FTII row: Aditi Rao Hydari says institute is suffering due to wrong person as head
Students at FTII have been on strike for more than 50 days
Mumbai: As the strike at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) continues over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman, Bollywood actress Aditi Rao Hydari says she wants the concerns of the students to be heard as they are aware of what they are doing.
"FTII students know what they are saying and I really wish they are heard as a lot of institutes in the country are suffering because of wrong person as head," says Aditi. The Guddu Rangeela actress, who was in the capital to walk the ramp on Saturday at the Amazon India Couture Week, thinks the head of a prestigious institute like FTII needs to have proper knowledge and experience in the field of education.
"I think the person who is chosen to head the institute needs to achieve something in the field of guidance and education. Cinema is a wonderful and unique field where there is amalgamation of so many different streams, there is so much to do and a person who needs to head the institute like this has a huge responsibility," she said.
Students at FTII have been on strike for more than 50 days demanding the sacking of Chauhan, who has been appointed as the chairman of the institute's Governing Council. According to the students, Chauhan, best known for playing Yudhisthir in mega TV epic Mahabharata, lacks the "vision and stature" to head the renowned government-run film institute.
Prior to Aditi, various other Bollywood celebrities including Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, sound designer Resul Pookutty, eminent filmmaker Gopalakrishnan, Kiran Rao, Sayeed Mirza and Piyush Mishra have supported the agitating students.