Oscar Awards

The ceremony for 81st edition of Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, was held on February 22. Slumdog Millionaire, an adaptation of the novel ‘Q & A’ by author and diplomat Vikas Swarup bagged eight awards, the most for any film of 2008. The film, which tracks the journey of an 18- year-old boy from rags-to-riches, was nominated for 10 categories. A. R. Rahman created history by winning 2 awards for the film. He won his first Oscar for Best original Soundtrack and the second one for Best Original Song along with lyricist Gulzar. Rahman thus became the third Indian to receive an Oscar, the others being Bhanu Athaiya and Satyajit Ray. Also, a short film picturised in India won an Oscar for Best Documentary (Short). The film shows the story of a poor girl in rural India whose life is  transformed when she receives free surgery to correct her cleft lip.

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk

Best Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress:Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Score: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song: A.R. Rahman & Gulzar for ‘Jai Ho’, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Mixing: Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke & Ian Tapp, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt & Victor J. Zolfo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Film Editing: Chris  Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Animated Feature: WALLE

Best Documentary Feature: Man on Wire

Best Documentary Short: Smile Pinki

Best Foreign Language Film: Departures (Japanese)