The sudden death of director Salil Singh, son of producer B P Singh, while shooting an episode of Savdhan India on Tuesday night, came as a shock to the TV world. Salil who was in his 30s, suffered a massive cardiac arrest.

We spoke to actor Shivaji Satam, who has been a part of CID for the past 19 years, and has worked with him. Shivaji said, “This is a huge loss. I am shocked. Salil was wonderful to work with. He respected his seniors and we liked working with him. I know him since the day he first said 'action' on the sets. Salil and his wife Madhvi were always family for me. I remember he was child actor in a Marathi TV show, which was directed by his father B P Singh.“

The proposed plan of making the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) a digital media university has finally come through. In the second Governing Council meeting (held at NFDC, Mumbai), after Gajendra Chauhan took charge as the chairman, members approved of the vision of BP Singh, the Academic Council chairman. It comprised converting the institute into a digital university where several short term courses would be taught, with a more disciplined approach, credit-based evaluation and more power to the dean and director of the institute.

ALMOST EVERYTHING CAME THROUGH: BP SINGH, ACADEMIC COUNCIL CHAIRMAN
BP Singh, an FTII alumnus who took charge as the Academic Council chairman amidst protests against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, had proposed reforms in the academic structure in January 2016. While members of the Governing Council, which have the likes of director Rajkumar Hirani, actor Satish Shah, former IIM-Bangalore director Pankaj Chandra, readily approved of the change, Singh feels that there is a long way to go. He said, “I am happy that almost everything has fallen in place. It was essential to get everyone to approve this, otherwise, we would have been in a limbo.“ As a part of the change, short-term self-sustained courses will be a part of the campus. “Proper visiting faculty can't be called due to lack of funds in the institute. So, short-term courses will generate enough funds for good faculty,“ he added. While Singh clarified that the present faculty is competent, he also stressed on the need to attract more talent who can teach good cinema. “We need filmmakers who will want to come and teach cinema,“ he shared. Though the 139-day long strike by students was considered to be detrimental at first, Singh stuck to the proposal. “The major problem of the institute was the striking students. We can't be bogged down. Students have their viewpoints and I can't say whether they are right or wrong. But we should look ahead and focus on the core strength of FTII, which should not be left behind,“ Singh said.

FUND GENERATING SHORT-TERM COURSES
While the authorities agreed that fees of students couldn't be increased since many come from rural backgrounds, they gave a thumbs up to introducing short-term courses. “The six courses in the institute will remain. We are looking at three-week or fortnight-long courses, which will cater to professionals who want to learn the art of film-making through different streams,“ shared Bhupendra Kainthola, director of the institute.

AN FTII WRITERS' ACADEMY
In a first, an FTII Writers' Academy will be established where professionals will be taught writing, be it for film, television, internet or short stories. “While many have the art of writing instilled in them, many would want to learn it.We're looking at writers from television and the film fraternity, who can teach writing,“ shared BP Singh.

COURSES CAN BE INTRODUCED SOON
Though the new vision of FTII is to make it at par with other national institutes, one question still remains - How long will it take to be implemented? To this, Gajendra Chauhan, chairman of the institute, shared, “The Governing Council decided to meet in Mumbai in June. And, there was 100 percent attendance. Many issues were unanimously accepted and agreed on. These courses can be implemented in a short notice. They don't require much infrastructure and can be rolled out in six months.“A separate committee of experts from several walks will be helping in designing the new syllabus and finances for a better infrastructure.

BENEFITS OF THE CREDIT SYSTEM
Unlike the annual evaluation process, credit system ensures that students have spent a certain amount of hours for the course. “There is continuous evaluation of both, students and faculty. Since we can't judge a film, which is a piece of art, we will judge the process of filmmaking. And unless students clear all the papers, results can't be processed,“ Singh shared.

MORE POWER TO DIRECTOR
The academic council will now be responsible for the academics of the institute, syllabus making process and studies. An otherwise ambiguous power system, will now be more defined. “I don't have any more power. There is a clear division of power among the director, governing council and academic council. The disciplinary power will be with the director and dean, which is very positive,“ Singh added.

