FTII row: Students seek resignation of CBFC chief over ‘anti-national’ remark 

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Voicing their anger against Nihlani, the students have said that they will protest in every democratic and non-violent way possible against the CBFC chairman, who according to them is ‘the propaganda machine’ of the current government. Talking about the issue, Ajayan Adat, a student and member of association said, “In the meeting with Rathore, we had voiced our concerns regarding the aggressive comments by FTII society members like Narendra Pathak and Rahul Solapurkar. Rathore said that the government had condemned their comments and ensured no such comments will be made again. However, it seems that nothing has changed even after the meeting. Nihlani is putting serious and baseless allegations on us. We can book him for defamation.”

Adat also said that this is a conspiracy to keep the students away from IFFI, which is going to be held in Goa from November 20 to 30. “Many people have been making baseless comments about us. But a comment like this is not expected from the Chairman of CBFC. Nihlani, under no circumstances, can call us ‘anti-national’,” said Adat.

In the letter, the students have also criticised the way Nihlani works. “He indented to ban a list of cuss words from Indian Cinema without consulting the board members. Recently, he also rejected a censor certificate to the documentary film Battle for Benaras made by an FTII alumnus and eminent documentary film maker Kamal Swaroop for capturing the Modi-Kejriwal electoral battle. Anything, which even remotely criticises the current government, is immediately axed by Nihlani. The list of films and filmmakers unnecessarily facing troubles from this man is increasing by the day, NH10 and Badlapur are just to name a few,” reads the statement by the association.

“Our institute and culture of cinema are in dangerous hands. We request the members of film fraternity to take up the issue with seriousness and save cinema from the clutches of autocrats like Nihlani,” said Adat.