‘Outsiders who have nothing to do with cinema are creating trouble’

You were the first chairman of SRFTI. It was under your guidance and leadership that the institute has flourished. How do you view the recent developments at the institute?
CITU has indulged in sheer vandalism at the institute. It is shocking and depressing. Some outsiders, who are not concerned about the institute and who have nothing to do with cinema, are creating trouble. It’s really heart-rending for someone like me who has been associated with the institute since its birth. But I am the last person to give up. I will see to it that it is opened soon.

How do you plan to do that?
I have already spoken to Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi about this. I will also meet Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who is a very good friend of mine and seek his help. At present, Buddhadebbabu is in Coimbatore. I will meet him as soon as he comes back. I believe he will definitely do something to control the situation.

What are your future plans for SRFTI?
I am planning to introduce short courses in different disciplines. Now there are three-year degree courses. We were discussing all this when and this (CITU agitation) happened.

Fourteen years have passed since SRFTI was set up. But still we have not seen any filmmaker worth mentioning who has graduated from the institute.
That does not speak of the standard of teaching in the institute. You see, today’s film world is very competitive and only those who are very talented can survive. There are many eminent filmmakers who did not go to any film school, even I did not study in any such institutes. But SRFTI students are doing well. In fact, I have used many of them in the making of my films.

What are you working on at present?
I am making a film for Doordarshan. It’s based on a short story by Mahasweta Devi.