It's not Left-Right battle at FTII: Richa Chadha, Neeraj Ghaywan

Bengaluru, July 18: Actress Richa Chadha and "Masaan" director Neeraj Ghaywan on Saturday said the ongoing agitation against Gajendra Chauhan as FTII chairman is not a battle of ideologies and the "Mahabharat" actor should resign from the post.

"If the protesting students don't want him, he should resign. It is not Right versus the Left. The thing is people are questioning the credibility of Gajendra Chauhan. They have nothing against him personally," Richa told PTI in an interview here.

Neeraj feels a chairman should be someone who inspires the students. "It is a clear, no-brainer that he should resign. It is not about a certain ideology or a particular ideology or the RSS. It is a simple fact that the students don't feel inspired by him," said Neeraj, who is in the city to promote "Masaan".

Reacting to the agitation in the premier institute, an article in RSS mouthpiece "Organiser" dubbed the protesting students as "anti-Hindu" and smelt a "conspiracy" behind the demonstrations.

Richa said a person who is holding FTII chairman's post should have a good understanding of cinematic creativity. "If somebody has been appointed, they must have a good understanding of cinema, creativity, and not just ideology," she said.

"The government has good understanding of ideology, not of cinema and aesthetics. So, many capable people who are good actors, directors and cinematographers- all of others who are capable should assume the mantle to take the institution to the next level."

Neeraj said Chauhan does not inspire FTII students like Adoor Gopalakrihnan, Shyam Benegal and Gulzar did as the institute's chairmen.

"As a chairman one should inspire the way Adoor Gopalkrishnan, Gulzar Sahab and Shyam Bengal did.

With this kind of repertoire I don't think it is inspiring enough to have Chauhan as FTII Chairman for me that is the only reason," he said.

FTII students have been agitating for the removal of Chauhan, a BJP member, for over a month now.

PTI