FTII alumni Naseeruddin Shah questions Chairman Anupam Kher's absence from premier film institute

Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher are known to be the two of the most respected faces of alternate cinema in Bollywood history. Having been alumni of the National School of Drama, Kher and Shah have shared screen space in more than 10 projects.

Talking to The Quint , at the India-Bhutan Literary Festival in Thimphu, Shah wondered why Kher was mostly absent from the goings on of The Film and Television Institute of India, in Pune.

When asked about what he thought of his colleague’s performance as the chairman of FTII, Shah unabashedly claimed that an opinion could only be formed if he witnessed the other’s presence and work on campus. “Where is he? How can I comment on his work when he’s hardly ever at the FTII? I don’t think he’s been there more than twice." said Shah.

He added that his frequent visits to his Alma Mater have revealed that Kher is not present on campus a lot. “I am told that he’s not seen there very often. If he chooses to spend some more time at the institute, we’ll get to see the work and be able to comment on it. Till then, what can I say?” said the actor.

After Gajendra Chauhan’s tumultuous run as chairman, Kher took over in October 2017.