Student, faculty agitation continues.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BENGALURU: Former actress Pallavi Joshi and filmmaker Jahnu Barua have resigned from their duties at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), in the wake of student agitation over the appointment of Gajendra Singh Chauhan as the new president and chairman of the governing body of the institution.
Students and faculty are on an indefinite strike since June 17, questioning the merit of Chauhan for the post. Chauhan is known for the Yudhistir role that he played in the television serial Mahabharat.
Joshi told a newswire on Monday, “there is no point in continuing as a member of the FTII Society if the students with whom I wanted to interact as future prospects of the film industry are unhappy.”
Barua, the noted filmmaker who is also a 12-time national award winner, followed the path of Joshi and submitted his resignation letter to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
“I have been a part of the FTII Governing Council in the past and have always offered my assistance to the government as a member. However, my assessment of the current circumstances told me that things are not in the favour of the institute and the students,” said Barua.
Acclaimed cinematographer and director Santhosh Sivan, who is also a member of FTII, is said to have offered his resignation.
A student protestor was quoted by Frontline saying “He (Chauhan) doesn’t have the credentials to run a place like this. Putting aside that he is a supporter of the right-wing party that has proved it has little respect for freedom of expression, Chauhan has absolutely no experience other than acting in television shows and some very ordinary films.”
FTII students have been receiving support from different quarters, including from popular filmmakers and its alumni.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan also joined the protestors at the FTII. He said, “I went to Pune to show solidarity. It was heartening to see strong resistance being put up by the FTII students to the government’s attempt to foist on them a chairman whose sole qualification seems to be his loyalty with Narendra Modi. Much has been written about Mr Chauhan’s appearance in a soft-porn film, his dance-a-thon with Asaram Bapu that is viewable on Youtube and his telemarketing of gems and superstitious.”
FTII, established in 1960 is a premier institution that offer training for students in direction, lighting, sound and acting.
The students and alumni members of FTII, including Oscar winner Rasool Pookutty, met the representatives of the Information and Broadcast ministry on July 3 but their demands were not met, which prompted the students to continue with the strike.
When approached by the media, Chauhan said he has over 35 years of experience in acting and should be given a chance to prove his mettle.
“I urge students not to underestimate me. I will give them full freedom to vent their artistic expression as I am an artist myself. At the same time, I urge students not to meddle in politics and resume their studies,” he said.