Ali Fazal Criticizes FTII’s “Hypocrisy” in Celebrating Payal Kapadia’s Cannes 2024 Win Amid Court Case: “Uhhh… Please Don’t”
Indian actor Ali Fazal recently entered the ongoing debate surrounding the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and its celebration of filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s historic Grand Prix win at the Cannes Film Festival. FTII’s official social media account expressed pride in its alumni, Payal Kapadia and Chidanand Naik, for their impressive achievements at Cannes. Kapadia’s film, All We Imagine as Light, secured the prestigious Grand Prix, while Naik’s short film, Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know, won the La Cinef Award for Best Short. FTII’s post declared it a “moment of pride” and celebrated the “glorious achievements” of their alumni. However, Ali Fazal expressed his dissatisfaction by reposting FTII’s message with a blunt response, saying, “Uhhh… please don’t. Just don’t.”
Uhhh… please don’t. Just dont. https://t.co/UcBzjUp4GO
— Ali Fazal M / میر علی فضل / अली (@alifazal9) May 26, 2024
It is worth mentioning that in 2015, Kapadia, who was a student at FTII at the time, led a student protest against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, an actor-turned-politician, as the institute’s president. The students argued that Chauhan lacked the necessary academic and artistic credentials to lead such a prestigious film school. As a result, disciplinary action was taken against Kapadia and other students, with Pune Police filing a chargesheet against 35 students, including Kapadia, for allegedly holding the then-director, Prashant Pathrabe, captive in his office. Additionally, scholarships were withheld from some students involved in the protests.
In 2017, FTII, under the leadership of a new director, Bhupendra Kainthola, appeared to acknowledge the past. A letter of support was issued to Kapadia, and the institute even covered her travel expenses to the Cannes Film Festival for the screening of her short film, Afternoon Clouds. However, the legal case is still ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for June 2024. Interestingly, Kapadia’s recent win at the Cannes Film Festival has brought renewed attention to the unresolved matter.
