RRR Director SS Rajamouli, Shabana Azmi, Ritesh Sidhwani Among The Academy's 487 Members for 2024

Several stars including RRR director SS Rajamouli and Shabana Azmi have been added as the new members of The Academy. On Tuesday, the organisation behind the Oscar Awards announced they have added several Indian filmmakers and stars. The organisation announced that they have chosen the new members based on ‘professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity.’ This year’s new members include 19 winners.

Eight members from the Indian film industry have been added as the new members of The Academy. These include actor Shabana Azmi, RRR director SS Rajamouli, Village Rockstars director Rima Das, RRR costume designer Rama Rajamouli, Gangubai Kathiawadi costume designer Sheetal Sharma, To Kill a Tiger director Nisha Pahuja, Among the Believers director Hemal Trivedi and Gully Boy co-producer Ritesh Sidhwani.

Other international members include 2024 Oscar winners Da’Vine Joy Randolph from The Holdovers, 20 Days in Mariupol director Mstyslav Chernov, War Is Over! The Zone of Interest sound duo Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn, the Godzilla Minus One VFX team Tatsuji Nojima, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Takashi Yamazaki; American writer-director Cord Jefferson; and Anatomy of a Fall writing duo Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. The list also includes Killers of the Flower Moon Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone, John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski, and the Past Lives trio of Celina Song, Greta Lee and Teo Yoo.

“We are thrilled to welcome this year’s class of new members to the Academy. These remarkably talented artists and professionals from around the world have made a significant impact on our filmmaking community,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said.

Deadline reported The Academy has opened the door wider this year. In 2023, the organisation invited 398 members to be a part of The Academy. However, it has seen a sharp rise with its 487 new members list. “The 2024 class is made up of 44% who identify as women, while 41% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 56% are from 56 countries and territories outside U.S. A total of 71 Oscar nominees and 19 winners are among the invitees to AMPAS’ 19 branches,” the report mentioned.