Citing US show commitment, Anupam Kher steps down from FTII

A day after presiding over the first meeting of the FTII Society and Governing Council, veteran actor Anupam Kher on Wednesday tendered his resignation as Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), citing his commitment to his new US show. He submitted the resignation to Union Minister of Information and Broadcast, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

In his resignation letter, Kher claimed that over the next nine months, he will have to be stationed in US for his new series and so will not be able to do justice to the post of the premier film institute.

The veteran actor was appointed chairman in October 2017 after Gajendra Chouhan's controversial term came to an end.

In his resignation, Kher clarifies that even at the time he was approached by then I&B minister Smriti Irani, he had told her that he would be signing up for his international commitment and that he would be stationed in US for six months.

"The show has been given a further extension of four months. That translates to me being stationed in the US for nine months between 2018 and 2019 and then for similar period for a minimum period of three years more. Given this assignment, it would not be fair to me, the students and the management team, for me to hold a position of such responsibility and accountability, without being actively involved in the operations,' Kher has stated in his letter.

The letter has been accepted by the ministry, which acknowledges his preoccupations. Rathore also thanked Kher for "steering FTII with such acumen and empathy".