Filmmaker Vipin Vijay`s reinstatement as Dean of SRFTI revoked

On September 8, students of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) launched protests against the reinstatement of filmmaker Vipin Vijay as Dean, citing past allegations of sexual harassment made against him by an alumnus and two former professors of the institute. Soon, the protests received support from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Students’ Union, as well as other film school collectives across the country. As a result, on September 10, the Kolkata institute reversed the decision.

Speaking to mid-day on Wednesday before the re-appointment was reversed, Sarath S, a member of the SRFTI Students’ Union, said, “Reinstating someone with such a history into one of the most powerful administrative positions on campus is a betrayal of survivors. The Dean’s duty is to ensure a safe learning environment. How can we feel safe when the authority is handed to an individual accused by our own alumna and two ex-professors?”

Joining their fight, an FTII Students’ Union representative said, “If institutions like SRFTI and FTII that are supposed to nurture aspiring filmmakers send the message that predators can be reinstated, the culture of impunity will spread everywhere.”

Complaints of sexual harassment were first raised against Vijay, the then-Dean of SRFTI in May 2024. The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), after recording the statements, found him in violation of guidelines in December 2024. He was asked to step down from the role and was barred from the campus. When he approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the validity of this report, the court declined to interfere in the matter, but emphasised that Vijay must be allowed to cross-examine the witnesses before the ICC proceeds further. The court also instructed the institute not to take any coercive steps against him until a final report is filed. 

On Monday, the students protested at the vice-chancellor’s office and the SRFTI Students’ Union submitted a formal application demanding the reversal of the decision to reinstate Vijay. The students also sought an expedited completion of the ongoing ICC inquiry against him.

As protests intensified on Monday and Tuesday, the institute finally revoked the order at 2 pm on September 10, although murmurs of the decision’s reversal were heard from September 9. A member of SRFTI Students’ Union said to mid-day on Wednesday afternoon, “We have been informed that Vipin Vijay has been removed from the post of Dean. This outcome is a direct result of the collective voice of the students, reaffirming that concerns about safety, dignity, and accountability cannot be overlooked.”