I never begun anything thinking about controversy or negativity, says Anupam Kher, new FTII head

Anupam Kher talks about his future plans as the new chairperson of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.

New Delhi, Oct 12: On Wednesday, the report regarding veteran actor Anupam Kher being appointment as the new chairperson of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Maharashtra, created a lot of buzz.

While a lot of people, including members of the film fraternity, welcomed the decision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to appoint the seasoned actor--who has worked in some of the finest art house films and has been a part of several Bollywood hits--as the head of the FTII, several others, including students of the institute expressed their protest over the job given to Kher under the premise that the actor shares close ties with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Amid all the controversies and applauses associated with his new role, the 62-year-old actor in an interview to news agency, ANI, talked about how he "can contribute" to the FTII as its new chairperson.

"How I can enhance, how I can make my contribution, that is what is important," said Kher.

"As of now, I am not even thinking about making any changes. The work is going on in full flow there," he added.

The actor expressed confidence that as the head of FTII it "will be an extremely important learning experience"

"The teacher inside me will teach the students some things and in return I will also learn a lot from them. For me, this tenure will be an extremely important learning experience. It's important to have the right intention,which I have. I will go there and see what is to be done," he said.

The 62-year-old also explained why the appointment is an extremely important achievement in his life. "It's a very important day for me as seldom it happens that you become chairman of the place where you once were a student. I am not going to start this journey thinking about the previous things. I am a very hopeful person and I have never begun anything while thinking about any controversy or negativity. I will go with a clear mind and do as much work as I can."

"The most important thing is I am feeling very motivated. I am excited and looking forward to this appointment," he signed off.

Kher is taking over the administration of the FTII after the end of the controversial term of actor Gajendra Chauhan, whose appointment triggered massive protests by students of the institute in 2015.

OneIndia News