Bhanu Athaiya


Bhanumati Annasaheb Rajopadhye, later Bhanu Athaiya, is an Indian costume designer, having worked in over 100 films, since the 1950s, with filmmakers such Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Ashutosh Gowariker, and international directors such Conrad Rooks and Richard Attenborough.

Biography

Athaiya was born in Kolhapur in Maharashtra. She was the third of the seven children born to Annasaheb and Shantabai Rajopadhye. Athaiya's father, Annasaheb was a painter. He died when Athaiya was nine years old.

Career

Athaiya started her career as a freelance fashion illustrator for various women's magazines in Bombay, including the 'Eve's Weekly'. Later when its editor opened a boutique, she asked Athaiya to try designing dresses, hereupon she discovered her flair for designing clothes. Her success as a designer soon led to her switching career paths. Her career began by designing clothes for Guru Dutt's films, starting with C.I.D.. She soon became a part of the Guru Dutt team.
She made her debut as a film costume designer with the film C.I.D. in 1956, and followed it up with other Guru Dutt films such as Pyaasa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. In her career spanning 50 years she has received numerous awards. She won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work in the 1982 film, Gandhi. She became the first Indian to win an Academy Award. She also won two National Film Awards, in 1991 and 2002.
In March 2010, Athaiya released her book The Art of Costume Design, published by Harper Collins. On 13 January 2013, Athaiya presented a copy of the book to the Dalai Lama.
On 23 February 2012, it was reported that Athaiya wished to return her Academy Award to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences because she felt that her family will not be able to take care of the trophy after her demise. On 15 December 2012, it was confirmed that the trophy had been returned to The Academy.

Awards and nominations

Filmography