And/Or

And/Or

I Belong!

Prerna Saigal, TV Editing 2005


The Film and Television Institute of India is a place which thousands across the country dream about and aspire to be a part of, but only a select few manage to reach. By conducting all-India competitive exams, the FTII proves itself to be a first class institution with an open and clear way of selecting its applicants.

I, too, was one such candidate who appeared for the FTII exam. Coming from a mass communication background, I somehow cleared it. I vividly remember entering the gate of this place, which I had never seen but only heard or read about in magazines, newspapers, TV or from my college seniors. “FTII is the place to be if you want to be in THIS LINE,” I had been told. And as I entered the campus, I felt I belong to this place. After the interview, I was obviously thrilled to receive my selection letter, but was also excited and scared of the ragging (heard a lot about it too!).

So I reach FTII, knowing no one but overjoyed to have made it. I am allotted a room in the girl’s hostel. I clean it up, make my bed, exchange some pleasantries with my new roommate and nervously wait for the knock on my door. I fell asleep waiting for them, but none of the seniors came. This happened for two or three days, and then I asked one of my batch-mates what was happening. She told me that 1-year TV course students are boycotted from the ragging sessions.

That was the first time I realized that mine was the video editing 1-year course, and in spite of coming through the competitive examination, there is certain kind of discrimination between 1-year and 3-year course students (with the reasons still unclear!)

While filling up the form, I never felt that there could be such a huge difference between students who chose to spend one year on campus rather than three. I thought we would be as much a part of the Institute as any of the others. The ragging sessions lasted just for a few days, but even after that, as we had hardly any interaction with the seniors, a certain communication gap was created. Soon, however, we did inevitably start mingling with students from all the other courses. We would play table tennis, chat under the Wisdom Tree, watch the screenings at the NFAI and MT together, and even assist each other for our exercises. Still, the 24/25 frame jokes continued, and we were often called ‘TV ke Tuche’. A certain kind of bias was always there. Of course that could always have been ignored, but it kept pinching as some ugly incidents took place. A few of the film course students felt we were outsiders and trying to invade their space, which was simply untrue.

The amount of effort put in and the pride that one feels after completing the 1-year course is in no way less than that of the students who go through the 3-year course. Being a product of this elite institution brings about a sense of responsibility and zeal, which can only be experienced by students belonging to the FTII. What I don’t understand is, why differentiate the student who spends one year at the Institute from the student who spends three; ultimately we all end up being friends anyway, and become a part of the same field. I just feel that since TV is now part of the curriculum of the Institute, the students who join this course should be given their due rights and duties, so that it becomes a more affable environment for everyone to be in.

It would be unfair on my part if I don’t mention that I had an amazing one year of my life at the FTII, learning and unlearning a zillion things thanks to my friends that I made on campus, who were both from the Film and TV sides, and there were many seniors who were always there to help me. And after finishing my course, I have had the opportunity to work and interact with quite a few FTII film seniors who have been very encouraging and supportive. All this makes me think positively that, as our junior batches come, things will only improve.