A Brief History of Indian Oscar Triumphs

Following a double win at this year’s Academy Awards on Sunday, Indians around the world have been celebrating the historic triumph as a symbol of long overdue international recognition. “India is elated and proud,” Prime Minister Narenda Modi tweeted in response to “Naatu Naatu” winning the Oscar for Best Original Song. “The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global,” he added, “It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come.”

M.M. Keeravani, the composer behind the song that has already amassed 125 million views on YouTube, expressed his pride after the award ceremony. “For the world, particularly the Western world, folks are more on India and Asian music. It’s just long due. I feel very happy to open doors and the world to embrace my culture,” Keeravani said. “Naatu Naatu” is the first song from an Indian film to win the Best Original Song category, although it’s not the first Indian song to win the prestigious prize. Back in 2009, A.R. Rahman and Gulzar won an Oscar for “Jai Ho” that appeared in Slumdog Millionaire – a British production.

This year’s second win was for the short documentary “The Elephant Whisperers”, a portrait of a poor couple in Tamil Nadu and their bond with a baby elephant. Made by Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga, the documentary was the first Indian film to win an Oscar. “Yesterday was powerful and historic as two women from India stood on the Oscars stage, lauded for their work,” Guneet Monga wrote on Instagram the day after, dedicating the win to her country. “This is for my beautiful, diverse country, India,” she wrote.

For a country that takes immense pride in its film industry, India has enjoyed very little recognition at what is widely considered the pinnacle of cinema and film. The following chart provides a brief history of Indian Oscar triumphs, which are now adding up to six when excluding honorary awards and awards for technical achievements.