Anand Patwardhan alleges he was blocked from meeting protesting monk at Mumbai University

Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan claims he was blocked from meeting a protesting monk at Mumbai University, raising concerns over academic freedom.

Renowned filmmaker Anand Patwardhan said he was stopped from entering Mumbai University’s Kalina campus recently when he went to meet Buddhist monk Bhante Vimamsa, a former research scholar, who was participating in a sit-in protest on the campus.

Speaking to The Hindu on Thursday (March 5, 2026), Mr. Patwardhan said that the guards stopped anyone who tried to meet the Bhante. “I don’t even think they recognised me. They stopped many others too,” he said.

The incident occurred on February 28, 2026, when Mr. Patwardhan attempted to visit the campus after a programme in Kurla, where actor Naseeruddin Shah spoke about Urdu. It was organised in protest of Mumbai University’s decision to disinvite Mr. Shah, Mr. Patwardhan said.

Agitated over being stopped from entering the varsity, Mr. Patwardhan told The Hindu that he was dismayed at the varsity’s attitude.

“Why are they troubling a scholar of Pali who is on a dharna? He has been asking for proper facilities to study Pali. Pali is an ancient language of India, just as Sanskrit is. Many ancient Buddhist texts are in Pali. Bhante Vimamsa, a Buddhist scholar, isn’t even allowed to use the washrooms in the University campus. He has been sitting in one piece of clothing,” Mr. Patwardhan elaborated.

“There is a clear pattern in our country. Look at what happened in JNU where the entire elected left wing student body was suspended. Look at the suicide of the Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula in 2016. Look at what is being done about the UGC rules today. Here on the Kalina campus, two weeks ago Naseeruddin Shah was disinvited by the Mumbai University as he was going to speak about Urdu literature! The University authorities then proceeded to lie that it was Naseer who cancelled his talk,” he noted.