Showing posts with label Gajendra Chauhan interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gajendra Chauhan interview. Show all posts
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.
Stop the strike and give me a chance-Gajendra Chauhan
12:57 PM
FTII Chairman, Gajendra Chauhan, who has never been to the institute ever
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 13, 2015)
Four months since his controversial appointment as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), BJP member and TV personality Gajendra Chauhan is yet to visit his office.
An RTI
query by Mumbai-based activist Anil Galgali revealed on Monday that
while the FTII list of appointments to the post shows the tenure as
March 4, 2014 to March 3, 2017, Chauhan was appointed on June 9, 2015.
"He has not yet visited the FTII office to take charge or meet with
officials and students. The institute remains virtually headless and
mired in avoidable controversies," Galgali said in a statement. Hawaizaada writer-director Vibhu Puri, whose 2006 short film Chabiwali Pocket Watch was produced by the FTII, told Mirror, "This RTI reveals nothing new. Chauhan has never attended the institute, taught a class or addressed a seminar ever, let alone in the last one year. My heart bleeds for the students whose academics are suffering."
Interestingly, the last FTII Chairperson, actor and former BJP Union Minister Vinod Khanna, who served two terms, dropped by only twice, once in each term. "He was not the best candidate either, but at least he had a worldview and a good body of work," Vibhu, who was a student during Khanna's tenure, reasons.
Another former student, Sayani Gupta, who was last seen in Shonali Bose's Margarita, With a Straw, notes, "Only 40-50 students from all over the country are accepted into this prestigious institute, since the entrance process is rigorous. Chauhan would have never made it as a student."
Chauhan remains unfazed by all the criticism. "The strike began three days after my appointment and I have repeatedly asked for a chance, since then. I will do everything in my power for the students' welfare because I realise the importance of education. I have children too and a degree in Para Medicine from the All India Institute Of Medical Science, so I understand the system," he asserted.
In the past, BJP MP Pawan Chopra, who had the shortest term (of three months) as a chairperson, visited the FTII office only once, that too on the final day of his tenure. The students have effectively questioned the appointment and selection process over the years and constantly demanded answers from the I&B Ministry, but this year, according to Sayani, the decision has been appalling.
"Chauhan claims that the students are not giving him a single chance, but no one is stopping him from coming to the campus and speaking to the students," she said.
The institute has seen dedicated chairmen like Saeed Mirza, who held the office for three years and showed up a record 20 times; Girish Karnad, who visited the institute six times in his one-year term and UR Ananthamurthy, who was appointed thrice and attended office 26 times in a period of eight years. "The finest included Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen and RK Laxman, who represented not only films, but the literary arts too," said Vibhu.
The RTI query had also sought information about the educational qualifications and other eligibility details for the Chairperson's position after the students had been on strike for over 100 days, with four meetings between them and officials of the I&B ministry being inconclusive. They are tentatively scheduled to meet I&B Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, in New Delhi next Tuesday.
"The only ones suffering from this strike are the students themselves; they don't want to sit across the table and talk it out. They want answers from their Government. If they end this strike, academics can begin," Chauhan concluded.
I knew the govt would not ask me to step down-Gajendra Chauhan
7:41 AM
Strikes to continue at FTII as the I&B Ministry refuses to change their decision of appointing Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the Governing Council
Swasti Chatterjee (BOMBAY TIMES; July 6, 2015)
The official statement
issued by FTII's Students' Association after the meeting of the 10-member
delegation with the ministry on July 3 in Delhi read: 'The panel
representing FTII students was first met by the Joint Secretary (Film)
and later the I&B Minister Mr Arun Jaitley. The 40-minute meeting
was found to be inconclusive and unsatisfactory. We are yet to get more
details of the discussion and await the return of out panelists, before
we make further comment. For now, strike is on (sic).“While the mood at the FTII campus evoked discontentment and the strike is likely to continue, Gajendra Chauhan is all set to take over the official charge as the chairman of the governing council. Excerpts from our conversation with him:
The I&B ministry has stuck to its decision of appointing you as the chairman. Were you expecting this?
Yes, I knew this would happen. The government would have never asked me to give up the post. If they have chosen me, then they are sure of my credibility. Students cannot challenge such a decision.
When will you be taking over the charge of the post?
I have got my appointment letter, but not the date of joining. Once I get that, I will commence work immediately. Since the office will be based out of Pune, I have to travel often. I will function both from Mumbai and Pune and schedule my priorities and make arrangements accordingly. Since I will be working on a couple of films, I have to divide time equally.
The last three weeks have seen a lot of upheaval. Did you ever think of stepping down?
No way! I have never felt like stepping down from my post. The Government of India has selected me and it is my responsibility and duty to do justice to the opportunity that I have been given.
The strike at FTII is likely to continue...
There are some more meetings that are going to be held in New Delhi, so I feel the students should stop their protests once they get assurances about their demands.
The main agenda of the protest requires you to step down...
The
students should give me at least one chance. I want them to come and sit
with me on campus and we will sort it out together. The ministry has
chosen me based on my credentials, which they have checked thoroughly.
Why do the students feel that I cannot
be a good chairman? I have been a lead actor in many television serials.
Though I have not been able to build my base in films, I have proved my
mettle on TV. And since it is a film and television institute, I
believe I fit the bill. Students cannot question my 34-year-old career in
a four-minute film that they have done. I have done more than 150 films
which include regional ones as well. You have also done 'B-grade porn' films, as the students put it...
It is not right to say that. They are adult films and have been passed by the Censor Board of India. My films have also had silver jubilees. All of them had great actors. My film Khuli Khidki was dubbed in English as Bedroom Eyes and was lauded by all. They are judging me for the adult films that I have done but I have also done films with Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan.
What are the issues that you will address once you join?
I will ensure that there is team work and will try to clear the backlogs of the institute. I am a very result-oriented, positive and honest person. I will follow the orders of the government.
Is the director of FTII, D J Narain, in touch with you?
He had come to meet me. He will be retiring soon, so we wished each other well. Both of us are harrowed by the ongoing protests.
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