Pune: Following days of speculation, the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has appointed former head of the National Film Archives of India Prashant Pathrabe as the new director of the institute.

Pathrabe will be replacing DJ Narain after a long period of protesting and agitation against the controversial appointment of TV actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan as the new chairman of the FTII Governing council.

Having been accused of mishandling the students’ strike and being held responsible for the further deterioration of matters by the Ministry, Narain, on Wednesday, was compelled to issue a strongly-worded warning to the agitating students to call off their strike soon or face serious administrative action which could entail rustication.

The students, however, have decided to go on with their strike in defiance of the administrative notice, demanding immediate revocation of Mr. Chauhan’s appointment and the dissolution of the governing council on grounds that they were populated with mediocrities and political party hacks lacking in vision and artistic conception.

The newly appointed Director Prashant Pathrabe on Friday said he would speak to all concerned to resolve the current impasse following the students’ strike against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as chairman and was hopeful of a positive outcome.

While asked about the unrest on the campus, Mr. Pathrabe said: “I will first study the situation and speak to all concerned. The situation is not a happy one but we are hopeful of a positive outcome.”

An alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad, Mr. Pathrabe was formerly Director of the Press Information Bureau in Pune before taking over as Director, NFAI in February 2011. He joined the Indian Information Service in 1993.