Malayalam superstar and BJP leader Suresh Gopi has been appointed as the President of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 1 He will hold the post for a term of three years or until he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Suresh Gopi is a veteran actor who has acted in more than 250 films across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi languages. He is known for his roles as police and army officers in action-oriented movies. He has won the National Film Award and the Kerala State Film Award for his performance in Kaliyattam (1997), an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello. He has also been nominated for several Filmfare Awards South.
Suresh Gopi joined BJP in 2016 and became a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. He contested the 2023 Lok Sabha elections from Thrissur constituency but lost to Congress candidate T.N. Prathapan. He also contested the 2023 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections from Thrissur seat but came third behind LDF and UDF candidates.
SRFTI is a film and television institute located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was established in 1995 and named after the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The institute offers postgraduate courses in cinematic studies and electronic and digital media. It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is a member of CILECT, an association of film schools across the world.
Suresh Gopi’s appointment as the President of SRFTI has been welcomed by many film personalities and BJP leaders. They have expressed their confidence that he will bring his rich experience and vision to the institute and enhance its academic excellence and global reputation. However, some critics have questioned his credentials and alleged that his appointment is a political move by the BJP to influence the film industry and culture in West Bengal.