After actor Naseeruddin Shah was “uninvited” to a Mumbai College occasion on Urdu poetry final month, it was documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan’s activate Saturday. The firebrand filmmaker, whose movies have taken on governments and political events, was stopped on the Kalina campus’ most important gate when he arrived to specific assist for analysis scholar Rajesh Bankhande who’s now a Buddhist monk and goes by the identify of Bhadant Vimamsa. Vimamsa has been on a peaceable protest on the campus for over six months.
The incident got here to gentle after social activist Lokshahir Sandesh Gaikwad reacted strongly on social media and mentioned that the event raised issues about freedom of expression and the correct to peaceable protest.
He described the denial of entry to a senior filmmaker as “unlucky” and mentioned that the college ought to make clear its stand.
Chatting with HT, Patwardhan mentioned there was no correct purpose given to him on why he was barred from coming into the campus. He ultimately met Bhadant Vimamsa on the college gate, supplied him a rose as a gesture of solidarity and enquired after his well being.
In the meantime, in an official assertion, the college mentioned it had no prior details about his go to, and that if the administration had been knowledgeable, it will have welcomed him.
“On the similar time, varied administrative departments and professors, together with their households, reside in residences on this complicated,” learn the assertion. “Since a law-and-order subject has arisen as a result of Rajesh Balkhande, who was illegally staging a sit-in protest on the Kalina campus, all involved are being questioned earlier than being given admission (to the campus).”
