Gajendra Chauhan on Payal Kapadia’s win at Cannes; her protest against his FTII chairperson appointment

Payal Kapadia, who recently won the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, was once a student at Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India. During her time there, she opposed the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the institute's chairperson. In a recent interview with Times Now, Chauhan was asked about Payal’s win and the disciplinary actions taken against her at FTII.

Chauhan stated they are proud of Payal’s achievement.

‘I would just like to say, we are all very proud of her. I’d like to congratulate her for her achievement,’ Chauhan told Times Now

Regarding Payal’s opposition to his appointment, he mentioned that the ‘matter is in court now’. He added, ‘There is a vast difference between being talented and being disciplined. Talent is important, but discipline is also crucial.’

When asked about the disciplinary action, Chauhan said he doesn’t remember if Payal’s name was on the chargesheet. But a large group of students had held and confined, the then-FTII director Prashant Pathrabe against his will for 12-14 hours.

‘I don’t remember correctly if her name was on the chargesheet. But a large group of students had held and confined, actually hijacked, the then-FTII director Prashant Pathrabe. He was diabetic and was held against his will for 12–14 hours,’ said Chauhan.

In 2015, Payal Kapadia, along with other students, challenged Chauhan’s credentials and participated in a 139-day protest against his appointment as FTII chairman. Kapadia boycotted her classes in protest, leading to the revocation of her scholarship by the institute.

However, FTII reversed its decision and decided to support Kapadia after her 13-minute short film, Afternoon Clouds (2017), was selected for the 70th Cannes International Festival.

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