Hansal Mehta Takes Sly Dig At Nepotism Row As Hrithik, Senthil & Others Get Oscar Body's Invitation
Eight hundred and nineteen new artistes and executives including Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan and costume designer Neeta Lulla have been invited to join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. According to PTI, if they accept the invitation, they will get have voting rights at the 93rd Academy Awards, scheduled to be held on April 25, 2021.
Reacting to the same, filmmaker Hansal Mehta, who has directed movies like Aligarh, Shahid and Omerta among others, took a sarcastic dig at the prevalent nepotism debate in the industry as he wrote "nepotistic Academy".
Other prominent Indian names who have received invitations include casting director Nandini Shrikent, documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain, Shirley Abraham, Amit Madheshiya, visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal.?
"The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travellers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now," Academy President David Rubin said.
In 2019, the organisation had invited 842 new members which included Indian names such as filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and veteran actor Anupam Kher. Furthermore, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had invited Shah Rukh Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu and Madhuri Dixit in 2018.
