Payal Kapadia scripted history by becoming the first Indian female director to participate and win the prestigious Grand Prix award at Cannes 2024. Her film, When All We Imagine As Light, was the first Indian film to enter the competition in over 30 years. While the entire industry is busy congratulating her, many netizens are slamming India’s prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, for posting a congratulatory tweet for her.
In 2015, a protest was going on against FTII chairman Gajendra Chauhan. A student Payal Kapadia had to face disciplinary action for not attending classes and her grant was cancelled also. Rahul Gandhi Ji went to FTII to show his solidarity with students and assured them all the.
.. — Shantanu (@shaandelhite) As per a report from Indian Express, Payal Kapadia led the four-month protest against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as chairman in 2015.
She, along with other students, protested against the film body and decided to boycott classes citing his lack of qualifications for the position. Unbelievable day for Indian cinema. An independent filmmaker - from much hated FTII - whose first film was a poetic love letter to the idea of dissent in a democracy, wins the second highest honour at the biggest film festival in the world.
Payal Kapadia’s ALL WE IMAGINE AS...
— वरुण 🇮🇳 (@varungrover) As per reports, over two months into the protest, then director of FTII, Prashant Pathrabe, demanded the students to vaca.