Neeraj Ghaywan with Richa Chadha at an event in Mumbai.
Director Neeraj Ghaywan, whose debut project
Masaan was much appreciated at the Cannes International Film Festival this year, believes the ongoing protest of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students against actor Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as the new chairman is being "pointlessly politicised".
The director told IANS that the students need someone inspiring and Mr Chauhan is not the right person for the job.
"I believe it is pointlessly being politicised from either of the ideologies. It is not about ideologies at all. The bone of contention of the whole matter is that students in an academic environment specifically need to be inspired by someone. Chauhan is a nice man. He has got his credentials right but he has not got the credentials for that," he said.
Drawing his own life's parallel with the students' demands, Mr Ghaywan said he was inspired by director Anurag Kashyap to plunge into movie making from a stable corporate career.
"I wouldn't have done it if it was an unknown filmmaker. It (FTII protest) is the same thing," he said.
A meeting between the students' representative body and the Information and Broadcasting ministry was held earlier this month over the issue. However, the ministry refused to change its decision about the appointment.
The protest has been going on for over a month now. Many Bollywood celebrities have expressed their opinion on the issue, with some siding with the students.
The filmmaker was promoting
Masaan in the city ahead of its pan-India release on July 24.
The film, set in Varanasi, takes audiences to the dark side of Indian society through the lives of two women and show how their life coincides at some point.
Ghats and scenic locales form the backdrop of the movie.
Richa Chadha and Vicky Kaushal who are the lead actors in the movie, along with Mr Ghaywan have worked with Mr Kashyap for his critically acclaimed movie
Gangs of Wasseypur.
While the
Masaan director and Vicky were assistant directors, Richa was one of the female leads.
Masaan, which also stars Sanjay Mishra and newcomer Shweta Tripathi, won the Promising Future Prize and the International Federation of Film Critics Award at Cannes this year.