SS Rajamouli at the Golden Globes. (courtesy: rrrmovie,
New Delhi:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced that it has sent out invitations to 487 new members to join the Class of 2024, which includes notable Indian celebrities such as SS Rajamouli, Shabana Azmi, Rama Rajamouli, Ritesh Sidhwani, and more. These invitees include 71 Oscar nominees, including 19 winners. Apart from the celebrities mentioned, invitations were also sent to cinematographer Ravi Varman, filmmaker Rima Das, and Natu Natu Choreographer Prem Rakshith. If all the invitees accept the invitation, the total membership of the Academy will rise to 10,910, with over 9,000 eligible to vote.
According to Press release of the AcademyThe Class of 2024 will be 44% women, 41% from underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and represent 56 countries and territories outside of the United States.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang expressed their excitement, saying, “We are thrilled to welcome this year’s new members to the Academy. These remarkably talented artists and professionals from around the world have made a significant impact on our filmmaking community.”
Invitees from multiple branches will need to select a branch when accepting membership.
On the work front, SS Rajamouli’s next directorial project stars superstar Mahesh Babu in the lead role and is said to be a jungle adventure. RRR which created history by winning the Best Original Song for its track Natu Natu at the Oscars 2023. The film starred Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn.
On the other hand, Shabana Azmi was last seen in GhoomarShe also starred in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, which hits theatres in 2023. Starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, the film also featured Jaya Bachchan and Dharmendra.
