Hours after the students defied Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) notice asking them to call off their indefinite strike, Bollywood actor Salman Khan came in support of the agitating students over their demand of television actor Gajendra Chauhan's removal as the FTII chairman.
On a day when the FTII students' strike entered 35th day, Salman said that Chauhan should pay heed to the students' protests, while his scriptwriter father Salim Khan said the television actor should not continue in the FTII chairman's post, after taking into consideration the students' view against the latter assuming the charge.
"I think that he (Chauhan) should listen to the students ...because the students have made our industry, worthy industry," Salman said, while interacting with media persons here. "If students don't want him why should he be thereIJ," Salim Khan asked.
Earlier in the day, the agitating FTII students defied a strongly-worded notice warning them of "administrative action" leading to "rustication" if they did not call off their strike and return to the classes.
Talking to media persons, FTII Students Association (FSA) representative Vikas Urs said at Pune: "We were expecting a more sensitive handling of the issue by the Centre which has not responded to our repeated communications calling for a fresh round of talks to sort out the matters that concern us".
The student leaders asked the Information & Broadcasting Ministry not to adopt a rigid and authoritarian stance in dealing with the students' strike. "We feel that the crisis facing the FTII can be defused if the authorities engage us more seriously".
Meanwhile, a defiant Chauhan ruled out the possibility of his stepping down from the FTII chairman's post. "I have to abide by the Government of India... I am not the deciding factor. I have been appointed by the Government of India... It is for the Government to decide whatever will be the course of action in future," Chauhan said.
When his attention was drawn to the support extended by Salman to the agitating students, Chauhan said he and the leading Bollywod actor were friends and that he respected the latter's views.
Earlier, prominent film personalities like Rishi Kapoor, son Ranbir Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anupam Kher, filmmakers Kundan Shah, Aziz Mirza, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Kiran Rao, Rajkummar Rao, Sudhir Mishra, Sayeed Mirza, Resul Pookutty, Amol Palekar and Piyush Mishra had come out in support of the agitating FTII students.