Recently, filmmaker Jahnu Barua and cinematographer Santosh Sivan had reportedly written to the FTII too asking them to not be considered as a part of the FTII society or its governing council.
Noted actor Pallavi Joshi has resigned as member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society, pledging support to the agitation by the students demanding removal of mini screen actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the institute.
Earlier filmmaker Jahnu Barua and well-known cinematographer Santosh Sivan also had reportedly written to the FTII asking them to not be considered as a part of the FTII society or its governing council.
"There is no point in continuing as member of the FTII Society if the students with whom I wanted to interact as future prospects of the film industry, are unhappy," Joshi said on Monday.
Describing her decision as a "principled stand", Joshi, who was recently nominated to the FTII Society by the Centre, said she put in her letter dissociating herself from the body three days back.
Asked if she would reconsider her decision on request from authorities concerned, she said, "I am firm on my stand supporting the students' demands...I do not want to see the students of this premiere institute joining the film industry unsatisfactorily with half-baked knowledge," Joshi said.
In 1992, Joshi had won the Special Jury Award at the National Film Awards.
Other well-known people who are a part of the FTII society are: Shailesh Gupta, Cinematographer; Rajkumar Hirani, Filmmaker; Vidya Balan, actress; Rahul Solapurkar, actor; Pranjal Saikia, actor among others.
Meanwhile, the FTII Students' Association reiterated that they will continue their 24-day old strike till their main demands of Chauhan's removal and reconstitution of the FTII Society are met.
Briefing reporters about their hour-long meeting with Jaitley, FSA spokesman Vikas Urs claimed the minister evaded their core concern (reconstitution of FTII society and removal of Chauhan as chairman) during the discussions and gave an assurance of setting up a new committee to address the issues raised by the delegation for "future appointments".
Urs, a member of the students' delegation that met Jaitley, quoted the Minister as having said, "If the students persisted with reconstitution of the FTII society( implying Chauhan's removal), they might face bleak prospects of a shutdown or privatisation of the FTII".
"There was no solution offered to end the strike and all solutions were for future. No justification or reasoning was offered for appointment of Chauhan or other members of the FTII society. Since our main concern is still exists, the strike is on", Urs said.
FTII Director DJ Narain contradicted the FSA version of the discussion with Jaitley in respect of privatisation and shutdown of FTII. "The minister did not talk about privatisation or a shutdown of the institute at all. FSA totally misunderstood what the minister said in reference to the report of Geeta Krishnan committee in the late 90's recommending privatisation of institutions including FTII which the I and B ministry did not accept. On the contrary the ministry pumped more funds to boost the FTII", he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}