29 June,2023 11:25 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Karan Johar, Jr NTR, Ram Charan to become the member of The Academy. (Pic- Instagram)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences named 398 new members who will join them this year. Several Indian names made it to the list, among foreign artists such as Taylor Swift and Ke Huy Qwan.
RRR actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan, producer Karan Johar and Siddharth Roy Kapur, directors Mani Ratnam and Chaitanya Tamhane, music directors MM Keeravani and Chandrabose, casting director KK Senthil Kumar, and documentary maker Shaunak Sen are among the prominent Indian names in the list.
The number of new members is roughly half that of recent years, as the Academy stepped down after attempting to increase the number of women and non-white members, in response to calls to boycott the glitzy Oscars and an angry social media backlash under the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite due to a lack of diversity.
More than 10,000 people are now members of the Academy. According to the Academy, 40 percent of the 2023 class are women, 34 percent are from underrepresented ethnic and racial groupings, and 52 percent are from 50 nations and territories other than the United States.
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The Academy, regarded as the pinnacle of the Hollywood film business and offers a single set of invitations each year. Only Academy members have the ability to vote on Oscar winners. The Academy Awards will be held on March 10 of the coming year.
"The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines, and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide," said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.
This year has been a year of joy for India as several Indian artists made a big impression at the Oscars earlier this year. For RRR's Naatu Naatu, MM Keeravani and Chandrabose won the Oscar for Best Song. The Elephant Whisperers, an Indian production, won Best Documentary Short. All That Breathes by Shaunak Sen was also nominated for Best Documentary.
