Vishal Bhardwaj, Deepa Bhatia, Joseph Patel and More Indian and Indian-Origin Artists Among The Academy’s 2026 Membership Invitees

 

Clockwise from top left, Vishal Bhardwaj, Eka Lakhani, Deepa Bhatia and Joseph Patel.
(Caption/Credits Below)

The 2026 membership class reflects a growing Indian and Indian-origin presence inside the Academy’s voting body, with invitees spanning music, editing, costume design, documentary, animation, production technology and visual effects.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 529 artists and executives to join its 2026 membership class, and among the global roster is a notable group of Indian and Indian-origin film professionals whose work reaches far beyond the usual awards-season spotlight.

The new invitees include Vishal Bhardwaj, Deepa Bhatia, A. Sreekar Prasad, Eka Lakhani, Dilip Shankar, Avneet Kaur, Sajan Skaria, Shalini Kantayya, Joseph Patel, Becky Graham, Rajesh Ramachandran and Jay Mehta. Taken together, the names tell a broader story about Indian creative presence in the Academy — one that runs through music, editing, costume design, casting, animation, documentary, production technology and visual effects.

Bhardwaj, one of India’s most distinctive filmmaker-composers, has been invited in the Music branch, with the Academy citing his work on “Crazxy” and “Gustaakh Ishq.” In the Film Editors branch, Deepa Bhatia is recognized for “Skater Girl” and “Taare Zameen Par,” while veteran editor A. Sreekar Prasad is listed for “RRR” and “Dil Chahta Hai,” titles that speak to the range and reach of Indian cinema, from intimate storytelling to global blockbuster visibility.

The craft categories are also strongly represented. Costume designer Eka Lakhani, whose credits include “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani” and “Chekka Chivantha Vaanam,” joins the class alongside casting director Dilip Shankar, recognized for “Last Film Show” and Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding.” In animation, Avneet Kaur is listed for “Moana 2” and “Raya and the Last Dragon,” while Sajan Skaria is recognized for “Luca” and “Toy Story 4,” placing Indian-origin creative talent inside some of the most widely seen animated films of recent years.

The Documentary branch includes Shalini Kantayya, known for “TikTok, Boom.” and “Coded Bias,” and Joseph Patel, listed for “SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” and “Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).” Their inclusion points to another powerful lane of representation: nonfiction storytelling shaped by artists who have brought sharp cultural, political and historical perspectives to the screen.

The Visual Effects branch also includes Becky Graham, whose credits include “Death on the Nile” and “Bhoot: Part One – The Haunted Ship,” and Jay Mehta, listed for “Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms” and “Maharshi.” Rajesh Ramachandran was invited in Production and Technology, further extending the India-linked presence into the technical and production infrastructure behind global filmmaking.

The Academy membership is tied to the body that votes on the Oscars, and each new class changes the shape of that electorate. With Indian and Indian-origin names appearing across several branches, the 2026 class points to a growing presence for Indian creative voices inside the Academy’s voting community. The shift is especially meaningful because it is not concentrated in one branch or one kind of visibility; it reflects a wider creative footprint, from internationally known film artists to the editors, designers, documentarians, animators and effects artists whose work helps shape the films that eventually enter awards conversations.

This year’s class also includes several high-profile names from film and television, among them Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, Julia Garner, Mia Goth, Simu Liu, Josh Gad, Jon Bernthal, Anthony Ramos, Teyana Taylor, Stephen Fry, Sara Bareilles, and filmmakers Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie.

For Indian cinema watchers, the announcement is another reminder that the country’s relationship with the Academy is no longer limited to a single awards-season moment. It is also being written in the editing room, the scoring stage, the costume department, the animation pipeline, the documentary space and the visual effects houses where global cinema is increasingly made.

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Photo caption:
Indian and Indian-origin artists and creatives invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 2026 membership class include, clockwise from top left, Vishal Bhardwaj, Eka Lakhani, Deepa Bhatia and Joseph Patel.

Photo credits:
Vishal Bhardwaj: Bollywood Hungama / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons; Eka Lakhani: Rediff.com, photographer credit not listed on source page; Joseph Patel: John Shearer / Getty Images, via Entertainment Weekly; Deepa Bhatia: Deepa Bhatia Twitter, via The New Indian Express.