In a surprising development, veteran actor Anupam Kher has resigned as chairman of Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
Kher, 63, a two-time national award winner and a holder of eight Filmfare trophies, and also a veteran of over 500 films, was brought in around a year ago to the crisis-ridden FTII.
However, he stepped out citing international committments. Though, he has not named any project, Kher is part of a show on NBC – New Amsterdam.
Kher, who is an admirer and supporter of prime minister Narendra Modi, has sent in his resignation on Tuesday to Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
On Wednesday, Kher posted it on his Twitter handle and said: “It has been an honour, a privilege and a great learning experience to be the chairman of FTII. But because of my international assignments – for a TV show – I won’t have much time to devote at the institute and hence I resigned.”
In the letter to Rathore, he said that he will be stationed in the US for nine months between 2018 and 2019 and then for a similar period for a minimum of three years or more.
He also thanked FTII teachers, staff and students. “As individual you can always reach out to me,” he said.
He also requested the ministry to look for his successor so that he can handover the charge.
A recepient of the coveted Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan awards, he is an alumnus of National School of Drama, of which he had been a former chairman as well.
He had also been the chairman of Central Board of Film Certification, popularly known as Censor Board. His wife, Kirron Kher, is a BJP MP from Chandigarh. Kher was appointed FTII chairman on 11 October, 2017, when he replaced actor Gajendra Chauhan, whose three-year tenure was ridden with controversies. Chauhan was accused of being a BJP man and his professional competence too was questioned.
