When Bhanu Athaiya was finalised for Richard Attenborough's 'Gandhi' in just '15 minutes'

Today, i.e. April 28, 2021, marks the 91st birthday anniversary of the renowned costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, who will forever be the first-ever Indian to have won an Academy Award. The late designer received the Oscar Award for "Best Costume Design" in prolific filmmaker Richard Attenborough's Gandhi film, which had released back in 1982. However, while it took Richard almost two decades to set up the film, did you know he finalised Bhanu as the costume designer for Gandhi in just 15 minutes?

When Richard Attenborough revealed hiring Bhanu Athaiya for 'Gandhi' in 15 minutes

Late Indian costume designer Bhanu Athaiya's Oscar win made history back in the day as she became the first Indian to be honoured with the prestigious award. She breathed her last at a medical centre in Mumbai on October 15, 2020, at the age of 91 due to brain cancer. As today marks her first birth anniversary post demise last year, the official Instagram handle of the National Film Archive Of India shared an anecdote from the development stage days of the cult period biographical film, Gandhi. 

Earlier today, NFAI shared an excerpt from Bhanu Athaiya's book The Art Of Costume Design on Instagram that revealed how she was finalised for the film by director Richard Attenborough in just 15 minutes. Along with sharing a picture of the book's foreword, NFAI wrote, "Bhanu Athaiya’s sartorial elegance influenced an entire generation in the 60s & 70s. She became the 1st Indian to win an Academy Award for Gandhi (1982). It's her birth anniversary today." The caption also read: 

Richard Attenborough director of Gandhi (1982) wrote in his foreword to Athaiya’s 2010 book 'The Art of Costume Design': “It took me 17 long years to set up Gandhi, my dream film, and just 15 minutes to make up my mind that Bhanu Athaiya was the right person to create the many hundreds of Indian costumes that would be required to bring it to the screen.”

Check out the National Film Archive Of India's Instagram post below:

The list of Bhanu Athaiya's Awards not only includes an Acadamy Award, which she shared with designer John Mollo, but also comprises a BAFTA Award for Gandhi, two National Awards for 1991's Lekin... and 2001's Lagaan. Meanwhile, the 93rd Academy Awards’ In Memoriam section paid tribute to Bhanu after her demise last year. 

Promo Image Source: The Academy Instagram