Vidya Balan and Ekta Kapoor among new invitees at The Academy, eligible to vote for Oscars

Actress Vidya Balan, and producers Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor are among the 395 new members of artists and executives who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed a long list of new members, and they added Vidya and Ekta to their list for the stupendous contributions by the two ladies in the field of cinema and art. By joining the other eminent personalities, the invitees will be eligible to vote for the Oscars as well. 

Vidya Balan, Ekta Kapoor among 365 new invitees by The Academy

Vidya Balan was recognised for her performances in Tumhari Sulu and Kahaani. Ekta Kapoor has been recognised for Dream Girl and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, while her mother Shobha has been recognised for Udta Punjab and The Dirty Picture. Other actors who've been invited to join The Academy include Robert Pattinson, Laverne Cox, Vanessa Kirby, Steven Yeun, and others. The directors who've been invited include Cathy Yan, Jonathan Glazer, and more.

According to Variety, the 2021 class, comprises 46% women, 39% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 53% international from 50 countries. The official Twitter handle of The Academy posted the list of other stars along with their films while announcing the names. “It’s time to announce our new members! Meet the Class of 2021. #WeAreTheAcademy,” they wrote.       

This year, the Academy has invited 395 people in comparison to last year when it invited 819 members. The Academy said in a statement, “To enable steady future growth and to ensure the necessary infrastructure, staff resources, and environment to support all Academy members, the number invited to membership was limited to roughly half that of recent years.” Last year, Last year’s class included actors Alia Bhatt, documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain and Amit Madheshiya, designer Neeta Lulla, casting director Nandini Shrikent, visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal.

IMAGE: EKTAKAPOOR/BALANVIDYA/Instagram/AP