Students remain unconvinced
Students haven't been convinced with the proposal yet. Harishankar Nachimuthu, students association president, told BT on Tuesday, “Holding an important meeting in Mumbai instead of at the campus is itself questionable. Despite our valid arguments at the last academic meeting, the governing council members went ahead with the credit system and more courses. We don't have the infrastructure for more courses and there are backlogs. It will kill the creative space.“ Kainthola, on the other hand, maintained, “Nowhere has it been mentioned that the governing council meeting needs to be held in the campus. It depends on the convenience of the members. So we had gone ahead with Mumbai, since it was convenient.“

FACULTY SPEAKS
A faculty member, on the conditions of anonymity, shared, “It is time for change keeping the digital in mind. Such vision was discussed for a long time. But while doing that, we should not go overboard. Cinema cannot be devalued in the name of digital media. We know that FTII is an island where independent thinking is encouraged. Such a decision will make one cautious.“

It took six long months for the government-appointed Chairman, Gajendra Chauhan to finally stake his claim to the FTII (Film and Television Institute of India). The day, which was marred by protests, also signalled a quiet submission by the Centre with the announcement of veteran TV producer B P Singh as the ViceChairman and President of the Academic Council and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani along with Satish Shah and others as members of the Governing Council. Speculation is rife that the appointment of B P Singh has perhaps been done to clip the actor-turned-chairman's wings.

Filmmakers believe that there is a much larger political agenda behind this move. Director Kundan Shah strongly reacts, “I don't expect a change with the academic council and the revising panel coming into the picture, as Chauhan and Pahlaj Nihalani, the Censor Board Chief, still happen to hold their positions. The problem is not with them as they are just puppets of the government and throwing them out is not a solution. The government's philosophy needs to be changed.“

But the man at the centre of the controversy - Chauhan - seems unfazed by this latest development. He stuck to his ground like Nihalani by saying that he was keen on “sharing the load“ with the members. He says, “It often gets difficult for one person to chair everything. In fact, I was the one who suggested this. We are trying to divide and share the responsibilities, since I will also be busy with my TV shows.“

Rubbishing all claims that the government was eventually pressurised to take this decision, he adds, “The Chairman of the Council ultimately heads all the Councils at the institute. So there is no point in thinking that the Ministry has compromised. I will keep doing my duty and make sure that the working of the institute is equally divided.“

The new turn of events also compels us to ask why has the announcement been made now. Had this been done during the unrest at FTII last June when students went on a four-month strike - the longest in the history of the institute - the Ministry perhaps could have salvaged the situation? Or is this another 'save the day' campaign similar to the one where the Information & Broadcast Ministry wanted a committee, headed by veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, to review the Censor Board guidelines and sideline Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani?

Having said this, B P Singh's appointment hasn't evoked any positive response from students either. However, according to sources, the decision is unlikely to start any protest as the students want to focus on their academics. Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, who has been vocal about this issue in the past, adds, “What value is a chairmanship if it is a political plant? The whole process of selection, appointment and forced imposition of unfit, politically motivated sycophants and opportunists in the governing body of a premiere institute is dangerous.“

Is this move made by the Ministry aimed at pacifying students and ensure smooth functioning, or is this a damage control exercise - is something which is being debated as we speak. By roping in people from the Hindi film industry to oversee the functioning of the Censor Board and the FTII, the government is probably trying to balance out the power and responsibility entrusted to the nominated heads of the respective bodies or the specially-appointed representatives. Clearly, it is holding all the cards close to its chest. Only time will tell how they are played out.

Even the finest of talent loses its sheen with time, but this does not seem to hold true for the CID gang. They have still got the audience hooked to the show after 17 years. Shivaji Satam, who leads the pack as ACP Pradyuman, attributes the success of the longest running show to its core cast. He says, “The actors have connected really well with the audience, and their characters have become strong with time."

What's more, the actor's onscreen camaraderie with Daya has not only been mimicked by their young followers, but has also generated memes. Says Shivaji, “As children, we idolise larger-than-life characters. And these characters in the show come across as heroes to the viewers. They are protective, approachable, warm and secure. The style, demeanour and mannerisms are the actor's contribution to the character. I keep on trying different ways of delivering dialogues to keep it fresh.“

He opines that to keep the dream run going, the team has to keep innovating at every stage.“Sometimes, we debate and discuss stories with B P Singh, the producer. Since he is the creator of the show and its characters, I obey and abide by him. There are times when I am not convinced about a story, but perform it with conviction as that's my duty as an actor,“ he says.

Playing a character for over a decade can overshadow the real identity, but Shivaji is not complaining. “I have always addressed Sean Connery as James Bond,“ he says, adding, “It's a compliment for an actor when he is known by the part he has played.“ Does his larger-than-life onscreen persona influence his actions in real life? “Yes, I have to put the best foot forward when in public. But that's how I am. I am like any normal man with values. I don't believe in showing off,“ he answers.

Where does he see the show going in future? “I see another 10 years for the show. As for me, I don't want any promotion. I just want to retire as an ACP.“

CID airs Friday to Sunday at 10 pm on Sony Entertainment Television.