The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued a list of new members featuring a few prominent Indian film artistes. The Academy shared a tweet along with a video message by Steven Spielberg. As many as 928 new members, including 20 Indian film personalities, were invited in order to enhance diversity.
Our new member list is officially out! And Directors Branch governor Steven Spielberg has a message for all of those invited to join. https://t.co/LEv2huAGHn #WeAreTheAcademy pic.twitter.com/rGG1S2pjaw
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 25, 2018
The Academy announced that 49 per cent of its invitees are women and 38 per cent are people of colour. Artistes from 59 countries have been invited as members.
The academy invited actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee, Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Ali Fazal, Anil Kapoor and Tabu. Yash Raj Films’ Aditya Chopra and producer Guneet Monga also feature in the list. Cinematographer Anil Mehta, best known for his work in Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar, has also been invited, costume designers Dolly Ahluwalia and Manish Malhotra are also part of the list.
Ali Fazal was quick to convey his thanks to the Academy for inviting him to join the ranks.
Thank you @TheAcademy . #WeAreTheAcademy a record 928 members for the batch of 2018. Honoured!!!! pic.twitter.com/Hf7n6lYmUn
— Ali Fazal M (@alifazal9) June 26, 2018
Two sound designers Debajit Changmai (Raazi, Court, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) and Biswadeep Chatterjee (3 Idiots, Madras Cafe) were also invited. Dangal editor Ballu Saluja, musicians Usha Khanna and Sneha Khanwalkar of Gangs of Wasseypur will also represent India. Oscar-winner AR Rahman, actor Irrfan Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan are already members of the Academy.
According to a report in Scroll, membership is by invitation only. Oscar nominees are eligible, as are candidates proposed by two current Academy members from the same field as the candidate. In 2017, the Indians invited to be members included Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai, Mrinal Sen, Goutam Ghose and Sooni Taraporevala.
Among the 928 invitees, the youngest is 14-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), while composer Sofia Gubaidulina (The Killing of the Sacred Deer, Mary Queen of Scotts), is the oldest at 86.
