MAMI's MFF Director denies PRESS accreditation to seniormost journalist, suggests he pay & register

 

"Why don't you pay and register, instead of trying to get a free Press badge?"-MAMI Festival Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur to me, on the phone, at 6.30 pm, on 19th October, after being chased for a week with several phone calls, SMSs, emails and WhatsApp, all unanswered, asking why was I denied accreditation. Really, Mr. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, !                        

I charge a minimum of Rs. 10 per word, when I am commissioned to write on any subject. For MAMI's Mumbai Film Festival, I was to write free, because my Editor did not commission this assignment. Nevertheless, my intention was to do my bit and write at least 5,000 words on the whole festival. That amounts to a personal contribution of Rs. 50,000 to the festival. And I would be posting my articles on filmfestivals.com, the website that covers 8,000 film festivals across the world. I am its India Correspondent, since 2015, and have written thousands of articles on various film festivals across the world, including MAMI's Mumbai Film Festival. I have attended all MFFs, bar two or three, when I was abroad, always as a press delegate. 

 

I do not know whether to blame it on ignorance or lack of interest, but you should be knowing as much about me as I know about you. I HAVE BEEN A FILM-CRITIC SINCE 1969, THE YEAR YOU WERE BORN, and continue to be an active critic, a good 55 years on. Besides, I am a member of FIPRESCI, the world's only representative body of film-critics which has just about 40 members in the whole of India. I have served on several International Juries, in this capacity. 

 

"MAMI needs money. In fact, I have invested in MAMI and come on board to help it survive," added Mr. Dungarpur. And what exactly did he mean by telling ME that? Was he after my Rs. 1,500, that I would have to pay to register as a regular delegate, and MFF would earn as revenue, or the Rs. 1,000 that Senior Citizens are charged, I being one? Would he rather have a worldwide coverage on a prestigious international website, or should he try to squeeze out Rs. 1,000 from me? Are things that bad? Will Rs. 1,000 save MFF? I should think the festival would need Rs. 10,00,000 not Rs. 1,000! Now, Mr. Dungarpur, how many other journalists have you asked to pay and register? Or am I the destined one SINGLED OUT for a contribution to this CHARITY DRIVE? In any case, do you have a target to achieve as registration fees from film journalists?

 

Another journalist, a lady, representing a local trade magazine, was also doing the rounds, at PVR, being sent up and down, first told she could see films for today, while her application was processed by tomorrow, but later shunted out at the entrance to the auditorium, for want of a badge. Both of us had a printout each of the Booking Id and QR code. That meant nothing to your officials. 

 

You have exactly the support you need in the shape of your team, some of whom are named Aditi, Prathamesh and Shams, the latter two, in particular, are masters at the art of lying, unabashedly. They work for a Public Relations Agency, and I have lectured on Public Relations for 10 years at some of the most prestigious institutes in the country, besides being a PRO for 7 years. They dare not try to cover-up by saying, "We were busy,", "I was in a meeting" and 100 other standard excuses. You yourself told me that you did not respond because you were " very busy". And what do you think journalists applying for Accreditation are? Lazy laggards with nothing to do? Some of them are busier than you can ever hope to be, Mr. Dungarpur. You are wasting their time, they are not wasting yours. They attend to a lot of things themselves, while all you need to do is lift a finger or utter a word to your EXTRA LARGE team. Who expects you to do everything personally? Being busy is the least credible excuse you and your team can offer.                                                               

 

My friend, Ajit Rai, a name to reckon with in the international film festival circuit as well as Indian theatre, asked me this evening, over the phone why was I not at the cinema. When he heard about my situation, he revealed that he had to really argue it out with you before getting a badge. He was of the opinion that Festivals like yours should retain the profiles of senior journalists (which you do, but still deny accreditation to some unfortunate ones) like him and me, and INVITE them, with great respect and courtesy, to come and attend the festival, and not give them the runaround and a bunch of lies as sops. I completely concur.

 

This post may lead to the obliteration of all chances I had of covering the ongoing MFF as a journalist, but the truth must be told. Being part of a royal family, you are most likely blissfully unaware or deliberately ignorant of the fact that most Indian journalists are a lowly paid lot. (For the record, I am also from a royal family, and the Taj Mahal was built in memory of my ancestor. That times have changed is a matter of destiny, and not qualifications and merit). Some write free, occasionally, for a cause, or just to keep going. BUT ASKING THE SENIORMOST JOURNALIST TO PAY FOR COVERING YOUR FESTIVAL, INSTEAD OF REGISTERING HIM UNDER YOUR OWN CREATED CATEFGORY OF 'PRESS', IS THE MOST PREPOSTEROUS THING I HAVE EVER HEARD FROM THE MOUTH OF ANY FESTIVAL DIRECTOR! And I have known a few dozen.

 

Having been a part of the discussions in the mid 1990s, that led to the formation of MAMI, having made audio-visual tributes to Dharmendra, Rishi Kapoor, Hitendra Ghose, Theo Angelopoulos, Kamalhaasan and more, for the MFF lifetime awards, having had a conversation with Jiri Menzel, with him patting my back, it makes me very sad to see the fate that has befallen MAMI and its Mumbai Film Festival. At 27, it is in an age of bloom, and not meant to be on a drip and ventilator.