In June 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 20 Indian film professionals to join its membership, according to a report published by Scroll. The invitees worked across acting, production, music and technical crafts. The report named them as invitees; it does not establish that all 20 accepted.
Who were the 20 Indian invitees?
Scroll’s June 26, 2018 report listed these people and their film professions:
- Actors: Madhabi Mukherjee, Soumitra Chatterjee, Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Ali Fazal, Anil Kapoor and Tabu.
- Producers: Aditya Chopra and Guneet Monga.
- Music composers: Usha Khanna and Sneha Khanwalker.
- Production designers: Amit Ray and a Mukherjee whose name the article spells inconsistently: “Subroto Mukherjee” in its opening list and “Subrata Mukherjee” later.
- Costume designers: Dolly Ahluwalia and Manish Malhotra.
- Sound designers: Biswadeep Chatterjee and Debajit Changmai.
- Editor: Ballu Saluja.
- Cinematographer: Anil Mehta.
The spelling discrepancy is in the contemporaneous report; it should not be silently resolved without another reliable source.
What the invitations represented
The range of roles shows that the invitation list was not limited to performers. It included people working in production, music, design, sound, editing and cinematography. The invitees’ comments in the report framed the invitations as recognition of Indian filmmaking and a wider opening toward international cinema.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Actor Ali Fazal described it as “one more step towards global cinema, towards one world,” and said he was pleased that the Academy had diversified. Cinematographer Anil Mehta said he saw the move as recognition that cinema comes from many nations and traditions, not only as a personal achievement.
What the 2018 report said about the invitation round
Scroll reported that the Academy invited 928 people from around the world in 2018, describing that round as a record. It also quoted sound designer Resul Pookutty saying that diversity had increased “from 2% to 48% in just the last two years.” These are figures reported in 2018, not independently verified current statistics.
Pookutty described a process involving suggested names, presentations of prospective members’ work, multiple discussions, paperwork, a shortlist and review by the Academy’s board of governors. He said it took “close to eight to nine months.” This is his account as reported at the time, not confirmation of the Academy’s current procedure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Invitation is not the same as confirmed membership
The report documents invitations, not acceptance by each person named. It also described membership terms in 2018: a ten-year term rather than lifetime membership, renewal based on contribution, a $300 fee, voting rights and access to some Academy screenings and information. Those details are historical claims in the article and do not establish current Academy membership rules or benefits.
Scroll also observed that its list did not include invitees from southern film industries. That is the report’s observation about the names it covered, not a complete assessment of representation across Indian cinema.
Quick Recap
Read Scroll’s June 26, 2018 report.
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