Adoor Gopalakrishnan Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full name	Mouttathu Gopalakrishnan Unnithan
Other name	Adoor
Profession(s)	Film Director, Scriptwriter, Producer
Famous for	Pioneering the new wave film movement in Malayalam film industry
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 173 cm in meters- 1.73 m in feet & inches- 5’ 8”
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Grey
Career
Debut	Feature Film: Swayamvaram (1972)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	International Awards • Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2004 • Sutherland Trophy instituted by the British Film Institute (BFI) for the film Elippathayam in the Most Originative Film in 1982 • FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award for the film Mukhamukham in 1984 • FIPRESCI Award for the film Anantaram in 1987 • FIPRESCI Award for the film Mathilukal in 1989 • FIPRESCI Award for the film Vidheyan in 1994 • FIPRESCI Award for the film Kathapurushan in 1997 • FIPRESCI Award for the film Nizhalkkuthu in 2002 Civilian Awards • Padma Shri in 1984 • Padma Vibhushan in 2006 • Biswaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award in 2015 National Awards • Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2004 • Best Film Award and Best Director Award for the film Swayamvaram in 1973 • Best Feature Film in Malayalam for the film Kodiyettam in 1978 • Special Jury/ Special Mention Award (Non-Feature Film) for The Chola Heritage in 1980 • Best Feature Film in Malayalam for the film Elippathayam in 1982 • Best Book on Cinema Award for the book Cinemayude Lokam • Best Feature Film in Malayalam Award, Best Director Award, and Best Screenplay Award for the film Mukhamukham in 1985 • Best Director Award and Best Screenplay Award for the film Anantaram in 1988 • Best Feature Film in Malayalam and Best Director Award for the film Mathilukal in 1990 • Best Feature Film in Malayalam for the film Vidheyan in 1994 • Best Film Award for the film Kathapurushan in 1995 • Best Feature Film in Malayalam for the film Nizhalkkuthu in 2003 • Best Director Award for the film Naalu Penungal in 2008 Kerala State Awards • Best Film Award, Best Director Award, and Best Story Award for the film Kodiyettam in 1977 • Best Film Award for the film Elippathayam in 1981 • Best Documentary Film Award for Krishnanattam in 1982 • Best Film Award and Best Director Award for the film Mukhamukham in 1984 • Best Director Award for the film Anataram in 1987 • Best Film Award, Best Director Award, and Best Screenplay Award for the film Vidheyan in 1993 • Best Documentary Film Award for Krishnanattam in 1999 • Best Book on Cinema for the book Cinemanubhavam in 2004 • Best Short Film Award for Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair in 2005 • Best Film Award, Best Director Award, and Best Screenplay Award for the Oru Pennum Randaanum in 2008 • J. C. Daniel Award for his contribution to the Malayalam film industry Kerala Film Critics Association Award • Best Film Award for the film Mukhamukham in 1984 • Best Director Award for the film Anantaram in 1987 • Best Film Award and Best Director Award for the film Mathilukal in 1989 • Best Film Award and Best Director Award for the film Vidheyan in 1993 • Best Film Award and Best Director Award for the film Kathapurushan in 1995 • Ruby Jubilee Award for the overall contributions to the Malayalam film industry Others • Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt) from Mahatma Gandhi University in 1996 • A retrospective of his films in The French Cinemathique in Paris in 1999 • Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) in 2009 • A retrospective of his films in Seagull Foundation of Ats and Nandan in Kolkata in 2009 • A retrospective of his films in Slovenian International Film Festival in 2009 • A retrospective of his films in The Munich Film Festival in 2009 • Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt) from Kerala University in 2010 • Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Cinemayum Samsakaravum (Essay) in 2013 • Deshikottama Award (D. Litt) from the Viswa-Bharati University in Santiniketan
Personal Life
Date of Birth	3 July 1941 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2024)	83 Years
Birthplace	Pallickal, Adoor, Travancore, British India (now Pathanamthitta District, Kerala India)
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Signature
Nationality	• British Indian (1941-1947) • Indian (1947-present)
Hometown	Thiruvananthapuram
School	GLPS, Thuvayoor, Adoor
College/University	• The Gandhigram Rural Institute, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu • Film Institute of India, Poona (now known as Film and Television Institute of India, Pune)
Educational Qualification(s)	• B. A. in Economics, Political Science, and Public Administration (The Gandhigram Rural Institute) • Diploma in Screenplay Writing and Advanced Film Direction (Film and Television Institute of India, Pune)
Caste	Nair (Unnithan)
Food Habit	Non-Vegetarian [1]Outlook
Address	Darsanam, Thiruvananthapuram
Hobby	Reading
Controversies	Casteism allegation during his chairmanship at KRNNIVA Adoor resigned as the chairman of K. R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts (KRNNIVA) after allegations of caste discrimination was raised against the institute's director, Shankar Mohan and he stepped down from the post. He alleged that it happened due to vested interests of few people, who instigated the students. He approached the CM of Kerala regarding the matter but the inquiry commission did not enquire with either Shankar Mohan or Adoor. [2]The Hindu
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Widower
Marriage Date	Year 1972
Family
Wife	Sunanda (died of cancer in 2015; homemaker)
Children	Daughter Aswathi Dorje (IPS)
Parents	Father- Madhavan Unnithan (deceased) Mother- Mouttathu Gauri Kunjamma (deceased)
Siblings	Brother(s)- 2 • Ramachandran Unnithan (retired professor) • Ayyappan Unnithan (deceased) Sister(s)- 2 • Savithri Kunjamma (deceased) • Sarojini Kunjamma
Other Relatives	Son-in-law- Dr Chhering Dorje, IPS
Favourites
Film(s)	Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy - Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), The World of Apu (1959)
Song	Oru Vattam Koodiyen from the film Chillu (1982)
Directors	Satyajit Ray, Werner Herzog, Girish Kasaravalli

