Oscar Glory, US Prez Bids, Michelin Star: Big Moments for South Asians in 2023

From Oscar wins to Indians in the US presidential race, here are the big moments for South Asians in 2023.

From left: Ajay Banga, Deepika Padukone, Vivek Ramaswamy. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Deepika Padukone was one of the presenters at this year's Academy Awards. Ahead of the live performance of the RRR song 'Naatu Naatu', Padukone introduced the track. "It plays during a pivotal scene in RRR. In addition to being sung in Telugu and illustrating the film's anti-colonialist themes, it's also a total banger. Do you know Naatu? You're about to," she said.

Comedian Meera Syal received a BAFTA Fellowship in honour of her "outstanding achievement" in the TV industry on 14 May. When Syal was presented with the award, she placed a bindi on the Bafta and said it "represents change".

Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy began his 2024 presidential campaign on 21 February as a candidate in the Republican primary. The 38-year-old formally announced his candidacy at the Tucker Carlson Tonight show.

Mumbai-born chef Garima Arora was bestowed with the coveted Michelin Star for the second time at an event at the Michelin Guide ceremony in Thailand on 13 December.

Former South Carolina Governor and member of the Republican Party Nikki Haley announced her bid to run for US president on 14 February. "I'm Nikki Haley, and I'm running for President,” the 51-year-old said in a video message.

SS Rajamouli's magnum opus RRR won the Oscar for 'Best Original Song' for 'Naatu Naatu' and Kartiki Gonsalves' documentary short The Elephant Whisperers won in the 'Best Documentary Short Film' category. 

The British government proposed the name of India-born media executive Samir Shah as the preferred candidate to assume the role of new BBC chairman. With over four decades of experience in TV production and journalism, the 71-year-old is a recipient of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. 

The 65th Grammy Awards was a monumental night for artists with roots in South Asia. While Indian-origin composer Ricky Kej won a Grammy for his album Divine Tides, British Indian Anoushka Shankar, Pakistani Singh Arooj Aftab, and the Berklee Indian Ensemble earned prestigious nominations and critical acclaim.

Pakistani-origin politician Humza Yousaf won the Scottish National Party leadership contest on 27 March and become the First Minister of Scotland, replacing Nicola Sturgeon. 

Comedian Vir Das won the International Emmy Award for his stand-up special Vir Das: Landing in the category of best comedy.

Prominent Indian-American mathematician and statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishnan Rao was awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, the industry equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for his historical work in statistical theory, which revolutionised statistical thinking.

Indian-origin business executive Ajay Banga assumed the post of World Bank president on 2 June for a five-year-term after being nominated for the post by the Joe Biden-led US administration. 

At the age of 14, Bangladeshi-American Kairan Quazi became the youngest person to be employed by Elon Musk's Space X as a software engineer. 

A Burberry ad showcasing their children's collection featured a Sikh child in a Burberry jacket and a black turban. 

Nepal scripted history on 29 November by registering the country’s first same-sex marriage in the Lamjung district. This came after the country's apex court gave approval for the same in an interim verdict. 

Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa was the runner-up in the FIDE World Cup, having been defeated by world number 1 Magnus Carlsen.