PUNE - With the protest over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) chairman gathering steam, film personalities like Kiran Rao, Sayeed Mirza and Piyush Mishra have asked the government to initiate a dialogue with the agitating students and address their grievances, NDTV reported. Chauhan, best known for playing Yudhisthira on TV show "Mahabharata," took over as the chairman of the Pune-based institute last month. His appointment was heavily criticized by the current and former students of FTII, many of whom have boycotted classes, abandoned academic work in protest against the appointment of Chauhan, who they allege lacks “stature and vision” to head the premiere institution. Filmmaker Kiran Rao, who has films like "Dhobi Ghat" to her credit, said the appointment of political figures in key positions in cultural institutions is a bad sign. “I think you can measure the health of a country by the health of its cultural institutions and if you don't treat those with some respect and put leaders in their vision to lead these institutions, your country is in big trouble. So, I think it is very important that government pay heed to these protests,” she said. "Gangs of Wasseypur" actor Piyush Mishra said the new chairman does not fulfill the requirement of holding the top office at FTII. - Agencies