Watch Bhanu Athaiya's winning speech at the 1983 Oscars: ' This is too good to be true'
Bhanu Athaiya
Veteran costume designer Bhanu Athaiya breathed her last on Thursday leaving behind a huge body of work.
The first Indian to win an Oscar, Bhanu Athaiya was 91 and was reportedly unwell for the last few years.
In 1983, Athaiya along with John Mollo won the Oscar for costume design for Sir Richard Attenborough’s biopic 'Gandhi' (1982).
Dressed in a shimmery blue saree, Athaiya elegantly walked up the stage to receive the award and said, "This is too good to be true. “Thank you, Sir Richard Attenborough, for focusing world attention on India.”
Watch the video here:
Athaiya was considered a stalwart in her field and had dressed some very prominent actors in iconic films. Some of her costumes became trend setters later. More recently, she had worked with Ashutosh Gowarikar in 'Lagaan' and 'Swades'.