Some Lesser Known Facts About Adoor Gopalakrishnan

• Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s ancestral family highly favoured classical performing arts and had a Kathakali troupe called Kaliyogam. This exposure to arts and literature influenced his reading and writing. He started writing at the age of eight.

• He was under the care of his maternal uncles and grew up in a joint family as his parents were separated during his childhood.

• He wrote a play called Aniyara during his school days, which won prizes and appreciation in various competitions.
  

  Adoor during his student days

• He removed his caste title, Unnithan, from his full name at the age of 20 years. ^[3]The Times of India

• After graduation, he started as a government official working as an investigator in the National Sample Survey department at Dindigul, Tamil Nadu for a brief period. The job required him to travel which was highly favoured by Adoor, but his interest in theatre was greatly affected.

• After resigning from the job, he joined the Film Institute of India to pursue his diploma in screenwriting and direction.

• His first non-feature film, A Great Day (1964), was part of his diploma curriculum at the Film Insitute of India.

• The short film, Light (1965), was also part of his diploma education.
  

  Adoor Gopalakrishnan directing artists at the Film Institute

• Adoor and his friend Kulathur Bhaskaran were the founders of the Chitralekha Film Society, one of the first film societies in India.

• He also took the initiative for the nation’s first film cooperative, Chalachitra Sahakarana Sangham, to produce, distribute, and exhibit quality films.

• His first film won 4 National awards, 3 Kerala state awards, and the Certificate of Merit at the Colombo Film Festival. It was featured in various international festivals including London and Helsinki.

• According to Adoor, the average time to complete his film is five to six years.

• He believes in Gandhian and secular ideologies.

• As of 2023, he has directed 12 films and over 30 short films and documentaries.

• Some of his acclaimed short films and documentaries are The Myth (1967), Pratisandhi (1970), Yakshagana (1979), Krishnanattam (1982), Koodiyattam (2001), Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair (2005), and Dance of the Enchantress (2007).

• Adoor had a close relationship with filmmaker Satyajit Ray, whom he fondly called Manikda. ^[4]The New Indian Express
  

  Adoor Gopalakrishnan with Satyajit Ray

• Adoor published many books such as Cinemayude Lokam (The World of Cinema), Cinemaanubhavam (The Experience of Cinema), Pantrandu Thirakkathakal, and Cinema Samskaram.
  

  The book Cinemaanubhavam by Adoor

• Some of the prominent books written on Adoor are The Films of Adoor Gopalakrishnan: A Cinema of Emancipation (2015) by Suranjan Ganguly and Face-to-Face: The Cinema of Adoor Gopalakrishnan (2016) by Parthajith Barua.

• The filmmaker Mani Kaul and actor Asrani acted in Adoor’s Film Institute diploma’s curriculum project.