Oscars have always been an important recognition in the field of cinema, not just for Hollywood but for the film fraternity across the globe. Winning an Oscar is seen as reaching the pinnacle of the film industry.
The event, first held in 1929 as a private dinner party, grew into this magnificent ceremony, with the year-long dedication and perseverance that people committed to the art called cinema and the change it brought into the minds of its viewers.
India has also similarly been an integral part of this international celebration. Let’s take a look at all the wins the country received on this global stage of film appreciation.
- Bhanu Athaiya for ‘Gandhi’ - 1983 (Best Costume Design)
The first-ever Academy Award received by the country was in the category of Best Costume Design, which was won by designer Bhanu Athaiya for the film ‘Gandhi’, which she shared with British designer John Mollo.
The film was a biographical ensemble dedicated to Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi, who is widely known as the ‘Father of the Nation’.
Directed by Richard Attenborough, the film was an Indo-British co-production, which went on to win eight awards the same night in various categories, but Athaiya was the only Indian winner among the crew.
- Satyajit Ray - 1992 (Honorary Award)
Indian legendary filmmaker who is known as one of the influential film icons in the history of cinema, Satyajit Ray won his honorary Oscar a few days before his death while lying in hospital bed. His receiving the Oscar was broadcast live at the event, making him the first Indian filmmaker to receive the accolade. Born in Kolkata, West Bengal, Ray’s unique blend of artistic storytelling and realism in his projects gave him the position of global stardom.
One of his widely recognized works includes the Apu Trilogy, which comprises his three sequels Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), and Apur Sansar (1959), which went on to get many international awards, including at the Cannes Film Festival.
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- AR Rahman, Gulzar for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ - 2009 (Best Original Score, Best Original Song)
Renowned Indian singer-composer A R Rahman won his first Academy Award for the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ in two categories: Best Original Score for his soundtrack and Best Original Song, which he won for the song ‘Jai Ho’, which he shared with veteran lyricist and poet Gulzar. The achievement made Rahman the first and only Indian to win the award twice so far.
Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, was a British film about an Indian teen and his struggles of living in the slums of Mumbai. Made on a humble budget with newcomers Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto, the film went on to become one of the biggest grossers of the year, with almost $384 million collected worldwide. The film also bagged 8 Oscars the same night for different categories, including Best Picture and Best Director.
- Resul Pookutty for 'Slumdog Millionaire' - 2009 (Best Sound Mixing)
Resul Pookutty also won his first Oscar at the 81st Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire in the Best Sound Mixing category. He shared the award with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke. The win also made him the first person from Kerala to win an Oscar.
- Guneet Monga for 'Period.End of Sentence.' - 2019 (Best Documentary Short Film)
Guneet Monga won her first Oscar for the Documentary Short Film ‘Period. End Of Sentence.’ in 2019. The US-produced short film was directed by Iranian-American Rayka Zehtabchi, and Monga served as an executive producer for the project. The short project revolves around Indian women and the menstruation stigma existing in society and their fight by manufacturing pads to overcome the situation.
- Kartiki Gonsalves, Guneet Monga for 'The Elephant Whisperers' - 2023 (Best Documentary Short Film)
Guneet Monga shared her second Oscar in 2023 with Indian director Kartiki Gonsalves for the documentary film ‘The Elephant Whisperers’. The film, produced by Monga’s own Sikhya Entertainment, also went on to become the first-ever Indian production to win an Academy Award.
- M M Keeravani, Chandrabose for 'RRR' - 2023 (Best Original Song)
Telugu singer-composer M M Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose won their Oscar in the Best Original Song category for the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the film 'RRR'. This was the second Indian win for the category after Rahman-Gulzar's win in 2009. The playback singers, Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, performed the song live at the 95th Academy Awards stage.
RRR, directed by renowned director S S Rajamouli, starring NTR Jr, Ram Charan, and Alia Bhatt among the cast members, is set around the story of two friends and their tumultuous relationship during the colonial rule in India.
The Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards
The Academy Award is also presented to people who work in the innovation of cinema and its technical works. It is not given at the main Oscars ceremony but on a separate occasion annually.
So far, three Indians have been awarded for their contributions:
- Rahul Chandrakant Thakkar (2016): Shared a Scientific and Engineering Award for his work on the DreamWorks Animation Media Review System.
- Cottalango Leon (2016): Recognised for creating ‘ITView’, an online platform that streamlined the review and approval of film shots during production at Sony Pictures.
- Vikas Vinay Sathaye (2018): Shared the award for being part of the team in creating ‘Shotover K1 Camera System’, which helps in shooting steady pictures from helicopters.
Other honourable mentions:
- Mother India (1957): First Indian film submitted for an Oscar, which also received a nomination at the 30th Academy Awards. The film was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category (now Best International Feature). Directed by prominent veteran Mehboob Khan, the film portrayed actress Nargis Dutt in the lead role, receiving worldwide acclaim for the project.
- Salaam Bombay! (1988): Directed by Mira Nair (mother of current NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani), it revolves around the poverty of children in Mumbai slums and was shot prominently using real-life characters instead of professional actors. The film became the second Indian film to receive a nomination in the Best International Feature category.
- Lagaan (2001): Starring Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh in the lead roles, Lagaan is the third and final film so far to receive a nomination for Best International Feature. The film is directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.
The 99th Academy Awards will be held on March 14, 2027, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Conan O’Brien hosting the ceremony.
