IANS/New Delhi
The new chief of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has appealed to its students who have gone on an indefinite strike in protest against his appointment to give him a chance to prove his capabilities before being judged.
Gajendra Chauhan also sought a meeting with the students to “sit and talk over” the matter before coming to any conclusions.
“Without knowing my background, without knowing me, without knowing my capabilities, they (students) have decided on their own (to protest),” the actor and Bharatiya Janata Party member said.
“I would request them to have a meeting across the table, sit and talk over. If you still feel (the same) then we will go for another option. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken its own time to decide about my name. They must have checked out my background and my capabilities. It is not only that I am associated with the party, there are other things also,” Chauhan told Times Now television network.
According to reports, the students of the institute went on an indefinite strike, saying that the appointment was politically motivated.
Chauhan is best known for essaying the role of ‘Yudhisthir’ in B R Chopra’s Mahabharat and has also featured in small roles in various films like Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge and Baghban.
A report also said that the “students council sought the immediate appointment of another chairman who is ‘qualified with a significant body of work to do justice to the institute’.”
When contacted, Harishankar Nachimuthu, president of the students’ body, said they were yet to decide on their future course of action.
“We are having some internal discussions. We are actually strategising things as the institute will open only on Monday. A boycott was not necessary today as it is a holiday,” Nachimuthu said.
Meanwhile, Chauhan emphasised that he has been part of the entertainment industry for the “last 34 years” and urged students to let him come and work.
The Press Information Bureau announced Chauhan’s appointment through a release on Tuesday.
Gajendra Chauhan
