitute a high-level Judicial Commission of Inquiry.   Initial rescue operations carried out by the NDRF, SDRF and...