Indian cinema has provided many jewels to the world, but we have been unable to win the Oscar Award in the acting and directing departments. But India is not the ‘Country of Slouches’; the nation has received many Oscar Awards in various departments over the years. From Satyajit Ray, the renowned Indian film director and screenwriter, to music directors and composers A R Rahman-MM Keeravani and film producer Guneet Monga, many Indian stars have received the Oscar Awards in various departments. But do you know that the first Indian Oscar Award winners was a woman?
Yes! We are talking about Bhanu Athaiya, the first Indian woman Oscar Award winner. She has been associated with the film world as a costume designer and received the Oscar Award for the best costumes in the film Gandhi, which was released in 1982. This film was produced by the renowned British film director and actor Sir Richard Attenborough.
Bhanu Athaiya’s career
Bhanu began her film career in 1956 with a film called CID. In which she worked with famous Bollywood directors such as Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, and Raj Kapoor. Let us tell you that she started her costume designing journey with Guru Dutt. Then she worked as a costume designer in big films such as Chauhdavi Ka Chand and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster. Bhanu Athaiya has been associated with Indian films since the 50s.
She had worked as a costume designer in more than 100 films. She has also been honoured with two National Awards, apart from the Oscar. She worked as a costume designer in Aamir Khan’s film Lagaan and Shah Rukh Khan’s film Swades.
Desire to send back the Oscar trophy
In 2012, Bhanu Athaiya had expressed her wish to return the Oscar trophy. Bhanu Athaiya wanted the Oscar trophy to be stored in a safe place after her death. Bhanu Athaiya further said to BBC, ‘The biggest question is about the safety of the trophy; many awards have disappeared in India before. I have enjoyed the award for so many years, I want it to remain safe in future as well. I often go to the Oscar office and I have seen that many people have kept their trophies there. American costume designer Edith Head had also kept her eight Oscar trophies in the Oscar office before she died.’
Bhanu Athaiya believed that if her trophy was kept in the Oscar office, more people would be able to see it.
Took her last breath in 2020
Bhanu Athaiya breathed her last on October 15, 2020. She was bedridden for the last three years due to a brain tumor and died in her sleep on a Thursday morning.
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