Naseeruddin Shah slams BJP over SRFTI protests, says it is ‘all out for revenge’ against dissenters

Kolkata: Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and filmmaker Payal Kapadia have expressed solidarity with students protesting at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata over alleged attacks by organisations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In a video shared on social media, Shah criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, accusing it of targeting people who do not agree with its beliefs and policies.

Kapadia, whose film All We Imagine as Light won the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, said she was “absolutely horrified” by the developments at the institute.

SRFTI students have alleged that members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, an RSS-affiliated consumer awareness group, attacked them on September 27. They also alleged that they were targeted again on October 4 during a rally organised by the Bangiya Hindu Jagran Manch near the institute's entrance.

Classes at the central government-run film institute have remained suspended since September 28.

“After its...victory in the Bengal elections, the BJP seems to be all out for revenge against anyone who does not subscribe to its beliefs and policies,” Shah alleged, describing the protesting students as the latest targets of what he called the party's “vendetta”.

He further alleged that the BJP was attempting to “either brainwash or frighten future filmmakers of the country”, adding, “I can promise you that is not going to happen.”

Responding to Shah's remarks, BJP MP and spokesperson Rahul Sinha called for a full investigation into the actor's criticism of the party, suggesting that his statements could be linked to an international conspiracy.

Questioning Shah's motives, Sinha alleged that the actor had emerged from a prolonged period of inactivity to make political statements against the BJP. He also claimed that Shah was part of a broader conspiracy involving foreign forces and opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M), to undermine Indian democracy.

Sinha maintained that such efforts would fail, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP workers would protect the country's democratic institutions.

Shah, Kapadia back students' demands

Emphasising the importance of independent filmmaking and freedom of expression, Shah said students at film institutes had a crucial role in documenting and interpreting the country's social and political realities.

“They are the young people who, in the future, will tell us the truth about ourselves, about our country and about the state we are in,” he said, urging people to support the SRFTI students.

The students are staging an indefinite sit-in, demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera. The institute's administration, in a notice issued on October 16, suspended filmmaking and video classes until November 13 and directed students to vacate the campus.

Kapadia said academic activities remained suspended and that students had recently received notices asking them to vacate their hostel rooms and leave the campus.

“Students were facing disciplinary action, while no steps had been taken against those accused of assaulting them and groping women students,” she said.

The filmmaker alleged that the administration was threatening students with rustication for raising questions about campus security and how the violence had been allowed to occur.

Describing the situation as “deeply concerning”, Kapadia said the safety of students was at stake. She urged the administration to act against those allegedly responsible for instigating the violence rather than penalising students who had raised security concerns.

SRFTI students' union spokesperson Sudip Chakraborty said the students were seeking accountability from the administration, action over alleged unauthorised activities on campus, and assurances that the institute would remain a safe and independent space for film education.