Even though no Indian film has won an Oscar, some individuals have made India proud. Few Indians have received the Oscar trophy, from costume designer Bhanu Athaiya to music composer A.R. Rahman and many more
India's meet with the Academy Awards (Oscars) started when Mehboob Khan's Mother India in 1957, which was officially nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Since then, films such as Lagaan and Salaam Bombay have been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Even though no Indian film has won an Oscar, some individuals have made India proud. Check out which Indians have won been Oscar winners in the past…
Satyajit Ray (Honourary):
Satyajit Ray, a revolutionary filmmaker, created masterpieces in Indian cinema. His movies are utilised as case studies in numerous filmmaking colleges worldwide. The great filmmaker made his name in both Hindi and Bengali movies. Ray received an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1992. Unfortunately, the filmmaker couldn't attend the ceremony since he was in the hospital, so he delivered his acceptance speech through live broadcast.
Bhanu Athaiya (Gandhi)
Bhanu Athaiya was the 1st Indian Oscar winner, taking home the trophy for Best Costume Design. She won the award for the 1982 historical drama Gandhi. Bhanu Athaiya has worked with prominent people like Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, Raj Kapoor, B.R. Chopra, Vijay Anand, and Raj Khosla, and has contributed to over 100 films. She has also collaborated with international celebrities like Conrad Rooks and Richard Attenborough.
AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
A.R. Rahman made history by walking away with two Oscars Best Original Score and Best Song (Jai Ho). For his score in a British-Indian film, music composer A.R. Rahman became the first Indian to be nominated in three categories at the Academy Awards. The composer has previously been nominated for Best Original Score for the films 127 Hours and If I Rise.
Gulzar (Slumdog Millionaire)
The legendary Gulzar had bagged the Academy Award for Best Lyrics for Jai Ho in Slumdog Millionaire. The song 'Jai Ho,' caused a worldwide stir and earned AR Rahman his second Oscar, was written by Gulzar, who also received an Oscar for Best Original Song. Also Read: Exclusive: Meet Namit Malhotra, Indian in Oscar race for 'Dune', 'No Time to Die'
Resul Pookutty (Slumdog Millionaire)
Resul Pookutty won for Best Sound Mixing for Slumdog. He shared the honour with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke. The Slumdog Millionaire won 8 Oscars in total. Also Read: Oscars 2022: Know top nominees for best film, actor, actress, director and more