New director takes charge at FTII

Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra Kainthola on Tuesday assumed charge as the new director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) at Pune.

Kainthola replaced Prashant Pathrabe, who served as interim director of the premier film-making and acting learning institute during the 140-day long strike by students over appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman.

The new director will have a three-year tenure at FTII, which is an autonomous body under the information and broadcasting ministry, official sources said.

Among other issues, the new director and the FTII administration faces the dilemma of either to continue with or withdraw police cases against the students registered by the previous director Pathrabe during the agitation.

Ministry sources said here that the case relates to Pathrabe being confined in his office for long hours by the agitating students in August 2015.

--IANS

nd/vd