Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 6 (IANS) Legendary filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, presently under fire for his controversial remarks at a film conclave recently, can now breathe easy as the Kerala Police have received legal advice stating that no case can be filed against him in the matter.
According to the legal opinion, Gopalakrishnan’s speech did not contain any derogatory statements against SC/ST communities, nor did it suggest that government funds should be stopped or that the disbursement of such funds was inappropriate.
The legal counsel clarified that the filmmaker’s comments were part of an opinion expressed during a policy discussion on cinema, and hence, do not warrant criminal action.
Activist Dinu Weyil had on Monday lodged a complaint at a local police station, seeking action against Gopalakrishnan under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Weyil alleged that the filmmaker’s remarks were derogatory and suggested that individuals from these communities are prone to corruption.
“He made a blanket statement that tarnishes an entire section of society and implies that people from these communities are thieves,” Weyil said.
The controversy erupted on Sunday during the Kerala Film Policy Conclave, where Gopalakrishnan expressed concern over what he described as excessive government funding for debutant filmmakers from SC/ST and women’s categories.
“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 had said.
Even though the legend clarified that he never intended to insult or stereotype anyone, and that his comments stem from his six decades of experience in cinema, Gopalakrishnan came under fire from several quarters, including a few State Ministers.
However, on Wednesday, some women’s organisations approached the Kerala State Women’s Commission seeking that it should summon him and find out about his remarks on women filmmakers.
–IANS
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