Kher to head FTII Pune
Anupam Kher (62), a veteran actor who has starred in a record number of 500 films and happens to be a staunch supporter of the ruling BJP, was on Wednesday appointed the new chairman of I& B Ministry-controlled Film and Television Institute of India.
Kher succeeds small time TV and film actor Gajendra Singh Chauhan, who got the marching orders on his 61st birthday, though he had completed his term in March. He is best known for his role of Yudhishthira in the 'Mahabharat.'
Gajendera’s appointment was greeted with 139 days of strike by the FTII students clamouring for his removal. Kher was among the celebrities who had backed protests against Chauhan. Despite being derided as a person lacking the credentials for the post, Chauhan stubbornly refused
to resign. "I am not sacked, my term ended in March," Chauhan said on Thursday.
Kher said he felt "deeply humbled and honoured" to head the iconic institute. His wife Kirron Kher, a TV personality, is the BJP MP from Chandigarh. ‘‘He will be a very good chairman. He has the credentials for this. I am very happy...T hank you (Narendra) Modi ji, thank you Smriti Irani for this," said Kirron.
A recipient of the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2006, Kher has been the chairman of the film censor board and also the director of the National School of Drama (NSD) from 2001 to 2004. He has been an alumnus of 1978 batch of the NSD and appeared in more than 100 plays. He has also authored the book "The Best Thing About You is You."
Kher had led a "March for India" to Rashtrapati Bhawan in 2015, protesting against what he believed was "growing intolerance" against the BJP-led government.
He has to his credit many national and international awards, including the ‘Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role.’He has appeared in acclaimed international films such as the 2002
Golden Globe nominated Bend It Like Beckham, 2007 Golden Lion award-winning Lust, Caution and 2013 Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook. ‘‘Finally, the government is listening to us!," said journalist-adman-filmmaker Pritish Nandy.