Mumbai: Actor Anupam Kher was on Wednesday appointed as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune.
Kher, 62, said he was "deeply humbled and honoured" to be appointed chairman of the "iconic FTII". "I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities," he said in a tweet.
Kher, a graduate from Delhi's National School of Drama (NSD) who has appeared in over 500 films and many plays, was conferred the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the field of cinema and arts.
The post remained vacant for at least seven months after Gajendra Chauhan demitted office in March this year following several controversies. He was appointed to the post in June 2015.
Students had opposed his appointment as FTII chairman, claiming that he was not fit for the job and got the position for being a BJP leader.
They went on an indefinite strike to oppose his appointment and the agitation ended after 139 days. During the politically charged agitation by the students, several political leaders had also visited FTII campus in Pune.
The FTII is an autonomous institute under the Information & Broadcasting Ministry and funded by the Central Government. Since its inception in 1960, the institute has become India’s premier film and television institute, with its alumni becoming technicians, actors and directors in the film and television industry.
(With inputs from PTI)
