New Delhi:

Actor Paresh Rawal is the new chairperson of the National School of Drama, Minister of Culture Prahlad Singh Patel announced on Thursday. “Renowned artiste Paresh Rawal has been appointed as Chairman of National School of Drama by Rashtrapati Bhavan. I am glad that students and artistes will be able to take advantage of his talent. I congratulate him,” Mr Patel said in a tweet posted in Hindi. Mr Rawal, 65, has been appointed to the post for a period of four years. Paresh Rawal is a veteran of the Gujarati stage in addition to his long and successful film career.

The post of NSD chairperson has been officially vacant since 2017. Read Prahlad Singh Patel’s announcement here:

@SirPareshRawal@rashtrapatibhvn@nsd_india@PMOIndia@JPNadda@incredibleindia@tourismgoi@MinOfCultureGoI@BJP4India@BJP4MPpic.twitter.com/ONdM2sB3g0

— Prahlad Singh Patel (@prahladspatel) September 10, 2020

Speaking to news agency PTI, Paresh Rawal said, “It will be challenging but fun. I will do my best because this is a field I know very well.” A tweet shared by the official handle of the National School of Drama, which is the country’s premier theatre school, read, “NSD family welcome the legend to shower his guidance to NSD for achieving new heights.”

We are glad to inform ” Hon’ble President of India @rashtrapatibhvn has appointed renowned actor & Padma Shri @sirpareshrawal as chairman of @nsd_india.”NSD family welcome the legend to shower his guidance to NSD for achieving new heights.@prahladspatel@MinOfCultureGoI

— National School of Drama (@nsd_india) September 10, 2020

Paresh Rawal, a former BJP parliamentarian, is known for the versatility of his performances. His breakout role was in the 1985 film Arjun. Mr Rawal is equally acclaimed for dramatic performances such as the lead in 1993’s Sardar, a biopic of Vallabhbahi Patel, and comic turns in the Hera Pheri films and cult hit Andaz Apna Apna. Mr Rawal’s theatre career has focused mainly on Gujarati plays, several of which he collaborates with wife Swaroop Sampat on.

Paresh Rawal won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 for the films Sir and Woh Chokri. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri.

The National School of Drama counts among its alumni such notable talents as Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Irrfan Khan, Surekha Sikri, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Kapur, Piyush Mishra, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohini Hattangadi and Neena Gupta.