In a recent interview, Mahabharat actor Gajendra Chauhan reflected on the time when Cannes-awardee Payal Kapadia protested against his appointment as the FTII chairperson.
Last week marked a historic moment for Payal Kapadia as she became the first Indian filmmaker to clinch the coveted Grand Prix award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her film “All We Imagine as Light.” Being an alumna of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India, Payal’s 2015 controversy has resurfaced on the internet following her recent remarkable achievement.
What is the FTII controversy involving Payal Kapadia?
In 2015, Payal Kapadia was among the students who protested against the appointment of actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan as FTII’s chairperson. They argued that Gajendra’s credentials were not comparable to those of past FTII governing council members, and his appointment appeared to be politically motivated.
This protest, one of the longest in FTII’s history, involved some students confronting and confining the then-FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe. Subsequently, the Pune Police intervened, leading to the arrest of several students. Payal Kapadia was among those charged, with an FIR and chargesheet filed against her.
A total of 35 students faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including offenses related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, and rioting, some of which were non-bailable. Payal Kapadia’s documentary, “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” loosely depicted this significant FTII protest.
Gajendra Chauhan congratulates Payal Kapadia on her Cannes win
Speaking to PTI, the Mahabharat actor expressed, “Congratulations to her, and I feel proud that I was the chairman at the time when she was doing the course there.” When questioned about Payal’s protest against his appointment, Gajendra added, “She has never said anything about me. What can I say then?”
Gajendra, who served as FTII’s chairperson from January 7, 2016, to March 2, 2017, asserted that the protest was not directed towards him. He disclosed, “It was against the director and the administration. I was appointed by the government of India. I did a lot of work at FTII, and the media has never reported about any of it.”
For those unaware, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting nominates the FTII chairperson, a position currently held by R Madhavan.
There were rumors of Gajendra stepping down from his position amid controversy at that time. Responding to this, he clarified, “I was never sacked; I completed my tenure. Some say Gajendra Chauhan resigned, but I never resigned.”
More about Payal Kapadia’s big win at Cannes 2024
“All We Imagine As Light” narrates the tale of two nurses and marked India’s first entry into the Cannes main competition in 30 years, the last being Shaji N Karun’s 1994 Malayalam film “Swaham.” Despite the challenges of the past, Payal expresses deep gratitude for her education at FTII, considering it a vital aspect of her cinematic learning journey.
In a press conference following her Cannes triumph, Payal, quoted by PTI, remarked, “We watched films from all over the world there, we studied cinema from everywhere. Maybe that’s crept into how I like to make films. Maybe that then becomes a language that the Western audience can be more open to because I think we have our own vocabulary in cinema and it’s very self-contained in India.”
Starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and Hridhu Haroon in pivotal roles, “All We Imagine As Light” captivates audiences with its narrative depth and cinematic brilliance.