Actor Gajendra Chauhan has publicly responded to veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah's criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the ongoing student unrest at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), urging the senior actor to offer guidance to students rather than attack the ruling party. The remarks came on 24 October amid an indefinite sit-in protest at SRFTI by students demanding the resignation of their Vice-Chancellor.

Chauhan's Sharp Rebuke

Expressing clear disappointment, Gajendra Chauhan took strong exception to Naseeruddin Shah's characterisation of the BJP as a 'bloody jhooti party.' 'It is a very sad thing. A party that has been ruling the country for the last 12-13 years, you called it ‘bloody jhooti party’. You should be ashamed. 140 crore people of the country have made that party sit at the top, and you are abusing it,' Chauhan said.

He further accused the veteran actor of consistently presenting a one-sided view. 'You are a great artist. You are a good human being. But I have always seen that in your tweets, in your videos, you always talk one-sidedly. You never look at both sides of the coin,' Chauhan added.

On the SRFTI Situation

Chauhan maintained that the institute's administration is fully equipped to handle the ongoing dispute and stressed that dialogue, not protest alone, yields results. 'If there is a strike in SRFTI, the administration there will look into it. There are capable people sitting there. It is a student's right to protest, but there is no result to protest unless you sit together and talk,' he said.

He urged Naseeruddin Shah to channel his stature constructively. 'You should advise the students, instead of criticising the government there, which has worked so hard. Just be a little positive,' Chauhan said.

What Naseeruddin Shah Said

On the preceding Saturday, Naseeruddin Shah alleged that the BJP is taking 'revenge' on all those who do not subscribe to its beliefs and policies, and claimed that SRFTI students were the latest targets of such an approach. His remarks triggered a sharp reaction from within the film fraternity, with Chauhan being among the first to respond publicly.

Background: The SRFTI Protest

Students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata are currently staging an indefinite sit-in, demanding the resignation of their Vice-Chancellor. The protest escalated following a clash between students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a consumer awareness group affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This comes amid a broader pattern of student unrest at Indian film and media institutes in recent years, most notably the prolonged agitation at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune in 2015 — also triggered by a government appointment — in which Chauhan himself was a central figure as the then-newly appointed FTII chairperson.

Notably, Chauhan's own tenure at FTII was marked by sustained student protests, lending an ironic dimension to his present call for institutional trust and dialogue. How the SRFTI administration responds to student demands in the coming days will determine whether the standoff can be resolved without further escalation.