Shah Rukh Khan, Soumitra Chatterjee, Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, Madhuri Dixit, Ali Fazal and Anil Kapoor, apart from producers Aditya Chopra and Guneet Monga, as well as music artistes Usha Khanna and Sneha Khanwalkar are among the Indians invited to be a part of the Oscar Academy’s Class of 2018.
The announcement was made on the official website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The new invitees are an effort by the Oscar-giving body to include more women and international filmmakers.
Dangal editor Ballu Saluja, costume designers Manish Malhotra and Dolly Ahluwalia, cinematographer Anil Mehta, actress Madhabi Mukherjee, and production designers Subrata Chakraborthy and Amit Ray are also a part of the list.Fazal, who featured with Judi Dench in Victoria & Abdul , tweeted: “So so humbled to be included with the greats. Thank you @TheAcademy for this membership. I look forward to this friendship for a long long time..Sending my love from India. (sic)”
Monga, known for producing The Lunchbox and Masaan , wrote on Instagram: “Honoured to have been invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Class of 2018 !!!!! Thank you @TheAcademy.”
The Academy extended invitations to a record 928 artistes and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures across the world.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in
2018, read a statement.Among the invitees,
17 are Oscar winners while 92 are Oscar
nominees, including Timothee Chalamet and
Daniel Kaluuya.
TiffanyHaddish, Kal Penn, Kumail Nanjiani, Blake Lively, Dave Chappelle, Mindy Kaling, George Lopez, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, Evan Rachel Wood, Naveen Andrews, Melissa Etheridge, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kendrick Lamar and JK Rowling are among the popular names on the list. — IANS
