News Desk : On Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Pictures Art and Science announced that total 526 people are invited to join Oscar voting body, in which, filmmaker and composer Vishal Bhardwaj is among six Indians who has been invited to join the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body responsible for voting for the Oscars.

The Academy announced invitations to 529 artists and executives from across the global film industry.Vishal Bhardwaj is the most high-profile name invited from India by the Academy this year. The invitees include Vishal Bhardwaj, editors A. Sreekar Prasad and Deepa Bhatia, costume designer Eka Lakhani, casting director Dilip Shankar and animator Avneet Kaur. A. Sreekar Prasad is widely known for  editing the Oscar-winning RRR, while Deepa Bhatia has worked on acclaimed films including Taare Zameen Par and Kai Po Che!. Eka Lakhani has earned recognition for her costume work in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Ponniyin Selvan: I.

If all new members accept their invitations, the film academy will number 11,319, with 10,338 voting members. This almost doubles the number of Academy members from ten years ago with international representation continuing to expand.

The inclusion of six Indian film professionals highlights the growing global recognition of Indian cinema and its talent. The 99th Academy Awards will be held on March 14, 2027, with Conan O'Brien returning as host for the third consecutive year.