FTII Chairman Gajendra Chauhan meets 'father figure' RSS chief

Nagpur, Jun 23: FTII Chairman Gajendra Chauhan today met "father figure" RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Sangh headquarters here for the first time after his appointment to the premier institute kicked up a row last year.

"Bhagwatji is a father figure for me and I came here to invite him for my son's marriage," said Chauhan, who spent over half an hour with the RSS chief this morning. He later told reporters that the FTII students, who are enrolled for the three-year semester, will be allowed to study one more year if they do not clear the course within the time frame but will not be provided accommodation facility in the fourth year.

Since the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was taking fees for three years, the hostel facility for the fourth year will not be permitted, he added.

The BJP member and television actor, whose appointment as chairman of the Pune-based FTII by the NDA government had last year kicked up a row, met Bhagwat for the first time after the controversy.

Chauhan had faced huge protests after being appointed to the post, with the students of the prestigious institute even going on an indefinite strike against his appointment, and several filmmakers supporting the agitation. Amid massive protests and detentions, he had taken charge of FTII and asserted that he would not resign from the post.

PTI