India's first Academy Award winner Bhanu Athaiya, who made history on 11 April 1983 by winning the Oscar for Best Costume Design for Lord Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, has passed away, as per a report by Navbharat Times. She was 91.
Bhanu Athaiya was born on 28 April, 1929. She graduated in fine arts from Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai. She was a gold medallist and fellowship winner.
In a career spanning 50 years, Bhanu Athaiya designed costumes for classics such as Pyaasa (1959), Chaudvin Ka Chaand (1960), Sahib, Biwi Aur Ghulam (1969) among others. The last film for which she designed costumes were Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan (2001) and Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades (2004).
She has also won two National Film Awards for her work in Lekin (1991) and Lagaan
Athaiya shared her Oscar with her British counterpart John Mollo and continued to be the only Indian to hold the title for 26 years.
In December 2012, she returned her Oscar to the Academy following a health scare after she was diagnosed with brain tumour.
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