It has been 31 days since the students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) have gone on a strike against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the governing council. However, Chauhan remains unperturbed. He has taken up the post and reports suggest that he will be in the committee to choose the next director of the institute after DJ Narain, the present director’s tenure ends.While the FTII campus battles through a tumultuous situation, Pune Times spoke to the two-time chairman of the institute Shyam Benegal , who was also in the race for the current post. Excerpts:Yes, I have been following the strike. However, I feel that the action taken by students is extreme. Credentials or no credentials – if the government has sent somebody to be the chairman, he should be given a chance. Students should not just look at the credentials.I want the students to be frank, come ahead and have a dialogue with Chauhan. They should listen to his views and vice versa, and find a road ahead for the institute. Students should not jump the gun even before giving the man a chance.Yes, I was. And let me tell you, the chairman is not the director. The director is the one who executes all the decisions on campus. He meets the students on a daily basis and lives on campus. Whereas, the chairman needs to come to campus only six times a year – twice for society meetings and four times for the governing council meets. If it is the concern of running the institute, then the director is contacted and not the chairman. Only when the institute needs more money or a change in the overall policy needs to be made, the chairman is contacted.FTII is a professional institute. And it needs immense development in terms of technology. It is a place where you train people and if a man can come and put things in place, then why not? Students cannot claim and assume anything even before he is appointed. If there is a reason for their disagreement over the appointment of the gentleman, they should come forward and have a dialogue rather than going on a strike.How can the students decide if a man is capable or not, if there is a right kind of political alignment or if he will change the colour of the institution? No one’s stopping them from clearing the air? But they are unwilling to talk and are dissatisfied. I don’t understand what the fuss is all about.Dialogue with the man in question is the need of the hour. The general body should meet him and clear the air. No one else can help.I was never asked. I have been the chairman twice and I have no idea about the other contenders because nothing was conveyed to me.I don’t even know him. How can I speak about his credibility? Also, it is not the body of work that matters. You can only judge a person after he performs his given duty. Students are not allowing any of those things to happen. They should understand that in an institution, ideological saffronisation is not possible. What’s the point of going on a strike and calling names?They have not called me. I do come to FTII when I am in Pune but the students have not asked me to come now. Why should I impose myself on the students? I cannot do that. It is up to them to decide whom to or not invite.Want to know about the on-going protest? Read the article ​ FTII protests through art