Commercial cinema assumes audiences are stupid: Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan

At the India Today South Conclave in Kochi, Adoor Gopalakrishnan said cinema should challenge viewers instead of only entertaining them. He highlighted the importance of meaningful filmmaking as he prepares to reunite with Mammootty for Padayaatra.

In Short

• Director Adoor said commercial cinema underestimates audiences
• He said filmmakers risk failure when films ask audiences to think
• Adoor said he treats the audience’s time as a responsibility

Veteran Malayalam filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has criticised commercial cinema for underestimating audiences and assuming that viewers do not want to think. Speaking at the India Today South Conclave 2026 in Kochi on Wednesday, the filmmaker said cinema should challenge audiences and offer something meaningful rather than merely serve as a means of entertainment.

Multiple National Award-winning filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan shared his take on commercial cinema and its perception of audiences, saying, “In commercial cinema, they believe the audience is stupid and that the audience has no power to think. They are also right in such a way. It's a tightrope. If you make them think, you'll fail because they don't want to think. Generally, they want entertainment.”

Adoor said cinema has evolved considerably from being viewed as a medium for passing time. “Traditionally, cinema has been taken for passing time. That's the role cinema was given for a long time. Today, things have changed, it has gone through several depths and rebirths. It has come out as a great medium, probably the best that man has invented,” he said.

The filmmaker also questioned the tendency to produce films that are easily consumable without considering what they offer audiences. “What people are doing is producing what's easily consumable. There is no commitment to provide the right kind of cinema. It's not preaching or teaching you anything. It should have some meaning for the audience. I have great respect for the audience. But they should also respect my work,” he said.

Explaining his own approach, Adoor said he considers the time audiences spend watching his films a responsibility. “I am borrowing two hours of your life to watch my film. I have to make it worthwhile for my audience,” he said. He added that his films are designed to offer new meanings with repeated viewings and remain relevant long after their release.

Meanwhile, Adoor is set to reunite with Mammootty after 32 years for Padayaatra, marking their fourth collaboration. The one-minute-14-second glimpse introduces Mammootty as a doctor whose quiet life takes an unsettling turn after a suspected Maoist attack puts him under police scrutiny.

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