Adoor Gopalakrishnan stopped making films. Here's how Mammootty flipped the script

Veteran Malayalam filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan is returning to direction after a 10-year gap with Padayaatra, after the Covid-19 pandemic had, at one point, made him wonder if there was any point in continuing to make films. Adoor was speaking at India Today Conclave South in Kochi on Wednesday, where he chaired a session titled ‘Master's touch: The transforming power of cinema’. Reflecting on his return, he said, “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 also reiterated that he did not believe in making 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. Padayaatra also marks Adoor's fourth collaboration with Mammootty, making the actor the only performer he has repeated in his films. “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,” he said. Adoor also said Mammootty wanted to produce the film after learning that he 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.