NEW YORK: The Academy Awards has announced 487 new members, including Indian directors SS Rajamouli and Reema Das and veteran Indian actress Shabana Azmi.
“We are thrilled to welcome this year’s new members to the Academy,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. “These extraordinary artists and professionals from around the world have made a significant impact on our industry.”
Shabana Azmi is one of the most respected actresses in India. and has worked in more than 160 films and won the National Best Actress Award five times.
SS Rajamouli has taken the world by storm with his latest song ‘RRR’, for which ‘Nacho Nacho’ won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He is the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the New York Film Critics Circle Award, and was included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list for 2023.
This year’s membership is 44 percent women, 41 percent from underrepresented communities, and 56 percent from outside the United States.
Apart from Bollywood actors and directors, The 2024 lineup also includes Indian cinematographer Ravi Varman, costume designers Rama Rajamouli, Sheetal Sharma and documentary filmmaker Anand Kumar Tucker. Nisha Pahuja and Hemil Trivedi, Producer Ritesh Sidhwani and Choreographer Prem Rakshit.
