Payal Kapadia ‘horrified’ by SRFTI campus violence, filmmaker backs students’ protest

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia has expressed solidarity with protesting students of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, saying she was “horrified” that students were facing disciplinary action while no action had been taken against those who assaulted them and groped women students.

Kapadia, whose film All We Imagine as Light won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, said in a statement: “I am absolutely horrified at the situation taking place at the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata. On the 27th of September, the goons who are affiliated with the RSS had entered the campus and brutally beat up the students. Even groped some of the female students. And no action has been taken against these goons.”

She said: “Instead, students are facing rustication for questioning the administration as to how they allowed this to happen in the first place. Since that day, no classes have taken place. Recently, students have been served a notice to vacate the hostel and leave the campus.”

Describing the situation as “extremely concerning”, Kapadia said the students’ safety was at stake. She shared her message on the SRFTI students’ union Instagram handle and urged the administration to act against those who instigated the violence rather than penalise students.

The message was posted on Wednesday, the day SRFTI wrote to the parents of six rusticated students, asking them to facilitate their wards’ departure from the campus. The students were rusticated last week on charges of manhandling, heckling and verbally abusing vice-chancellor Santosh Ajmera during a protest against the campus attacks.

Kapadia was among filmmakers, actors and authors who had expressed “anger and outrage” over the September 27 attack in a statement on September 29. They said they “refuse to treat this as just another incident to be forgotten tomorrow” and called for an impartial and comprehensive investigation.

Students have been boycotting classes since September 28 following the attack, allegedly by supporters of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat. Students were attacked again on October 4, allegedly by supporters of the Hindu Jagran Manch.

“They want us to forget the campus attacks by RSS-linked goons. They have rusticated six students and suspended academic activities till November 13 to coerce us into joining classes. But our demand is just. Support from Payal Kapadia and others shows that we are on the right course,” Chakraborty said.

Ajmera said normality could return when students stopped “vandalism”.

“Students were expected to leave the campus as academic activities are already suspended. There is rustication of six students. They are refusing to comply with the orders, and trying to control and hijack the institution, which is highly unbecoming of students,” he said on Friday.

“As an institution, we would be left with only an option to forcefully remove them from the campus and initiate disciplinary action as per rules.”