The Academy invites six Indians to be members

Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Anupam Kher are among the 842 new members invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in its latest push to become more inclusive.Kher has starred in Hollywood films such as Hotel Mumbai and The Big Sick while Akhtar, who has been invited in the Directors’ branch, most recently directed Gully Boy. Kashyap has been invited in the Short Films and Feature Animation branch. Lunchbox writer-director Ritesh Batra is also a part of the new invitees’ list.In the Visual Effects branch, Sherry Bharda of Hichki fame and Srinivas Mohan, best known for his work on 2.0 and Baahubali: The Beginning, have been invited. Chennai-based visual effects supervisor Srinivas Mohan, best known for his work on blockbusters like Endhiran, 2.0 and Baahubali: The Beginning is excited about getting an invite from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to join its ranks. “This is a huge privilege to have been invited to be a member of The Academy and I am extremely happy about it. It just means that I have more responsibility and I am hoping to see a lot more good work from around the world,” says Srinivas Mohan, who also credits the support he has received from directors like Shankar and SS Rajamouli throughout his career. “The creative challenges that they have thrown at me have always pushed me to do better,” he says.