As he praised director Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor poked fun at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by questioning why, if India is proud of her, his government shouldn't immediately drop the "cases" against her and other FTII students. Last week, Kapadia made history as the first Indian director when her Malayalam-Hindi feature film "All We Imagine As Light" took home the Grand Prix, the 77th Cannes Film Festival's second-highest honour.
Following the victory, PM Modi had said the country is proud of her. In order to protest the appointment of actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan as the chairperson of the Pune-based FTII, Kapadia was one of the protesting students back in 2015.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor said, "Modi ji, if India is proud of her, should your government not immediately #WithdrawTheCases against her and fellow FTII students protesting against your government's arbitrary appointment of an unqualified Chairman?"
Modi ji, if India is proud of her, should your government not immediately #WithdrawTheCases against her and fellow FTII students protesting against your government’s arbitrary appointment of an unqualified Chairman? https://t.co/BmZNifLLj9 pic.twitter.com/psZMwSADnn
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 28, 2024
Tharoor's remarks came in response to Modi's post on X on May 26 in which he wrote, "India is proud of Payal Kapadia for her historic feat of winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her work 'All We Imagine as Light'. An alumnus of FTII, her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. This prestigious accolade not only honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers."
India is proud of Payal Kapadia for her historic feat of winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her work ‘All We Imagine as Light’. An alumnus of FTII, her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in… pic.twitter.com/aMJbsbmNoE
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2024
Protesting students in 2015 said that Chauhan's appointment looked "politically coloured" and that he lacked the vision and stature of previous FTII governing council chairs. Prashant Pathrabe, the former director of the FTII, was purportedly gheraoed and imprisoned in his office by the students during the 139-day strike due to unresolved academic matters. As a result, the police broke into the campus and took several of the demonstrators into custody.
