The Centre on Tuesday appointed a BJP member and television actor who played Yudhishthir in BR Chopra's epic TV series Mahabharat as president of the Film and Television Institute of India, triggering reactions of surprise from the industry.


ABP News reports that Bollywood veterans questioned the information and broadcasting ministry's choice of Gajendra Chauhan, saying he has not had any association with the premier institute in the past, nor could be placed in the same league as some of his predecessors.


Chauhan, who has been associated with the BJP for over 20 years but became an official member in 2004, had campaigned extensively for the party in Haryana during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections last year.


"The FTII once produced gems of actors and directors who have been gifts to the Indian film industry. It is sad that appointments now are only about extending political largesse," said producer Mukesh Bhatt, who is also the president of the Film and TV Producers Guild of India.


The institute - which counts among its alumni Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Prakash Jha, the late Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and Rajkumar Hirani - has of late not been attracting quality faculty.


There have also been allegations of increased bureaucratic meddling, according to more than one filmmaker. An official statement said the government had reconstituted the FTII Society for a three-year period. Actress Vidya Balan, filmmakers Hirani and Jahnu Barua and cinematographer Santosh Sivan were among those nominated as new members of the reconstituted council.


While the ministry has declared the FTII "an institution of national importance", the autonomous body did not have a president for more than a year since Saeed Akhtar Mirza's term ended in March 2014.