Actor Anupam Kher resigned as chairperson of the Film and Television Institute of India on Wednesday, saying that it would not be possible for him to discharge his responsibilities due to his professional commitments in the U.S.
He is playing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a film based on a memoir written by Sanjaya Baru, a former media advisor to Dr. Singh. The film is expected to be released before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
In his resignation letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Mr. Kher said he will be stationed in the U.S. for “nearly nine months between 2018 and 2019 and then for a similar period for a minimum of three years more” due to his commitment to the NBC series New Amsterdam .
“Given this assignment (the show), 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 letter.
Mr. Kher, 63, urged Mr. Rathore to accept his resignation and in the notice period scout for someone suitable to take over from him. “I will always be available, if needed, for any guidance or responsibility given to me as an individual,” he wrote.
His resignation letter, dated October 30, has been accepted by Mr. Rathore, who thanked Mr. Kher for his services to the premier institute, the I&B Ministry said in a statement here.
Mr. Kher had replaced Gajendra Chauhan, who had a controversial tenure as the head of the prestigious institute, in October last year.
