Oscars 2022 And The South Asian Shebang!
The Oscars 2022 slapgate has taken over everything else that happened at the event. But we simply cannot overlook the South Asians who put their best foot forward and won the golden award.
Leading the way is, of course, Riz Ahmed. The 94th Academy Award saw British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed become the first Muslim to win the Academy Award for the best live-action short film, “The Long Goodbye,” which he co-wrote with Aneil Karia. As he accepted his first-ever Oscar, Ahmed said, “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’. This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace.”
“The Long Goodbye” incorporates music from Ahmed’s album. Ahmed also stars in the film, which depicts a South Asian family in suburban London — in the distant future, or perhaps chillingly in the present — as they prepare for a celebration. But what begins as a lighthearted look at a close-knit family gathering quickly turns sinister as news reports begin depicting scenes of violence and an all-white militia, aided by the police force, knocks on the family’s door. The short movie culminates in a searing monologue from Ahmed, which is a terrifying look at an everyday nightmare for members of certain marginalized communities.
Best Documentary Feature goes to 'Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).' Congratulations #Oscars pic.twitter.com/4RRClS7VVZ
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 28, 2022
Following closely on their heels was Joseph Patel, producer, writer, director, and executive whose origins can be traced back to Baroda in Gujarat. He co-produced the full-length documentary feature “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” which won the Oscars for the Best Documentary Feature award.
And creating a media frenzy was Priyanka Chopra, who threw a grand Oscars 2022 party for all the South Asian artists who were nominated along with friends and family.
The event, organized for the South Asian Oscar nominees, was co-hosted by Mindy Kaling, Kumail Nanjiani, Anjula Acharia, Bela Bajaria, Maneesh K Goyal, and Shruti Ganguly. Calling it special honor, Priyanka wrote, “A pre-Oscar celebration honoring this year’s 10 South Asian Oscar nominees, and the friends, family, and colleagues who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make all of this possible. Last night gave me all the feels and filled me with so much pride for how far our community has come. The future of entertainment is looking bright.”
We couldn’t agree more!
