Los Angeles: A group of Indian film celebrities, including Ram Charan, NT Rama Rao Jr, MM Keeravani, Mani Ratnam, Chandrabose, Karan Johar, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Sabu Cyril, Chaitanya Tamhane, and K.K. Senthil Kumar, have been invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. This invitation was extended to them along with other industry professionals and artists, such as Austin Butler, Ke Huy Quan, Keke Palmer, and Taylor Swift, among others.
The branches from which they were invited to join are:
- Ram Charan and NT Rama Rao Jr. in the Actors Branch
- MM Keeravani and Chandrabose in the Music Branch
- Mani Ratnam and Chaitanya Tamhane in the Directors Branch
- Sabu Cyril in the Production Design Branch
- Siddharth Roy Kapur and Karan Johar in the Producers Branch
In a statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang expressed their pride in welcoming these artists and professionals into the membership. They acknowledged their significant contributions to the arts and sciences of motion pictures, which have made a global impact and garnered immense popularity among movie fans worldwide. This year, a total of 398 individuals have been invited to join the Academy, and if all accept, the total number of Academy members will reach 10,817.
The 2023 class of invitees represents diversity and inclusivity, with 40% women, 34% from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities, and 52% hailing from 51 countries and territories outside the United States. Notably, several branches invited more women than men, including casting directors, costume designers, makeup artists and hairstylists, and marketing and public relations. The actor and director branches had a significant number of candidates from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities.
Among the invitees, eight filmmakers have been invited to multiple branches, but they can only select one branch upon accepting membership. Last year, the Oscars invited 397 new members, including notable figures such as Billie Eilish, Ariana DeBose, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, and Disney executive Dana Walden. With the addition of the new member class, the Academy now consists of 34% women, 18% from underrepresented communities, and 20% from outside the U.S.
The upcoming awards season will feature remarkable star power and renowned filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune Part Two,” featuring Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet.
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