Actor Anupam Kher has quit his post as Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), citing a “busy schedule”.
In a resignation letter addressed to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Kher says, “The decision has not come without considerable thought of the responsibilities expected of me vis-a-vis the time I have at my disposal to execute them.”
“At the time when I was officially approached by the former I&B Minister, Smt. Smriti Irani to be appointed as the Chairman, I did share with her that I was due to be stationed in the US for nearly 6 months for an international TV show. The latest news now is that show has been given a further extension of 4 months. This translates into me being stationed in the US for nearly 9 months between 2018 and 2019 and then for a similar period for a minimum of three years more,” he explains.
According to a report by ANI, the Director of FTII B Kainthola has responded saying, “It was a privilege to have worked with Anupam Kher in his capacity as Chairman FTII. He had an empathetic ear for concerns and issues of the institute. FTII wishes him all the best in his new endeavour and expresses gratitude to him for his leadership, support and guidance.”
Kher was appointed in October 2017 as the successor to former Chairman Gajendra Chauhan, whose tenure was marred by controversy and has sparked several student protests since 2014.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that he would be joining the cast of medical drama New Amsterdam, for which he has spent the last few months shooting in New York.
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