India’s first Academy Award winner Bhanu Athaiya has passed away at the age of 91. She made history when she won the Oscar for Best Costume Design for Lord Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi in 1983.
Her daughter Radhika confirmed that she passed away in her sleep this morning. She added that she had slight fever and cough and was taking antibiotics and Which was the sign of pneumonia.
Bhanu Athaiya worked with all top filmmakers in her career spanning more than 5 decades including Oscar nominated film ‘Lagaan’. She designed costumes for films like ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Chaudvin Ka Chaand’ ‘Kagaz Ke Phool’, ‘Waqt’, ‘Raat Aur Din’, ‘Guide’, ‘Teesri Manzil’, ‘Johny Mera Naam’, ‘Karz’, ‘Ek Duuje Ke Liye’, ‘Razia Sultan’, ‘Agneepath’, ‘Ajooba’ and ‘1942 – A Love Story’ and others.
The last film for which she designed costumes was Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Swades.
May the departed soul rest in peace . Om Shanti .
