“A big vindication for Indian cinema at large”: this is how cinematographer Anil Mehta describes the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ membership list for 2018. Mehta is among the 20 Indian film personalities invited this year to be a member of the academy that organises the annual Oscar awards. Also on the list, which was released on Monday, are Madhabi Mukherjee, Soumitra Chatterjee, Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Ali Fazal, Anil Kapoor and Tabu among the actors, producers Aditya Chopra and Guneet Monga, music composers Usha Khanna and Sneha Khanwalker, production designers Subroto Mukherjee and Amit Ray, costume designers Dolly Ahluwalia and Manish Malhotra, sound designers Biswadeep Chatterjee, Debajit Changmai, and editor Ballu Saluja.
“More than a personal achievement, I see this more like the Academy finally recognising that there are many nations and many types of cinemas – that there is a whole other world out there,” said Mehta, the only Indian cinematographer on the list. “It is a very good sign coming from the academy. America has generally been a nation that looks inwards. They’re finally looking outwards and are consciously making space for a whole universe of cinema.”
A record-setting 928 members from across the globe have been asked to swell the ranks of an organisation that has been criticised in recent years for being overwhelmingly white and male. In 2016, the Academy set up a diversity committee and fixed a goal to widen its membership by 2020. Among the Indian members in this committee is Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty.
The Indians invited to join the Academy includes actors who are familiar to American audiences through their appearances in international productions. Ali Fazal, the youngest Indian actor on the list, has been in “For Here to Go,” “Furious 7” and “Victoria and Abdul.”
“To one more step towards global cinema, towards one world, I am so happy the academy has diversified extensively over the past few years,” the 31-year-old actor said in a press statement. “And to include me in that prestigious list is in itself an honour for me and my country. I hope I serve well in the forthcoming years of entertainment. There are some heavy names out there on the list, so I am happy to share stage with them on this.”
Another name that will be familiar in international film circles is Guneet Monga. Her credits as producer include Ritesh Batra’s “The Lunchbox,” which was an international breakout hit in 2013, and Vetrimaaran’s “Visaaranai,” which was India’s Oscar entry in 2016. “I’m honoured to be recognised for my work and to be invited with the best in the world,” Monga said. “This moment means a lot and I’m simply grateful to be a member of the producers’ branch of the academy.”
A number of renowned Indian talents have been extended invitations. Production designer Subrata Mukherjee, who has worked with Amit Ray on “Haider,” “Padmaavat” and “Raazi,” said he was “speechless” when he heard the news. “It is a big honour for me,” Mukherjee said (Ray has also been invited). “I’m definitely going to fill up the [invitation] form and then let’s see after that. All of our films – across departments – are of international quality. This is a perfect time for this recognition.”
Sound designer Debajit Changmai, whose credits include “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” “Raazi” and “Court,” added that the move will amplify Indian cinema across the world. “For me, this is not about the Oscars,” Changmai said. “I’m counting this as a recognition of our films and our work. I come from Assam and never dreamed of coming this far – where my work is recognised by outsiders. Genuinely happy and honoured. I see this as a chance to see other people’s work and perhaps, that’ll help me grow as a technician.”
This article was first published on scroll.in and is being republished under special arrangement.
