Panaji: After conducting a parallel screening as a mark of protest against the ill-treatment they were subjected to on the IFFI campus here, the students and sympathisers of FTII, Pune, took their agitation to a new level on Friday by organising a cultural meet here.
The event, consisted of screenings, discussions and a performance, was held at Piedade Institute which played the venue for the parallel screening a couple of days ago. Two short videos, one comparing the works of former chairmen of the premier film institute with that of the chairman-designate Gajendra Chouhan and the other chronicling the days of strike on the campus in Pune, were screened.
Eminent filmmaker and a former chairman of the FTII, Saeed Mirza, delivered a keynote address on the topic, 'Dissent: The necessary fuel of art'. Mirza said the ordeal that the students are undergoing will only make them stronger.
"Not many students had to undergo this kind of agonising experience. They are fighting for much higher ideals which are applicable to everyone," he said.
He added that the forces that once didn't agree with the principles of equality ensured by the Indian Constitution have come out in the sunlight whereas it was in the shadows earlier.
Delivering a talk, eminent human rights lawyer Nadita Haksar said the ordeal gives the students an idea of the nature of the state. "This is an entirely dangerous time for all the institutions in the country. The only weapon other than creativity to fight the ruling authoritarianism and fascism is the Law and we still have space to use it," she said. She was speaking on 'The misuse of Law to silence dissent'.
At the event several FTII students and alumni narrated the growth and the hardships they underwent during the 139-day strike at FTII.
Sambhaji Bhagat popular singer, balladeer and teacher, performed live music at the venue. He has been offering solidarity with the protesters ever since it began. The music of Marathi film "Court", India's official entry to this year's Oscars, was inspired from his performances.