Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is recently got appointed as the Chairman of the Pune-based Film and Television Institution (FTII) and on this, he says that he will be working towards the students rather than setting agendas as an administrator.
Anupam is very happy and humbled to the entire members of the institution. He will facilitate student with his 4o years of experience in the Hindi cinema, travel, stage acting and much more. He believes that sharing experience adds up to his perspectives and that is what he wants to do.
On Wednesday, Anupam was appointed as a Film and Television Institution Chief. He succeeds in the controversial Gajendra Chauhan, whose appointment was triggered widespread student protests. Anupam says that he would love to facilitate students rather than setting agenda like an administrator. His main aim is to interact with the students and to understand what are their requirements. Along with the faculties, he would be helping the students for the betterment.
Anupam says that when Gajendra Chauhan was appointed as a Cheif at that time FTII was in a need of a person with more qualifications than what Chandan was having as a producer, director, or actor. On Anpam’s appointment, Chandan says that FTII needs a good administrator more than a good actor. When asked from Anupam about the same, he said he does not feel dignified to comment on someone’s words and that to if someone said in a certain context. He thinks it is a great honor for him and that comes with a great responsibility as well.
Anupam says that he is a son of a government clerk and his father came to Mumbai with a 40 Rs in his pocket. Today, whatever respect that he has earned is all he got from his hard work and the blessings of the Almighty and he could not have asked for more so he is content.
Anupam began his acting career with the 1984 movie ‘Saaransh’ and he has a vast repertoire of over 500 movies till date. Some of his Hindi movies include ‘Karma’, ‘Daddy’, ‘Lamhe’, ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara’, ‘A Wednesday’ and ‘Baby’. He contributes his work in the Hollywood movies as well like ‘Bend It Like Beckham’, ‘Bride and Prejudice’, Speedy Singhs’, The Mistress of Spices’, ‘Lust Caution’, and for one of his movie he got the Academy Award ‘Silver Linings Playbook’. Apart from this he has also appeared in several stage plays and authored a book with a title ‘The Best Things About You Is You’.
Earlier he was also the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). From 2001 to 2004 he was appointed as a Director of National School of Drama and from where he had passed out as a student in the year 1978. In 2004, he also been honored with the Padma Shri Award and later in 2016 he got Padma Bhushan for his contribution to the fields of arts. He runs his own acting institute ‘Actor Prepares’. He is all for the formal training in the craft.
Anupam says that there are various training process that the one should go through if they have to learn the craft. He has been the running the acting school for 14 long years and he thinks that he has survived in the entertainment industry for 40 years only because he is the student of the National School of Drama. From the past few days, Anupam has been busy in promoting his upcoming movie titled ‘Ranch Diaries’ and along with this, he has many other movies lines up.
When asked that, does his responsibility as a FTII Chairman will affect his movies? Anupam said that he is an artist and nothing will be going to change on that front. Moreover, he said that this is the not the first time when he is handling an administrative post. Earlier also he was appointed as a Chairperson of the National School of Drama as well. However, his job is not just to sit in the office, but he will work on the ideas and he can easily handle that. Everything is going simultaneously his films, his movies, and his shows. His grandfather used to say him that ‘A busy man has a time for everything’.