Gajendra Chauhan set to take charge as FTII chief today, students plan protest

Pune: Actor Gajendra Chauhan will take charge of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), which has been in news for several months due to a series of protests by students over his appointment.

However, the FTII students have planned a massive protest at the campus in Pune as Chauhan takes charge today.

Chauhan, a BJP member, has said that he only wanted to focus on doing his job.

“I have been ordered by the government, and I will do my job. Let me go there and see. I can’t comment on what they will do, but I am ready to do my job,” Chauhan said.

The 59-year-old, who will be joining office seven months after his appointment, will chair his first FTII Society meeting today.

“We will be finalising the governing council and then other agenda will be discussed,” Chauhan said.

“He (Chauhan) is coming… that is confirmed, but we have not got any official intimation. There will be protests obviously, but we have not decided other things. There will be some protest at the campus,” Harishankar Nachimuthu, President of FTII Students’ Association, said.

Chauhan’s appointment was followed by a series of protests by students and celebrated alumni of the premier film institute. Students had even gone on an indefinite strike in June last year as they questioned his professional credibility to lead the institute due to lack of “stature” and “vision”.

The students finally withdrew the strike in October after 139 days.

Best known for essaying the role of ‘Yudhishthir’ in BR Chopra’s “Mahabharat”, Mr Chauhan has also appeared in small roles in films like “Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge” and “Baghban”.

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Source:zeenews