The shooting of filmmaker Sudhir Mishra’s upcoming web series on the Emergency period in India was disrupted by the JNU Student’s Union (JNUSU) on Saturday. Despite having secured necessary permissions and having paid for a nine-day shoot schedule, the crew faced interference from the student body.
Anubhav Sinha, who was present on the JNU campus during the shoot, commented, “Sudhir and I spoke to the students and they were very cordial to us and the crew. They didn’t have any problem with the shooting or the film. Contrary to claims about unruly conduct by students, their issue was with the university’s administration.”
The JNUSU has voiced three main concerns. Firstly, they highlighted an incident on March 31 where a female student was allegedly harassed on campus by two former students and two current students. The union criticized the administration and campus security for not taking appropriate action, stating, “It is appalling that at a time when the campus security is unable to ensure the safety and security of its own students, such a large number of outsiders have been allowed inside.” Moreover, 21 students who protested against the lack of action in the harassment complaint received notices from the administration for blocking the campus gate.
Secondly, the union questioned the decision to allow shooting in the administration block, where protests are banned since December 2023. The show’s crew defended this choice, explaining that the shooting is taking place in the admin block due to the nature of the period drama.
Lastly, the JNUSU clarified, “We are not against the web series or its team. But we won’t allow any kind of commercialization to take place on campus,” expressing concerns that the campus might be used to produce films against them.
A member of the show’s crew, Amar, recounted the events, stating, “On Saturday, when the shoot moved to the admin block, a group of students objected to the filming. After the shoot was stopped, JNU admin officials arrived on campus, and we had a meeting with students and the officials. JNUSU students agreed to allow us to shoot on Sunday, but they made it clear that they would not permit it after that.”
A senior JNU official defended the administration’s stance, saying, “JNUSU has no authority in this matter as the permission for filmmaking has been given by following a due process. The permission rules have been in place for nearly two decades. Scores of students are participating in the production process on campus from JNU Centre for Media Studies, Arts and Aesthetics, JNU drama, theatre and film club. This gives students massive industry exposure and opportunity to interact with top filmmakers. The administration held a detailed conversation with JNUSU and conveyed that due permissions have been taken.”