The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 28 invited 397 eminent personalities to join the class of 2022. Actor Suriya of Jai Bhim and Soorarai Pottru fame, Kajol of My Name Is Khan, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, etc., Reema Kagti co-writer of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Talaash, Gully Boy will represent India this year. Suriya, Kajol, Reema Kagti, Sushmit Ghosh, and Rintu Thomas will be joining other Indian diasporas like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Ekta Kapoor, Amir Khan, Aditya Chopra, Shobha Kapoor, and Guneet Monga who are already a part of the distinguished board members of Oscar Academy. The fans of Kajol and Suriya are delighted with such overwhelming news.
The 2022 invitees consist of 71 Oscar nominees and 15 winners, of which women represent 44% of the total and 37% from underrepresented communities. According to reports, the 2016 diversification drive was meant to double the representation of women and underrepresented communities by 2020. The number of members has exceeded 10,000 with the new nominations. Posting a picture of Kajol, Ajay Devgan praised her and wrote, “Congratulations to Kajol for being invited on the Oscars panel. Feeling ecstatic and incredibly proud. Also, congrats to all the other invitees.”
The new members of the Oscar include several artists and executives with notable contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Kajol and Suriya are included in the panel for their massive and outstanding contributions to acting and production in Indian cinema. Suriya’s Jai Bhim and Soorarai Pottru, released on Amazon Prime Video, fetched international recognition and reached a wider audience. Jai Bhim has also competed for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar this year but failed to get a nomination. However, Writing with Fire, Sushmit Ghosh, and Rintu Thomas’s film was nominated for this year’s Best Documentary Feature Oscar.
