Naseeruddin Shah backs SRFTI students; BJP, institute reject his claims
By Aditi KulkarniEducation Writer, Peepals Bharat
Representative image: 17065437 / Pixabay
Naseeruddin Shah backed protesting SRFTI Kolkata students on 24 October 2026; BJP leader Keya Ghosh and institute sources rejected his claims.
What Happened
Actor Naseeruddin Shah has publicly backed the protesting students of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata, drawing a sharp reply from the BJP and from the institute's side. In an Instagram video posted on Friday, 24 October 2026, Shah accused the BJP-led West Bengal government of targeting the students and said the party hoped to either brainwash or frighten the country's future filmmakers. On Saturday, 25 October, BJP leader Keya Ghosh condemned his remarks, while sources linked to the institute, quoted in reports, rejected his claims.
Key Facts
- Naseeruddin Shah posted a video on Instagram on 24 October 2026 supporting the SRFTI students' protest.
- He accused the BJP of a vendetta against the students after its win in this year's West Bengal Assembly election, and urged people to back their demands.
- Filmmaker Payal Kapadia has also expressed solidarity with the students.
- BJP leader Keya Ghosh criticised Shah on 25 October and said the students had occupied the Vice-Chancellor's office for two days in a row.
- Students are on an indefinite sit-in and want Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera to resign.
- An institute notice dated 16 October suspended filmmaking and video classes until 13 November and asked students to vacate the campus.
Why It Matters
The SRFTI dispute had already escalated earlier this month, with the Vice-Chancellor's office vandalised and the registrar saying he had been manhandled. Shah's intervention takes a campus conflict at a film school and turns it into a national argument, because a veteran actor with a large public following has now taken a side, and the ruling party has answered him directly.
The students say the protest began after they were attacked on 27 September by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, which reports describe as a consumer-awareness group linked to the RSS. That allegation is the students' account; it has not been established by any inquiry reported so far. Their main demand is the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera.
The institute's leadership tells a different story. Ajmera said in a statement that a few students who had taken "the wrong path" had hurt the institution through what he called "misleading and damaging activities." An SRFTI report said its recent regulatory measures were meant to protect the safety, dignity and academic future of its more than 500 students. Sources linked to the institute, quoted anonymously in reports, went further and said Shah was not a stakeholder and was inflaming the situation in a way that could harm the students' futures.
The political reply came from the BJP. Keya Ghosh questioned the students' conduct, saying their average age was around 35 and that they had occupied the Vice-Chancellor's office for two consecutive days. Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, who has raised the issue, has said six students were rusticated and others were given show-cause notices.
| Who | What they said |
|---|---|
| Naseeruddin Shah | BJP is targeting students; it wants to brainwash or frighten future filmmakers |
| Keya Ghosh (BJP) | Condemned Shah's remarks; said students occupied the VC's office for two days |
| Santosh Ajmera (VC) | A few students hurt the institute through "misleading and damaging activities" |
| John Brittas (MP) | Six students rusticated, show-cause notices issued to others |
Impact
Short-term: With practical classes suspended until 13 November and students told to leave the campus, teaching in the institute's core filmmaking courses is on hold. The public row, now involving a well-known actor and a ruling-party leader, adds pressure on the institute's authorities to find a way to reopen classes.
Long-term: A long suspension could delay diploma films and push back the academic calendar for current batches. How the dispute ends may also shape how other central film and arts institutes handle student protests and disciplinary action.
Who is affected: SRFTI's students and teachers, applicants planning to join the institute, and the wider film-school community watching how the dispute is settled.
Key Takeaway
Naseeruddin Shah's backing of the SRFTI students on 24 October 2026 has turned a campus standoff in Kolkata into a national political row, with the BJP and the institute's side rejecting his claims.
Questions and Answers
What did Naseeruddin Shah say about SRFTI?
In an Instagram video on 24 October 2026, Naseeruddin Shah backed the protesting SRFTI students, accused the BJP-led West Bengal government of targeting them, and said the party hoped to brainwash or frighten future filmmakers.
Why are SRFTI students protesting?
They allege that members of an RSS-linked consumer group attacked them on campus on 27 September, and they are demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera. The institute disputes their account of events.
Are classes running at SRFTI?
No. An institute notice dated 16 October suspended filmmaking and video classes until 13 November and asked students to vacate the campus.
How has the institute responded to the protest?
The Vice-Chancellor said a few students had damaged the institution through misleading activities, and an institute report said its new measures were meant to protect students' safety and academic future. An MP has said six students were rusticated.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Aditi Kulkarni, Education WriterCovers Education and more for Peepals Bharat. All stories by Aditi Kulkarni
Aditi Kulkarni is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
