FTII talks inconclusive, 3rd Round of Talks on October 6

Mumbai, Oct 1: The latest meeting held here on Thursday between the striking FTII students and information and broadcasting ministry officials remained “inconclusive”. A third round of talks will now be held in Delhi on October 6, it was announced.

The second meeting — after September 29 — was held at the Films Division office here. While further talks have been guaranteed, the students maintain that the strike, which has crossed 100 days, will continue.

The students are hoping it would be a “make or break” meeting. Ranjit Nair, a member of the striking FTII students’ core committee, told: “The meeting was inconclusive. They (ministry officials) have asked us to come down to Delhi.

“We will be meeting the secretary of the information and broadcasting ministry, not just the joint secretary. I think the Delhi meeting should be a make or break meeting.” Over 250 students of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) have been on strike as they find the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the institute chairman questionable. He’s best known for essaying ‘Yudhisthir’ in B.R. Chopra’s “Mahabharat”.  In the over three-month period, no concrete solution to the issue has been found either by the students or by the government, and the deadlock continues.