Cast and cut: Directorate of fests gets 2 chiefs in 2 wks

If the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, earned the reputation of having two officials working in additional capacity as ...

If the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, earned the reputation of having two officials working in additional capacity as directors in quick succession, the Directorate of Film Festivals can stake its claim to being a close second in the race, thanks to the efforts put in by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Additional PIO Deepak Sandhu has been given additional charge of the Directorate of Film Festivals even as Joint Secretary (Films) Anjali Duggal, who was given additional charge of looking after the Directorate only two weeks ago, has been sent back to her original post.

An Indian Information Service officer, Sandhu was the head of the news and current affairs channel of Prasar Bharati Corporation, before it was shut down on January 26, and she was moved out as Additional PIO in the Ministry of Human Resources and Development.

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And much before the news channel was conceived, Sandhu headed the Directorate of Film Festivals in 1994, when she was shunted out swiftly after the mikes failed to respond at the National Film Awards ceremony. Sandhu was held responsible for the technical glitches in the festival.

Officials in the Ministry said that with the Cannes film festival scheduled to begin later this month, a director to head the directorate, which plays a key role in facilitating Indian participation in festivals abroad, was felt.

Sandhu’s past experience will come in handy. It’s temporary till such time as a full-time director is appointed, officials clarified.

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