How can I be replaced? Anupam Kher saab has only succeeded me-Gajendra Chauhan
8:35 AM
Gajendra Chauhan, whose tenure as the FTII Chairperson was marred by controversies, sets the record straight about his exit from the office and his three-year term. Here's what he thinks of the new appointee and what lies ahead for him...
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 14, 2017)
Let’s get this right. Were you asked to step down from the FTII
Chairman’s seat?
No, and I am upset that the media doesn’t know that I exited from the office after I completed my three-year tenure. How can I be replaced? Anupam Kher saab has only succeeded me. They were looking for my successor for seven months. My tenure ended in March this year.
The students who protested your appointment are now protesting Anupam Kher’s appointment as well. What would you like to say?
I got my appointment letter on June 9, 2015 and it was back-dated to March 2014. Even Kher saab’s tenure will be accounted in the same manner. I officially took charge only in January 2016. I barely got one year and two months to function. The reason the student protests and demonstrations failed to find cognizance of the government is that they were baseless. Going by the book, I fitted the bill of a person who can hold the Chairman’s office. The problem was that no one had seen or thought about the kind of work I was capable of. The CAG’s (Comptroller and Auditor General) report has stated that my tenure was among the best. I am relieved, but I am also hurt that there’s no clarity on my exit.
What would you like to say to Kher, who back then, opposed your appointment?
I congratulate him and wish him luck. He should be allowed to do his work. This position is not so much about being an artiste; it’s about being an efficient administrator. He has to make decisions and implement them. His journey will be relatively easier, thanks to me. The council I appointed, along with me, sped up a lot of the procedures. We tweaked the syllabus, there were meetings held and we introduced smoother ways to function. We were short-staffed; so we hired through walk-in interviews to save time and ensure that courses commence and culminate on time. It was during my tenure that the diplomas in a few courses were acknowledged as degrees.
The students feel that like you, the new appointee is also right wing…
A right-wing government came into power in 2014. It’s their prerogative to appoint the best person in that spot. The problem that I see with Kher saab’s appointment is that he might have to face a conflict of interest. He has an institute of his own. Even I had my affiliations with a party, but I devoted as much time to the institute as needed. A lot of the work that I did will bear fruit only in the future.
Do you have regrets?
I couldn’t serve my full tenure. Towards the end of my term, we were trying to fix the hostel building because it’s in a bad condition. The repair work was expected to get underway when I exited. Let’s hope the new Chairman and his council do something as good as us.
No, and I am upset that the media doesn’t know that I exited from the office after I completed my three-year tenure. How can I be replaced? Anupam Kher saab has only succeeded me. They were looking for my successor for seven months. My tenure ended in March this year.
The students who protested your appointment are now protesting Anupam Kher’s appointment as well. What would you like to say?
I got my appointment letter on June 9, 2015 and it was back-dated to March 2014. Even Kher saab’s tenure will be accounted in the same manner. I officially took charge only in January 2016. I barely got one year and two months to function. The reason the student protests and demonstrations failed to find cognizance of the government is that they were baseless. Going by the book, I fitted the bill of a person who can hold the Chairman’s office. The problem was that no one had seen or thought about the kind of work I was capable of. The CAG’s (Comptroller and Auditor General) report has stated that my tenure was among the best. I am relieved, but I am also hurt that there’s no clarity on my exit.
What would you like to say to Kher, who back then, opposed your appointment?
I congratulate him and wish him luck. He should be allowed to do his work. This position is not so much about being an artiste; it’s about being an efficient administrator. He has to make decisions and implement them. His journey will be relatively easier, thanks to me. The council I appointed, along with me, sped up a lot of the procedures. We tweaked the syllabus, there were meetings held and we introduced smoother ways to function. We were short-staffed; so we hired through walk-in interviews to save time and ensure that courses commence and culminate on time. It was during my tenure that the diplomas in a few courses were acknowledged as degrees.
The students feel that like you, the new appointee is also right wing…
A right-wing government came into power in 2014. It’s their prerogative to appoint the best person in that spot. The problem that I see with Kher saab’s appointment is that he might have to face a conflict of interest. He has an institute of his own. Even I had my affiliations with a party, but I devoted as much time to the institute as needed. A lot of the work that I did will bear fruit only in the future.
Do you have regrets?
I couldn’t serve my full tenure. Towards the end of my term, we were trying to fix the hostel building because it’s in a bad condition. The repair work was expected to get underway when I exited. Let’s hope the new Chairman and his council do something as good as us.
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