Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri discusses his experience at JNU and maintains that institutions do not mold people’s thoughts or personalities.
Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri has claimed that he has at various times in his life been a “naxal” and a “leftist,” but that he later realized that being a critic can only lead to one becoming a “frustrated person.” On the sidelines of the debut of the trailer for his upcoming webseries The Kashmir Files Unreported, Vivek spoke with Firstpost.
When asked how his time at JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) influenced him, Vivek responded, “My DNA is extremely different. I am not the type of person that institutions can mold. I attended Harvard as well. There is a fairly well-known proverb that states, “If a horse goes in, a horse will come out.” This is the Harvard gate. But if an ass goes in an ass will come out.” He also said that institutes cannot shape a person, and it is a failure on the part of the institute if it is happening. Institutes should not shape minds in a certain direction and rather help minds in critical thinking, he added.
Earlier last week, The Kashmir Files Unreported’s trailer was released. The web series purports to illustrate the situation that gave rise to the repeal of Article 370. It also emphasizes how they have affected Kashmir today. The program will have its internet debut on ZEE5. The release date has not yet been made public.