Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the cases against Payal Kapadia and other Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students related to their 2015 protest against the appointment of Gajendra Singh Chauhan as FTII chairman. Tharoor's call came after Kapadia's historic win at the Cannes Film Festival, where she became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for her film "All We Imagine As Light."
Tharoor highlighted the irony of the situation by referencing Modi's congratulatory message to Kapadia, juxtaposing it with the pending legal cases against her. Tharoor tweeted, "Modi ji, if India is proud of her, should your government not immediately #WithdrawTheCases against her and fellow FTII students protesting against your government's arbitrary appointment of an unqualified chairman?"
The "unqualified chairman" remark alludes to Gajendra Chauhan, who was controversially appointed as FTII chairman in 2015. Chauhan, known for his role as Yudhishtir in the TV serial 'Mahabharat,' was considered by the students and many in the film fraternity to lack the credentials and stature of his predecessors.
Tharoor's appeal follows similar calls from Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty, who has been campaigning for the withdrawal of the cases against the protesting students. Pookutty pointed out the incongruity of Kapadia facing legal action upon her return from Cannes, where she achieved significant international recognition.
In 2015, Kapadia led a 139-day protest against Chauhan's appointment, which the students viewed as politically motivated and unsuitable for the prestigious institution. The protest included boycotting classes and resulted in an FIR against 35 students, including Kapadia. The charges included unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, and rioting, particularly after an incident where students allegedly held the then FTII director, Prashant Pathrabe, captive in his office.
Kapadia's recent international acclaim has brought renewed attention to these events and has sparked calls for the government to reconsider its stance on the charges against the former FTII students.
