5 Indian connections at the 94th Academy Awards
What's the story
The 94th Academy Awards concluded on Monday.
Held at the usual venue—that is the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California—the ceremony was hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes.
While CODA won the Best Picture trophy, Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) was adjudged the Best Director.
In this article, let's discuss five connections this year's Oscars had with India.
#1
Benedict Cumberbatch's 'namaste' moment
Benedict Cumberbatch was among the Best Actor nominees at the 2022 Oscars.
The English actor had earned a nod for his act as ranch owner Phil Burbank in The Power of the Dog.
He was in contention along with Will Smith (the winner), Javier Bardem, Andrew Garfield, and Denzel Washington.
And, after Cumberbatch's nomination was announced, he did a namaste to show his gratitude.
#2
Megan Thee Stallion's Oscar gown designed by Gaurav Gupta
American rapper Megan Thee Stallion graced the event this year in a metallic blue strapless gown that left ample space to show her sculpted left leg.
That stunning ensemble was designed by ace Indian atelier Gaurav Gupta.
The gorgeous gown had a plunging neckline, single waist cut-out, asymmetrical hem, and ruffled pattern at the hips.
A floor-sweeping train completed the beauty of the dress.
#3
Namit Malhotra-led company won its 7th Oscar
Dune won six Oscars this year—one of them was for Best Visual Effects.
The VFX of the sci-fi film was taken care of by DNEG—a London-based visual effects and animation firm—owned by Namit Malhotra of Indian origin.
Notably, DNEG also provided the VFX for No Time to Die and had won Oscars for Inception, Interstellar, Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049, First Man, and Tenet.
#4
Riz Ahmed: Descendant of Allahabad HC's former Chief Justice
Actor Riz Ahmed won his first Oscar for The Long Goodbye in the Best Live Action Short Film category, alongside Aneil Karia.
He earlier received an Academy Award nomination for Sound of Metal (2019).
But did you know Ahmed has an Indian connection? Yes!
Shah Muhammad Sulaiman, the Allahabad High Court's first Muslim Chief Justice during the British rule, is one of his forefathers.
#5
'Writing with Fire': Only Indian entry in Oscars nominations list
Meanwhile, Writing with Fire was the only Indian entry to make it to the 2022 Oscars nominations list.
Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, the documentary is about Khabar Lahariya, a newspaper run by Dalit women in the Bundelkhand region.
The other nominations in this category were Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)—the winner, Ascension, Flee, and Attica.