Naseeruddin Shah and Payal Kapadia back protesting SRFTI students in Kolkata

Actor Naseeruddin Shah and filmmaker Payal Kapadia have come out in support of students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata, who have been protesting for weeks over what they say were attacks on their campus by groups linked to the RSS.

The students allege they were attacked on 27 September by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, an RSS-affiliated consumer group, and again on 4 October during a rally by the Bangiya Hindu Jagran Manch near the institute’s gate. They are holding an indefinite sit-in and want Vice Chancellor Santosh Ajmera to resign.

Classes have been suspended since 28 September. On 16 October the institute called off film-making and video classes until 13 November and asked students to leave the campus.

In a video posted on social media, Shah accused the BJP, which now governs West Bengal, of seeking revenge on those who do not share its views. He said the party “is either hoping to brainwash or frighten future filmmakers”, adding: “I can promise you that is not going to happen.”

Kapadia, whose film All We Imagine as Light won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024, said she was “absolutely horrified”. She said students had faced disciplinary action and threats of rustication for raising security lapses, while nothing had been done against those accused of assaulting them, women students among them. She called the situation “deeply concerning”.

BJP MP and spokesperson Rahul Sinha demanded a full investigation into Shah’s remarks, suggesting they could be part of a wider conspiracy involving foreign forces and opposition parties.

Sudip Chakraborty, spokesperson of the students’ union, said the students wanted accountability from the administration and an assurance that the institute would remain a safe and independent place to study film.