Malayalam filmmaker Don Palathara, known for the acclaimed films Family, 1956 Central Travancore, and Shavam, stressed the need to let filmmakers do their job instead of allowing governments to dictate what filmmakers get to do or not. Palathara spoke at a panel on Local Talent/Creative Ecosystem and Independent Cinema in the two-day Kerala Film Policy Conclave 2025, inaugurated on August 2.
"There is no lack of talent in Kerala. We will create our own ecosystem too. Governments should free us from unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and let us do our job. I am against government funding for selected films. When a political power is involved in funding/production, it also gets a say in what is being produced. Be 'independent' in the true sense of that word," the filmmaker added.
Elaborating further, Palathara questioned why unfair, expensive demands are imposed on independent filmmakers when everything can be done more cost-effectively. "We are asked to pay for the title registration, now handled by the Kerala Film Chamber. Who are they? Why do we have to pay 60k to 1 lakh when it can clearly be done using a Google Form? Filmmakers are asked to pay for a censor certificate, too. When it is the government's need to attach 'Smoking is bad...' or 'Alcohol is bad...' tags inside our rectangular creations, why charge us? If anything, we should be compensated for vandalism."
The Kerala film policy is expected to steer things in the right direction, considering the dark cloud that hung over the industry following the disconcerting chain of events spawned by the Hema Committee Report that happened last year.
Day 1 of the event, which saw the participation of Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian, was marked by discussions on numerous issues faced by the industry, with a focus on safety, working hours, inclusivity, legal safeguards and much more.
Among the topics discussed were "defined working hours, employment laws, work overload, and job security. There was also a strong suggestion that both male and female representatives must be present in grievance redressal cells. Discussions at the conclave strongly raised the demand for legal safeguards against online hate and cyberattacks. There was also a call to form a state-level jury for selecting films for various film festivals."
