This is the worst time to make movies, said well-known filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. He was speaking at the Hyderabad Literary Festival at Vidyaranya High School that began on Friday.
“The government is stifling, cramping and destroying the cinema experience. We are forced to show advertisements about dangers of smoking, and messages about no-harm to animals are mandatory. If it wants, the government can create advertisements about these issues and show. Why should they be shown with the movies,” asked Mr. Gopalakrishnan, who crafted a niche for art movies in the 80s and 90s.
“Online streaming is hurting movies. Cinema is an immersive experience with the ambiance, sound and darkness. Cinema can never be experienced on TV,” said Mr. Gopalakrishnan.
Earlier, in his keynote address, Mr. Gopalakrishnan spoke about the connection between cinema and literature.
“Literature is subjective. Words and sentences take a different meaning for different readers. Cinema, on the other hand, is plastic. It creates one lasting image that is the same for everyone. Cinema is one of the greatest inventions of mankind,” said the maker of movies like Swayamvaram, Anantaram and Mathilukal.
“All forms of art aspire for the stature of literature. Even the terms of appreciation for cinema are drawn from literature. If the movie is moving and beautiful, it is called poetic,” said Mr. Gopalakrishnan.
