Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan and costume designer Bhanu Athaiya were among late screen icons who were paid tribute at the 93rd Academy Awards on Monday along with Sean Connery, Christopher Plummer and Chadwick Boseman. The tribute, in the form of a video clip, paid homage to artistes who passed away during the past year, including actors, writers, directors, and technicians. Oscar nominee Angela Bassett gave a speech with the tribute.
“It was a year of profound loss in so many ways. At the Academy, we remember these accomplished filmmakers and artists,” read a statement by the Academy. Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian to win an Oscar, for her work in Sir Richard Attenborough’s much-feted classic of 1982, “Gandhi”. She won the Oscar jointly with John Mollo. Athaiya was 91 when she passed away at her residence in Mumbai after prolonged illness last year on October 16. Athaiya had also won a BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design for the film. In 2012, Athaiya returned her Oscar to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for safe keeping. Irrfan, who passed away last year in Mumbai at the age of 53 after a two-year battle with neuroendocrine tumour, earned global recognition with his work in projects such as “The Warrior”, “The Namesake”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “Life Of Pi”, “Jurassic World” and “Inferno”. He passed away on April 29 last year.
