Gajendra Chauhan Justifies his Appointment as New Chairman of Pune Film Institute

The recent announcement of less known actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan, being appointed as the new chairman of one of the best film institutes in the world - Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India or FTII - took everyone by an immense shock. Gajendra is known for portraying the role of Yudhishtira in a TV version of the epic, Mahabharata. He is currently affiliated to BJP.

Chauhan has been criticized by many as people allege that he lacks "credentials, stature and vision" to head the institute as a chief. Students of FTII have been protesting against his appointment and shouting slogans, "Yudhishtira do not teach us dharma”. Students believe that the institute’s sovereignty should not get disrupted due to any political interference. 

Critics claim that Chauhan has not done enough work in the mainstream cinema to qualify as the chairman of the institute. His career in the industry comprises of films like Jungle Love and Khuli Khidki, which the critics assert to be "soft-pornography", to which Gajendra clarified as "certified adult films, not soft-porn". He stated to NDTV that he is "capable" but has been "misjudged by biased opinions".