Filmmaker Subhash Ghai today said he felt "cheated" by the Maharashtra government at the same time as prominent Bollywood personalities
expressed shock at the verdict of the Supreme Court upholding the Bombay High Court order quashing the 20 acre land allotted
to his film school Whistling Woods International
Ghai, who founded the college said, "We feel cheated by Government of Maharashtra once we are told after ten years of setting up Whistling Woods at a value of Rs 75 crore that our three way partnership agreement (signed between his Mukta Arts and the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation (MFSCDC) isn't valid on account of a central authority error that a board resolution was not passed and the land was undervalued.
"What is our fault? They gave the agreement to us signed by the then MD, Cultural Secretary and Minister of Culture to have a partnership in Whistling Woods Ltd with share equity and we invested Rs 20 crore to start out with," Ghai said in a press release issued today.
The producer-director also said the change within the film school's legal status can never demoralise the faculty, staff and the students. "WE'RE proud that 500 Alumni have already been placed rather well since 2006 and 400 are still studying and Whistling Woods has become a global name to reckon with," he said.
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor said, "Ghai gave 15 years of his time and effort to create a centre of learning for cinema.
Whistling Woods isn't a scam, he must be applauded. It isn't possible to construct educational institutions at current land prices in any city the federal government has to allocate land for this. Tisch film school in Singapore is built on land given free by the Government."
Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal said he was saddened by the decision within the case. "Ghai had taken upon himself as a mission to create a global class film school.
He worked tirelessly for 13 years to meet this dream and at last succeeded in making it happen. Mumbai could now pride itself on having a movie school pretty much as good as any on the planet. And suddenly this... Strange!"
On April 4, the apex court had pulled up former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for giving 20 acres of land to Ghai in 2004 for his film institute, saying he cannot treat anyone as a "blue-eyed boy" and bend or bypass the foundations.
Courtesy: Mid-Day.com
