R Madhavan, new FTII boss, has much to do

Nonika Singh

Chandigarh, September 2

It’s a double bonanza for superstar actor-director R Madhavan. Soon after picking up the National Award for the Best Feature Film for his directorial signature ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, Madhavan was appointed the president of the FTII and chairman of its Governing Council. Madhavan succeeds celebrated director Shekhar Kapur, whose tenure ended on March 3 this year.

With his appointment to head the Pune-based FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), Madhavan is in the company of greats such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Girish Karnad et al, who held the position in the past. The FTII has a reputation of producing gems right since its inception in 1960. It is almost a byword for excellence in the film world. In the recent past, however, appointments to its top position have ruffled feathers — in 2015, for instance, the appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman was seen as an attempt to ‘saffronise’ FTII and led to a 139-day strike by the institute’s students.

When Anupam Kher took over from Chauhan in 2017, there were murmurs about his political affiliations as well. However, though he might be aligned with the ruling dispensation at the Centre, Kher enjoys a faultless reputation as an artiste. The same can be said about Madhavan. Back in 2018, he had said he is ‘not politically inclined’, but at the 75th Cannes Film Festival recently, as part of a contingent representing India, he effusively praised PM Narendra Modi. Madhavan’s detractors see him as the ‘Akshay Kumar of the South’, though there is no denying his talent, versatility and fan following, which cuts across languages and borders.

He has been part of Hindi movies such as ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Tanu Weds Manu’, ‘Vikram Vedha’, ‘Rang De Basanti’ among others, and his appointment should not necessarily be seen through a political prism.

“I will do my best to live up to the expectations,” Madhavan said today, and it’s hoped that he would help in cementing the stature of FTII, which has taken some beating in the recent past. It’s moot whether one person’s appointment can make or mar an institute, but there is certain power in symbolism. While his appointment is being hailed by his fans as a ‘worthy one, Madhavan has much to do to make it worthwhile.