The grandaward season is finally over with the Oscars 2021 ending on a high note. Films likeNomadland, Minari, Promising Young Woman, Judas, and The Black Messiah wereamong the main headlines of the award ceremony. Amid all this, there was oneheartwarming moment of the evening. In the ‘In Memoriam’ segment of AcademyAwards the authorities paid tribute to the cinema’s shining stars.
Late Bollywoodactor Irrfan Khan and Oscar-winning designer Bhanu Athaiya were the only Indianfilm personalities being honored in the ‘in Memoriam segment showcased atthe 93rd Academy Awards ceremony held today at early morning Monday accordingto Indian Standard time. The two Indian personalities were given a 3-minutelong tribute including other Hollywood actors like Chadwick Boseman, HelenMcCrory and Sean Connery.
In theMemoriam, Slumdog Millionaire actress Frieda Pinto wrote an emotional tributefor her co-star Irrfan. She talked about her experience with the late actor andhow admiring his work is. Frieda said, “ there was simply no one like IrrfanKhan. His grace and dignity along with his monumental talent as an artist,actor-a portrayer of humanity in all its shapes and forms made me not onlyhave deep admiration for him but I instinctively wanted to emulate that gracein my career as well”.
Actor IrrfanKhan passed away in April 2020 at his Mumbai residence at the age of 53 after ahard battle with a tumor. He earned global recognition with his work in ‘thewarrior’, ‘the namesake’, ‘slumdog millionaire’, ‘the amazing spider-man, ‘lifeof pi’, ‘Jurassic world’, and ‘inferno’. Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya is thefirst Indian to win an Oscar for her work in ‘Gandhi’ in 1982. She had won the Oscarjointly with John Mollo. Bhanu passed away at the age of 91 in Mumbai.