File photo of actor and BJP Member Gajendra Chauhan
Pune:
Oscar winner Resul Pookutty has joined the growing ranks of those protesting against little-known actor Gajendra Chauhan being appointed to head the country's top film institute, but the man at the centre of the storm remains unruffled.
Gajendra Chauhan - best known for playing Pandav king Yudhistir in a long-running TV version of the epic Mahabharat - told NDTV that he is "capable" but has been "misjudged by biased opinions," and that the protests against him will not compel him to resign.
"Don't judge me by my body of work," he said.
Mr Chauhan's critics say there isn't adequate body of work to qualify him for chairman of Pune's Film and Television Institute of India or FTII. Students at the prestigious film institute, who are up in arms, say that Mr Chauhan's ineligibility is compounded by the fact that the actor's work on screen includes films like Jungle Love and Khuli Khidki, which they allege are "soft-pornography."
An indignant Mr Chauhan today sought to clarify that he has worked in "certified adult films, not soft-porn."
Protesters have also alleged that Mr Chauhan owes his appointment to his status as a BJP worker. He had campaigned energetically in last year's national election, which installed the Narendra Modi government led the BJP, at the Centre.
"God sent Lord Ram and Narendra Modi to bring change," Mr Chauhan said today.
Resul Pookutty, an FTII almunus who won the Oscar for best sound mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire, said about Mr Chauhan's appointment, "I think that it is cheating. A government cannot cheat its people. To me at a philosophical level the whole appointment is politically motivated and also the fact that there is no academic credentials that have been taken into consideration," he said.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has invited FTII students, on a strike now for three weeks, for talks tomorrow, Friday.
Gajendra Chauhan - best known for playing Pandav king Yudhistir in a long-running TV version of the epic Mahabharat - told NDTV that he is "capable" but has been "misjudged by biased opinions," and that the protests against him will not compel him to resign.
"Don't judge me by my body of work," he said.
Mr Chauhan's critics say there isn't adequate body of work to qualify him for chairman of Pune's Film and Television Institute of India or FTII. Students at the prestigious film institute, who are up in arms, say that Mr Chauhan's ineligibility is compounded by the fact that the actor's work on screen includes films like Jungle Love and Khuli Khidki, which they allege are "soft-pornography."
An indignant Mr Chauhan today sought to clarify that he has worked in "certified adult films, not soft-porn."
Protesters have also alleged that Mr Chauhan owes his appointment to his status as a BJP worker. He had campaigned energetically in last year's national election, which installed the Narendra Modi government led the BJP, at the Centre.
"God sent Lord Ram and Narendra Modi to bring change," Mr Chauhan said today.
Resul Pookutty, an FTII almunus who won the Oscar for best sound mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire, said about Mr Chauhan's appointment, "I think that it is cheating. A government cannot cheat its people. To me at a philosophical level the whole appointment is politically motivated and also the fact that there is no academic credentials that have been taken into consideration," he said.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has invited FTII students, on a strike now for three weeks, for talks tomorrow, Friday.
