The first-ever Oscar winner of India, Bhanu Athaiya dies at the age of 91

Veteran Costume Designer, Bhanu Athaiya, the first Indian to win an Oscar award passed away at 91 years of age.

The first-ever Oscar winner of India, costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, has expired. According to her daughter, she was suffering from illness for a very long time and she finally took her last breath on Thursday, i.e. 15th October. Radhika Gupta, daughter of the demised, spoke to Press Trust of India where she said that her mother succumbed peacefully in her sleep.

According to her daughter, Bhanu Athaiya was diagnosed with brain tumour eight years ago and has been bedridden since the past three years as one side of her whole body was paralyzed. She was quoted saying to PTI, “She passed away early this morning. Eight years ago, she was diagnosed with a tumour in her brain. For the last three years, she was bedridden because one side (of her body) was paralysed.” Her last rites were performed in South Mumbai at the Chandanwadi crematorium.

Advertisement

Bhanu Athaiya is the winner of the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi along with John Mollo. She was born in Kolhapur and started her career of designing costumes with Guru Dutt’s 1956 film C.I.D. She has also worked with some of the top filmmakers over the years, which including Yash Chopra, B. R. Chopra, Vijay Anand. She has designed costumes for various films which including Lagaan, Pyaasa, Chaudvin Ka Chaand, Sahib, Biwi Aur Ghulam, and many more such classics of the Indian Film Industry. She is also an author of a book titled ‘The Art Of Costume Design’. In the year 2012, Bhanu Athaiya had returned her trophy to the Academy, saying that her family would not be able to take care of it after her demise, hence she wanted to return the trophy.

 

Photo Courtesy – www.digihunt.in