New Delhi: Actor Anupam Kher on Wednesday resigned as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India citing commitments to an international TV show for which he has to be stationed in the US. In his resignation letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore , he said that due to his commitment to the show he will be stationed in the US for "nearly nine months between 2018 and 2019 and then for a similar period for a minimum of three years more". Kher also shared the news on Twitter stating "It has been an honour, a privilege & a great learning experience to be the Chairman of the prestigious FTII. But because of my international assignments I won’t have much time to devote at the institute. Hence decided to send my resignation."


"Given this assignment it would not be fair to me, the students and management team, for me to hold a position of such responsibility and accountability, without being actively involved in the operations," he said in his resignation letter.His resignation letter has been accepted by Rathore, who thanked Kher for his services to the premier institute.


It was earlier reported that actor Anupam Kher will be seen in an upcoming "New Amsterdam" medical drama series and it is reported that he might have resigned from FTII following his commitment to this show. An excited Anupam, 63, had earlier said that the pilot "New Amsterdam", which he shot for in New York has been picked up to be a series. "Happy to share the great news! The pilot 'New Amsterdam', I shot for in New York has been picked up to be a series now. Here comes the Indian Actor to join the cast and crew in New York. David Schulner, Peter Horton, Kate Dennis, Ryan Eggold, Jayr Monty," he wrote. He had  also posted a series of photograph with actress Freema Agyeman.

Kher had replaced Gajendra Chauhan, who had a controversial tenure, as the head of the Pune-based institute in October last year.

(Agency input)