Creativity doesn’t always need training: Dr Biju responds to Adoor’s remarks

In a pointed rebuttal to veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s recent remarks, director Bijukumar Damodaran has challenged the notion that aspiring filmmakers from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women must undergo intensive training before receiving financial backing to make films.

“If countless people in this country can make films relying solely on creativity without any formal training, then similarly, individuals from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women too should be able to make films here. It’s a completely natural thing,” Bijukumar said.

He added that expecting these communities to first undergo at least three months of intensive training before being considered eligible stems from a tendency to view them through a specific and biased lens.

“This is coming from a Dalit filmmaker who, despite receiving no formal training, has made 15 films across various languages and countries — and has won three National Awards and over thirty international honours,” he pointed out.

The comments come in the wake of Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s speech at a state film conclave in Thiruvananthapuram, where he criticised the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) for allocating ₹1.5 crore to support aspiring SC/ST filmmakers. Adoor had argued that such filmmakers should first be trained by experts before receiving financial backing.