Batch of 2016

K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts

Thekkumathala
Kottayam

July 3, 2021

The Director
K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts
Thekkumathala
Kottayam

Sir,
Sub : Boycotting the 2016 diploma projects

This is a letter of protest against the draconian and authoritarian measures taken up by the
institute against Ms. Laya K Komath in connection with the diploma film programme. Despite
being a batch who were forced to shoot their diploma films in the pandemic times with strictly
enforced constraints which the admin claims are for adhering to the Covid protocols and for
ensuring the safety of the students, we have showed our whole hearted support and participation
in all the programmes designed by the department and the institute to conduct the diploma film
production smoothly. This is why we had agreed to do our diploma films within the premises of
Chitranjali studio hoping that our already extended course can be completed as soon as possible.
All of us got ourselves engaged in the diploma film mentoring programme hoping that the
Direction students or the department should not be the reason for any delay in the completion of
the course. We even gave up our demands for the pending workshops since we didn't want this
course to extend to eternity.

As a result we were made to undergo very odd processes. When the idea of shooting the films
inside Chithranjali was first presented, we demanded a location visit prior to the scripting
process in order to understand the possibilities of the studio so that a feasibility check can be
done before developing an idea. The Institute Director who was present in the Zoom meeting
(which happened in December 2020) agreed to this and assured us that needful measures would
be taken to facilitate a location visit. However this went unfulfilled. Months passed by and the
second wave happened. Then in the last week of May 2021, the Direction HoD addressed us in a
meeting and asked us to move forward with the script development. When we told him the
practical difficulties we were facing, he asked us to go through a process which shall help us to
complete the project with no delay. However we again expressed our confusions regarding this.
The regular diploma norms along with the special norms due to the pandemic were released in
the meantime.

An email was sent from the batch raising the general issues present in the norms. As a result
namesake changes were made in the original norms. We proceeded with the script mentoring
programme hoping that our projects can be started as soon as the lockdown is lifted. We were
asked to submit the first draft of our script along with the step outline, character description, etc.
A student who was COVID positive during the time of submission was severely pressurized by
the department to submit the first draft. We adhered to all the requisites made by the
department/institute even though this caused severe mental pressure to all of us. Even after all
this, most of us are unsure whether our films can be shot inside the studio since we have never
been to the studio and only have the photographs of the studio spaces with us. Some of the
students who have completed the so-called recce, after having a discussion with the Art Director
and Production Department, were told that it would be practically difficult to execute their “first
drafts” with the limited budget and logistical constraints.

All of us were assuming that necessary changes can be made to the story line after the recee.
Laya being the first student to do the recee, along with her crew, felt that her submitted script
cannot be effectively translated into a cinematic form. This can happen to anyone during the
location visit. Primarily a location visit is for determining the suitability of shooting a script in
that particular location. Here we are asked to do the reverse process. We are made to write a
script which can be shot in a location which we have never seen before. We were asked to get a
spatial idea from the circulated photographs of the location and write a script which can be shot
there. Laya made a simple request to extend her recee for two more days so that she can make
necessary changes in her submitted story which can be altered to shoot inside the space.
However the way the administration and faculties reacted to her request humiliated her. During
the recee the students found that most of the spaces were already occupied by TV serial shooting
crew and it wasn’t possible to do a proper location scouting under these circumstances in the
allotted time. It is given that Rs 35000 is allotted for pre-production. Staying with her crew in the
studio for a few more days would cost just a few thousand rupees. We wonder why such a
genuine request was rejected by the authorities.

Students were not informed that a faculty member is in charge of the whole diploma production.
No demonstrator or teaching faculty were there to guide the students as promised during the
mentoring sessions. There was just the production coordinator as a person of contact. Amidst the
prevailing second wave, no mandatory COVID testing was done to the students. With all the
outside shooting crews stationed inside the studio, who can guarantee the safety of the students
doing the recee? If any student faces any health issues due to the recee, the administration will be
held responsible for their negligence. Also all the rooms inside Chitranjali which were
comparatively cheaper were already occupied by the outside shooting crews. As a result we were
forced to stay in more expensive hotel rooms which has already caused an over expenditure
which shows how inefficiently the whole programme is being handled by the institute. The
transportation from the hotel to the studio was taken care of by the students themselves which
again adds cost to the recce process. In these circumstances, the authorities are showing their
concerns over budgeting issues for a few days' stay of three crew members. The diploma film is
the culmination of the academic training of all the departments and each and every department is
being evaluated in this. However, the general attitude of the faculties that it is the sole concern of
the Direction department seems ridiculous.

Ms. Laya had to travel for seventeen hours from home in Wayanad to reach the studio for the
recee amidst the travel restrictions. We should also remind you that she is one of the students
who accepted the modified diploma programme with enthusiasm right from the beginning. We
condemn this inhuman attitude from the faculties and the Institute Director. The immature and
intimidating tone of his email when such a genuine request was raised by a student clearly shows
his ignorance in practical filmmaking. We demand a public apology from his side to Laya for
causing her severe mental agony. Being a student from a backward community facing harsh
financial hurdles, it is our responsibility to provide all our support to successfully complete her
academic training programme. However the hostile attitude of the administration is proving it
otherwise. This incident is nothing more than institutional harassment and abuse of power.
Curtailing the creative freedom of the students even on the choice of their stories in the name of
COVID protocols and by misinterpreting the norms as per convenience is making us very
anxious and sceptical about the whole process. Thus the 2016 batch has decided to boycott all
the diploma related activities until the Institute Director meets the students and addresses these
issues .

Yours truly,
Students of 2016 Batch

Copy To :
1. The Institute Chairman, KRNNIVSA
2. All HoDs, KRNNIVSA
 DEPARTMENT OF SCREENPLAYWRITING AND DIRECTION

Sl No Name Signature

1 Nipin Narayanan

2 Hari Krishnan S

3 Raj Govind V

4 Gokul Bhakth

5 Sanu Abraham

6 Jomy T Mani

7 Augustin Thomas
8 Shubham D C Sewaiwar

9 Laya K Komath
 DEPARTMENT OF EDITING

Sl No Name Signature

1 Niranjan C

2 Bharath R

3 Nikhil S

4 Shijil Das K P
 DEPARTMENT OF CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sl No Name Signature

1 Radhika Padmakumar

2 Rahul N. B

3 Benhar B A

4 Lijo Lonappan

5 Omkar Shrikant Pradhan

6 Sabhari G V

7 Sourabh Raghunath

s
8 Prathish Nair
 DEPARTMENT OF AUDIOGRAPHY

Sl No Names Signature

1 Athman Jo Sam

2 Febin K Thomas

3 Gokul R Nadh

4 Syam K S

5 Vishnu K P

6 Nandagopan P

7 Akhil Krishna Mukund

8 Alen Norbert P

9 Rahul O