Eminent filmmaker and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Monday justified his remarks on the Kerala government's project to promote filmmakers from marginalised sections and said his statements were intended to empower them and improve their technical knowledge.

Adoor Gopalakrishnan says his comments were misinterpreted

The veteran filmmaker said that he wants women filmmakers and those belonging to the SC/ST sections to undergo expert training in movie-making and on how to utilise government funding. He said that he wanted them to continue in the film industry.  Speaking to reporters here, the veteran said he was not responsible for the interpretations made by the media about his statements during the government-organised film conclave on Sunday.

"The women filmmakers and those belonging to the SC/ST category should be continued in the industry...I said for their good... My intention was their upliftment. I never tried to picture them in a poor light and viewed them as derogatory," he said clarifying his earlier remark.