On FTII visit, Anupam Kher tries to strike positive note with students

Newly-appointed FTII chairman Anupam Kher paid an unscheduled visit to the campus in Pune on Monday and broke bread with students, apparently to build a rapport with them.

Against the backdrop of the acrimony when the appointment of Kher’s predecessor Gajendra Chauhan had triggered protests in 2015, Kher seemed to make efforts to win the confidence of students.

En route to the institute, the veteran actor recorded his journey in a car from Senapati Bapat Marg in Pune to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), a distance of nearly two kms, and put up a video on Twitter. He also recalled his student days at the premier film institute 39 years ago.

At the institute, Kher conducted a 30-minute lecture on acting and held an informal meeting with students, where people from the FTII administration were not allowed.

He later accompanied students to the FTII mess and had lunch with them. The actor stood in the queue at the meal counter of the mess with other students.

“.... 39 years ago, I came to this place as a student. Today, I once again came to the institute without informing anybody, as I wanted to walk into this premier institute as a student. This is the place where I learned how to face a camera and at NSD (National School of Drama) I learned how to act,” he told reporters on the campus.

The ‘Saransh’ actor said he had a good and positive conversation with the students. “We spoke on a number topics. Hope we will work out whatever we have spoken about,” he said.

After Kher’s appointment as the FTII chairman was announced, students had written an open letter highlighting various issues being faced by them.