Mumbai talks fail to break FTII deadlock, next meeting on Oct 1

A delegation of seven FTII students met Sanjay Murthy, joint secretary (films), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, hoping to resolve the crisis triggered by the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan and four other members in the institute’s governing council, which is being opposed by the students.

“We went with the same demands that we have been making, which are not only about Chauhan and the other four members, but also about FTII’s future as an institute of national importance and the need for a transparent process for future appointments,” said Ajayan Adat, a final-year student of sound recording at FTII.
FTII students have been on strike since June 12 this year. A hunger strike, which went on for 18 days, came to an end on Sunday after the I&B Ministry agreed for talks with the students.

Tuesday’s meeting took place at the Films Division (FD) in Mumbai, a venue chosen for the convenience of the protesting students who had expressed their inability to make frequent trips to Delhi. Also present at the meeting were FD director Mukesh Sharma and FTII registrar UC Bodake. A group of former students of the institute were present outside the meeting venue.

“The committee heard us out, but it doesn’t have the mandate to take decisions. They will have a conference with the ministers in Delhi and come back on Thursday, hopefully with a solution,” said Adat.