Adoor Gopalakrishnan sees his work as an organic growth, each film starting from a point where he left the previous one and mixes lyricism and realism to reflect more or less directly the recent history of Kerala.

The first feature film of Adoor Gopalakrishnan was Swayamvaram (1972). It features Madhu, a famous actor of the 1960s as well as unknown actors, discovering Gopi, since then one of the best Indian actors and most talented in south India. Here Gopalakrishnan has deliberately chosen a shocking subject on India and treats it in an unconventional form. A man and a woman passionately in love with each other choose to live together in a small village without getting married. The couple immediately faces hostility from the inhabitants but they have deliberately broken the traditional family patterns. In this somber film the director intends to highlight the crisis of the middle class and its compulsive nature to conform to the established social rules.

His next film was Kodiyettam (1977). It is often hailed as Gopalakrishnan`s best film. The film is set in the heart of rural Kerala where humour, lyricism and realism are invoked to analyse human relations, between man and woman in particular. This film also stars Suresh Gopi. He delivered a brilliant performance in this flick. Kodiyettam was a commercial success too.

Elippathayam (1977) followed and according to the Malayalam director Adoor Gopalakrishnan this film is closest to his innermost convictions. The film was shown all over the world and it won Prize of the British Film Institute in 1982 as the most imaginative and original film of that year. This splendid film laced with striking close ups is an assessment of the social, political and psychological changes taking place in the society. The star cast included Sharada in the lead role.

Mukhamukham (1984) is Adoor Gopalakrishnan`s most controversial and apparebtky most political film. It plunges into a period still present in many minds in Kerala and is recalled here through episodes of the life of a revolutionary union activist, Sreedharan.

His other films include Anantharam (1987), Mathilukal (1989), Vidheyan (1993), Kathapurushan (1995), Nizhalkkuthu (2003) and Naalu Pennungal (2007).

He has been honored with a host of awards. These awards are as follows:

Padma Vibhushan

Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Lifetime Achievement Award in Film (2004)

Legion of Honour (2003)

Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2003)

National Film Awards: Swayamvaram, Kodiyettam,

Kerala State Film Awards: 13 Awards won in various categories for various films till date

International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI): won consecutively for five feature films

London Film Festival (Sutherland Trophy, 1982): Elippathayam

British Film Institute Award (Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982): Elipathayam

Adoor Gopalakrishnan is making films even today.