The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Wednesday said that it has appointed actor Anupam Kher as the new Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

He succeeds former television actor Gajendra Chauhan, whose controversial three-year-old tenure as FTII chairman ended in March.

Kher has appeared in over 500 films and has also been the recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan for his contribution in the field of cinema and arts. In a tweet, Kher said, “I feel deeply humbled & honoured to be apportioned as the Chairman of iconic FTII. I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities.”

Kher, who has appeared in acclaimed international films such as Silver Lining Playbook and Bend it Like Beckham , was the Director of National School of Drama from 2001-2004. An alumnus of National School of Drama, he has also served as the Chairman of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in the past.

Kher’s predecessor Chauhan had a tumultuous stint as the FTII Chairman. His appointment in June, 2015 had led to a massive protest by FTII students demanding his removal, which continued for over 100 days.

Over the past three years, the Ministry took several measures such as overhauling FTII’s syllabus to the Choice Based Credit System and adding new courses. In January, six PG Diploma courses at FTII were granted Master’s degree equivalence by Association of Indian Universities.

Kher’s appointment comes just two months after the Ministry replaced controversial CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani with admaker and lyricist Prasoon Joshi.

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