The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 819 artists and executives to join their voting body, to improve the organisation's diversity. On Tuesday, the Academy revealed the list, in which Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Hrithik Roshan were included.
Reacting to the news, filmmaker Hansal Mehta gave a sarcastic response. He took to his Twitter account and wrote, "Nepotistic Academy." The news received a mixed response from netizens on social media, while many backed Hrithik being a part of the list because of his talent and decades of experience, several others questioned the reason behind Alia's involvement, her experience and skill set. However, fans came forward to show support for the Highway actress and said she deserved the recognition. One user wrote, "Haters Will Hate, We are proud of you girl." The original tweet that Hansal Mehta re-tweeted read, "Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan, casting director Nandini Shrikent, Neeta Lulla, Shirley Abraham, Amit Madheshiya, Nishtha Jain, Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal (visual effects), Sabrina Dhawan, V Senthil Kumar feature in @TheAcademy's invitee list." Apart from Alia and Hrithik, other prominent Indian names to receive invitations are costume designer Neeta Lulla, casting director Nandini Shrikent, documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain, Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya, visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal and others. Academy president David Rubin said, "The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travellers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now." The artists who will accept the invitation will have the voting rights for the 93rd Academy Awards, which will be held in April 2021. The new invitees reportedly are from 68 countries and have 36% people of colour and 45% women. Hansal Mehta's Tweet
Alia And Hrithik Are Among 819 Invitees From 68 Countries
Oscar 2021 Will Take Place In April 2021