Veteran actor Kamal Haasan, Cannes Grand Prix-winning filmmaker Payal Kapadia and Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana are among the Indians invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year.
Representing India alongside Haasan, Kapadia and Khurrana are Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Smriti Mundra, costume designer Maxima Basu, cinematographer Ranabir Das, and casting director Tess Joseph.
Upon accepting the prestigious invitation, they will gain voting rights for the Oscar-nominated films at the upcoming Academy Awards.
The Academy Thursday unveiled its latest list of invitees, which includes a diverse mix of 534 professionals from the global film industry. Other notable names on the list include actors Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin, Lol Crawley, Ariana Grande, Sebastian Stan and Brandi Carlile.
Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the Oscars in the past, have also been invited. The list also includes Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian filmmaker who was picked up by Israeli forces days after his film won an Oscar. Brady Corbet, Coralie Fargeat, Maha Haj, Magnus von Horn and Gints Zilbalodis are also among the invitees.
Welcoming the new members, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang issued a joint statement: “We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy. Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.”
The invitations span 19 branches within the Academy, including acting, directing, cinematography, and casting. Membership selection is based on professional merit, body of work, and industry impact.
This year’s list continues The Academy’s recent push toward inclusivity and global representation. Of the 534 invitees, 41 per cent are women, 45 per cent hail from underrepresented communities, and 55 per cent are from 60 countries and territories outside the United States.
With the inclusion of the new class, The Academy’s total global membership will surpass 11,000.
The 97th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held on March 15, 2026, with talk show host and comedian Conan O’Brien confirmed as the host. The voting for Oscar nominations will take place from January 12 to January 16, with the final list of nominees to be revealed on January 22.