Reacting to the >protest of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students on his appointment as chairman of the institute, the actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan said, he deserves a chance to showcase his capabilities before being judged.
“Without knowing my background, without knowing me, without knowing my capabilities, they (students) have decided on their own (to protest).
He urged for a meeting with the students to “sit and talk over” the matter before coming to any conclusions.
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“I would request them to have a meeting across the table, sit and talk over. If you still feel (the same) then we will go for another option. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken its own time to decide about my name. They must have checked out my background and capabilities. It is not only that I am associated with the party, there are other things also,” Chauhan told
As per reports, the students of the institute went on an indefinite strike, saying that the appointment is politically motivated.
Chauhan is best known for essaying the role of ‘Yudhisthir’ in BR Chopra’s
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A report also read that the “students council sought immediate appointment of another chairman who is ‘qualified with a significant body of work to do justice to the institute’.”
When contacted, Harishankar Nachimuthu, president of the students’ body, said that they are yet to decide on their future course of action.
“We are having some internal discussions. We are actually strategising things as the institute will open only on Monday. Boycott was not necessary today as it is a holiday,” Nachimuthu said.
Meanwhile, Chauhan emphasised that he has been part of the entertainment industry for the “last 34 years” and urged students to let him come and work.
The Press Information Bureau announced Chauhan’s appointment through a release on Tuesday.