Anupam Kher: FTII should be taken seriously

Anupam Kher, the newly-appointed chairperson of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), says the institute should be taken seriously. Talking about improving the condition of the FTII, Kher says, "Intention is the most important factor. The blueprint has to be made. Unfortunately, in the last few years, the FTII has been projected as a troubled place, whether it is the students strike, the appointment of the previous chairman or anything else. I think the institution should be taken seriously; it is a place where people are trained."

Anupam Kher

Kher adds that the institute has produced some of the "finest actors, directors, producers, cameraman, technicians and sound people". He says, "This place is the future of the entertainment industry. So, that needs to be perfected and what I bring in is not my knowledge, but my earnestness."

On October 11, Kher was announced as the new chairperson of the FTII. He succeeded Gajendra Chauhan, whose appointment in 2014 triggered widespread student protests. Kher says the FTIIâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088seems a happier place now. "Whenever you go back to your school, you feel it's not the same. I felt the same when I visited the institute 15 days ago. But when I went there on Saturday, things were different. There are no placards that read, 'We are unhappy'," he says.