It’s yet another proud moment for the Indian film industry. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited Indian superstars Kajol and Suriya, writer-filmmaker Reema Kagti, and Writing With Fire directors Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas as its new members this year. The Oscar Academy has invited a total of 397 members, which include artists and executives who have contributed to theatrical motion pictures.
Kajol, Suriya among Indians invited by The Academy
The Indian actors and filmmakers have been selected on the basis of their professional qualifications. The Academy has tried to be more inclusive and equal in choosing its members for this year. In an official statement, the Academy said that 44 percent of its new members for 2022 are women, while 37 percent are from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities. It added that 50 percent of the members belong to 53 countries and territories outside the United States.
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Superstars Kajol and Suriya have been invited to join the actors branch. While Kajol is one of the most successful Bollywood leading ladies ever, Suriya has made a name for himself with blockbuster and thought-provoking films like Jai Bhim and Soorarai Pottru.
Kajol’s husband, superstar Ajay Devgn took to his Twitter handle to express his joy at the news. “Congratulations to @itsKajolD for being invited on #Oscars panel. Feeling ecstatic and incredibly proud. Also congrats to all the other invitees,” he tweeted.
Congratulations to @itsKajolD for being invited on #Oscars panel. Feeling ecstatic and incredibly proud.
Also congrats to all the other invitees ⭐
— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) June 29, 2022
Other members that have been invited by the Academy include eminent writer and filmmaker Reema Katgi, who is known for her meaningful cinema. Kagti has been associated with Excel Entertainment, helmed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidwani. She has worked as a writer and producer on films like Gully Boy and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
Kagti made her directorial debut with the 2007 film Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. She then directed the neo-noir Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, which starred Aamir Khan and Rani Mukherji. Kagti recently co-founded Tiger Baby Films with Zoya Akhtar. She also co-wrote and co-directed the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime series Made in Heaven, a story about the lives of two wedding planners. Kagti has been invited to join the writers branch.
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The Academy has also invited the makers of the Oscar-nominated documentary feature Writing With Fire Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas. The movie created history in February this year by becoming the first Indian documentary feature to bag an Oscar nomination. The film was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category at the 94th Academy Awards. Writing With Fire faced tough competition against films like Ascension, Attica, Flee, and Summer of Soul. Ghosh and Thomas have been invited to join the documentary branch at the Academy.
These are not the first few Indians to become members of the Academy. The existing list of members includes Indian stalwarts like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, AR Rahman, Vidya Balan, Ali Afzal, Aditya Chopra, and Ekta Kapoor among others.
Hero image courtesy: Kajol and Suriya/Instagram
