Prashant Pathrabe likely to be new FTII Director
D.J. Narian described the present situation at the FTII as difficult and challenging
Mumbai: Prashant Pathrabe is likely to be new Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Director. Reports said that he will replace D.J. Narian Pathrabe was quoted by a television channel, as saying that he will be taking charge, and described the present situation at the FTII as difficult and challenging.
It maybe recalled that Narian had served a notice on the striking students, asking them to terminate their protest over a demand for the removal of Gajendra Chauhan from the post of chairman of the institute immediately, or face 'strong' administrative action, which may include 'rustication'. The students have been on strike for 35 days over their demand for cancelling actor Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as FTII chairman.
The FTII administration had said a couple of days ago, "All concerned students will themselves be responsible for any administrative action in this regard. You are therefore ordered to terminate the strike with immediate effect and resume academic activities without any further delay, failing which the institution will be free to take strict administrative action," the notice said.
The notice addressed to the students' leader Harishankar Nachimuthu said the students should go back to their academic activities and defiance of the directive would result in a strong administrative action which may include rustication as well.
Asked to react to the director's warning, a spokesman of the FTII Students' Association (FSA) said, "We are in the process of deliberations and decide future course of action". Striking students said that they were not aware of Mr. Pathrabe's background.
Mr. Pathrabe is an officer of the 1992 batch of the Indian Information Service and is currently the Director of the Pune-based National Film Archive of India. Prashant Pathrabe has been in the media field for over 'two decades, having previously worked in Doordarshan News and AIR News in Mumbai. He has also been the defence spokesperson for the Indian Army's Southern Command, Pune.
Pathrabe, a MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad joined the Indian Information Service after a couple of short stints in the public and private sector companies.