The Jawaharlal Nehru University has debunked Anupam Kher’s allegation that it blocked the screening of one of his films on the campus and challenged the actor to show proof of his accusations.
“How can we block a film when we don’t even know what it is about?” professor of film studies at JNU Ira Bhaskar told India Today TV. She said she had informed the filmmakers that the schedule for the current semester was full, and that they would consider screening the film in the next session.“This has nothing to do with Mr Kher or the contents of the film of which I am completely unaware of,” Bhaskar said. She denied getting any email from Kher on the matter, an allegation made by the senior actor who said the filmmakers had been writing to JNU for two years to screen the film on the campus.
Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the 2014 film called “Buddha Stuck In A Traffic Jam” also stars Arunoday Singh, Mahi Gill, Pallavi Joshi, besides Kher.
Earlier today, Kher had asked why the JNU is not screening his film on “contemporary social issues” as he accused the institution of double standards in exercising its freedom of expression.
“Why are only certain people allowed to exercise their freedom of expression at JNU?” Kher told India Today TV.
Kher said the film is based on the life in a campus like JNU. “Cinema is cinema. It is beyond political boundaries and ideologies,” the senior actor said.
At a recent event in Kolkata, Kher had attacked JNU and its students union president Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly raising “anti-national” slogans at an event to mark the hanging of Parliament attacks convict Afzal Guru.
