Costume
designer
Bhanu
Athaiya,
India's
first
Oscar
Award-winner
for
her
work
in
Richard
Attenborough's
Gandhi
(1982),
died
at
the
age
of
91
today
(October
15).
According
to
her
daughter
Radhika
Gupta,
Bhanu
Athaiya
peacefully
passed
away
in
her
sleep
after
prolonged
illness.
She
had
been
diagnosed
with
brain
tumour
in
2012,
and
was
paralysed
on
one
side
of
the
body
since
2017.
Radhika
Gupta
told
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."
Bhanu
Athaiya
was
born
on
28
April
1929
in
Kolhapur,
Maharashtra,
as
Bhanu
Rajopadhye.
She
began
her
career
as
a
fashion
illustrator
for
women's
magazines
in
Mumbai
(then
Bombay).
The
editor
of
one
such
magazine,
Eve's
Weekly,
introduced
her
to
designing
clothes
for
her
boutique.
There
was
no
looking
back
for
Bhanu
Athaiya
since
then.
She
began
her
costume
design
career
with
the
1956
Dev
Anand
film
C.I.D.,
produced
by
Guru
Dutt.
She
became
a
part
of
Guru
Dutt's
team
and
designed
for
his
iconic
films
such
as
Pyaasa
(1957),
Chaudhvin
Ka
Chand
(1960)
and
Sahib
Bibi
Aur
Ghulam
(1962).
In
1983,
Bhanu
Athaiya
won
the
Academy
Award
for
Best
Costume
Design
for
Richard
Attenborough's
iconic
film
Gandhi,
sharing
the
honour
with
John
Mollo.
In
2012,
around
the
same
time
she
fell
it,
she
returned
her
Oscar
trophy
to
The
Academy
of
Motion
Picture
Arts
and
Sciences
for
safe-keeping.
In
a
career
spanning
five
decades,
Bhanu
Athaiya
worked
in
over
100
films
and
most
of
them
went
on
to
be
hits
or
cult
films.
Starting
with
Guru
Dutt
films,
she
went
on
to
design
for
renowned
filmmakers
in
films
like
Waqt
and
Guide
(both
1965),
Brahmachari
(1968),
Mera
Naam
Joker
and
Johny
Mera
Naam
(both
1970),
Shalimar
and
Satyam
Shivam
Sundaram:
Love
Sublime
(both
1978),
Mr.
Natwarlal
(1979),
Prem
Rog
and
Gandhi
(both
1982),
Ram
Teri
Ganga
Maili
(1985),
Chandni
(1989),
Agneepath
and
Lekin
(1990),
1942:
A
Love
Story
(1993),
Dr.
Babasaheb
Ambedkar
(2000)
and
Lagaan:
Once
Upon
a
Time
in
India
(2001),
among
others.
Bhanu
Athaiya
won
two
National
Film
Awards
for
Best
Costume
Design
-
one
for
Lekin,
produced
by
legendary
singer
Lata
Mangeshkar,
directed
by
Gulzar
and
starring
Dimple
Kapadia,
and
the
other
for
Aamir
Khan's
Lagaan,
directed
by
Ashutosh
Gowariker.
She
also
designed
for
Gowariker's
Swades
(2004)
starring
Shah
Rukh
Khan
and
Gayatri
Joshi.
Bhanu
Athaiya
also
authored
a
book,
The
Art
of
Costume
Design,
in
March
2010.
She
was
honoured
with
the
Filmfare
Lifetime
Achievement
Award
in
2009
and
the
Laadli
Lifetime
Achievement
Award
in
2013.
Celeb
Condolences
Filmmaker
Boney
Kapoor
led
the
Hindi
film
industry
in
mourning
the
loss.
He
tweeted,
"Bhanu
Athiya
was
the
First
Indian
to
win
an
Oscar
in
1983.
Her
achievements
brought
glory
to
Indian
cinema
and
Pride
to
the
entire
Country.
Was
blessed
to
have
her
for
our
film
#Prem.
She
will
always
be
an
inspiration
to
all
costume
designers
n
stylists.
#RIPBhanuAthiya."
(sic)
Lata
Mangeshkar
remembered
her
contribution
in
Lekin.
She
tweeted
in
Hindi,
"Oscar
puraskar
se
sammanit
mashhoor
costume
designer
Bhanu
Athaiya
ji
ka
aaj
swargwas
hua.
Sunke
mujhe
bahut
dukh
hua.
Gandhi
film
ke
liye
unhe
Oscar
se
sammanit
kiya
gaya
tha.
Unhone
hamari
Picture
Lekin
ke
liye
bhi
costume
Designing
ki
thi.
Ishwar
unki
aatma
ko
shanti
de."
Fashion
designer
Neeta
Lulla,
who
designs
for
Bollywood,
said
in
her
Instagram
Stories,
"You
will
be
missed
Bhanuji.
#rip".
Singer
Adnan
Sami
tweeted,
"India's
first
Oscar
winner,
Costume
designer
Bhanu
Athaiya
has
passed
away
in
Mumbai
after
a
prolonged
illness.
She
got
her
Oscar
for
the
legendary
film
'Gandhi'.
She
made
India
proud.
May
she
rest
in
peace.
My
heartfelt
condolences
to
her
family.
RIP.
BhanuAthaiya".
Actor
Randhir
Kapoor
told
ETimes
exclusively,
"She
has
worked
in
many
RK
banner
films.
She
was
a
very
fine
technician
who
designed
very
authentic
clothes
for
the
type
of
films
which
set
in
a
particular
period.
Whether
they
were
old
period
films
or
a
modern
film
her
dresses
were
true
to
the
period
very
good
and
unique."
Designers
Abu
Jani
and
Sandeep
Khosla
told
ETimes
exclusively,
"Bhanu
Athaiya
was
an
absolute
legend.
An
extraordinarily
gifted,
highly
original,
pathbreaker
in
the
field
of
Costume
Design.
She
was
the
first
Indian
to
receive
an
Academy
Award
for
her
work
in
Gandhi.
For
us,
we
remember
her
for
her
exceptional
work
in
Guru
Dutt's
cinema.
Bhanu
is
a
personal
icon.
Way
ahead
of
her
time,
we
cherish
her
work
and
pay
homage
to
this
exceptional
lady.
What
a
life.
What
an
example
for
us
all."
Condolences
to
the
family
of
Bhanu
Athaiya.
With
inputs
from
Shweta
Parande.
Photo
credit:
The
Academy.