Adoor Gopalakrishnan backs theatres over OTT, calls huge film budgets 'criminal'

Renowned Malayalam filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan said he makes films for theatres and not for OTT platforms. As he returns with Padayaatra after 10 years, he also defended budget discipline and praised Mammootty's support.

In Short

• Adoor Gopalakrishnan prefers films to be watched in theatres, not made for OTT platforms
• Padayaatra marks Adoor's return after 10 years and his fourth collaboration with Mammootty
• He stresses cinema's theatrical experience is essential for true engagement and learning

Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan said he does not believe in making films for OTT platforms, arguing that cinema must be experienced in theatres. Speaking about his return to filmmaking with Padayaatra after a gap of 10 years, he said the shift to OTT viewing during the Covid-19 period had at one point made him feel there was no use making films. The veteran Malayalam filmmaker attended India Today Conclave South on Wednesday in Kochi and chaired a session titled, Master's touch: The transforming power of cinema.

Gopalakrishnan also spoke about his long-held approach to filmmaking, his collaboration with Mammootty on Padayaatra, and his views on film spending. He said Mammootty is the only actor he has repeated in his films, with Padayaatra marking their fourth collaboration, and said using excessive amounts of money to make films was "criminal".

Reflecting on what brought him back to filmmaking after 10 years, Adoor said the Covid-19 pandemic had made him question whether he should continue making films at all. “My new film, Padayaatra, I am making after 10 years. Sometime during Covid-19, people stopped going to theatres and watched OTTs. They were watching films on OTT. Around that time, I thought it's of no use making films,” he said.

Why Adoor prefers the theatrical experience

Adoor made it clear that he does not believe in creating films specifically for streaming platforms. “I don't believe in making films for OTT, because people will have to watch films in theatres. That's where the experience lies,” he said.

For the filmmaker, watching cinema on a smaller screen is fundamentally different from experiencing it in a theatre. “It's a compromise. I make films to be seen in a darkened hall, in an auditorium with proper acoustics and all,” he said, adding that he has a dedicated audience who comes to theatres specifically to watch his films.

“There are so many films, but they have come to see me. I should do justice to that. I am sharing my experience with the audience. I should not lead them to wrong things,” Adoor said. He believes cinema should leave audiences with something to think about, adding, “By watching films, they should become wiser, critical, and they should understand the world.”

That, however, does not mean Adoor is opposed to his films eventually arriving on streaming platforms. He said he has no objection to an OTT release once a film has completed its theatrical run. “When my films finish it run in theatres, I don't mind it coming on OTT. That will bring some revenue,” he said.

But the theatrical experience remains non-negotiable for him. “Primarily, my films are made for cinemas not for OTTs or small screens. It is terrible. That's no experience of cinema,” he said. Adoor added that the experience of cinema demands engagement from the viewer, particularly through its visuals and sound. “There's nothing to learn from visuals or sounds. You don't need to apply your mind. I cannot take my mission to make films in that vein,” he said.

Mammootty returns for their fourth collaboration

Padayaatra also marks another collaboration between Adoor and Mammootty, with the actor making an exception to the filmmaker's usual practice of not repeating performers. “I have made few films, only 13, including Padayaatra. I don't usually repeat actors in my films. Mammootty is the only exception – this is our fourth one. He's an exception in every way,” Adoor said.

According to the filmmaker, Mammootty also expressed an interest in producing the film when he learnt that Adoor was making it. “When he knew I was making a film, he said he'd like to produce the film. I was very happy. He told me, 'whatever you want, you ask me, it'll be given'. He has a role that's perfect for him. I cannot think of anyone else,” he said.

Adoor on Mammootty and film budgets

Adoor also recalled working with a younger Mammootty and said the actor's approach to remuneration was always aligned with the film's budget. “Mammootty is not the same actor I worked with him in the first film. At that time, he was a bigger star then, but never quoted a big price. He knew he'd be paid, but according to the budget only,” he said.

The filmmaker has maintained a strict approach to production costs throughout his career. “I never cross my budget. I finish my film in the least number of days and in one go. I choose my artists in such a way to keep them free for these days,” he said. At the same time, Adoor stressed that working within a controlled budget does not mean compromising on the scale or quality of his films.

“It doesn't mean I am working on small budgets. I am not doing big or small budgets. I don't make any compromises. I am working on a proper budget, which the movie deserves,” he said.

Adoor remains critical of the practice of spending excessively on films simply because it is possible. “You can spend any amount of money to make a film. I don't believe in that. But, it's criminal to use that kind of money,” he said.

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