Veteran costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, India's first Oscar winner, dies at 91

Noted costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, 91, India's first Oscar winner, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her Mumbai home on Thursday reportedly after a prolonged illness, confirmed her daughter Radhika to PTI.

Athaiya history when she won the Oscar for Best Costume Design for Lord Richard Attenborough's Gandhi in 1983 along with John Mollo. Besides the Academy award, Athaiya also won two national awards for "Lekin" in 1991 and another for "Lagaan" directed by Ashutosh Gowariker in 2002.

In 2012, it was reported that the veteran designer wished to return the Academy Award to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since she felt her family will not be able to safeguard it after her demise. 

As per reports, Athaiya was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2012 and was bed-ridden for the last three years after she suffered a paralytic attack that affected one side of her body. Her last rites took place at the Chandanwadi crematorium in South Mumbai.

A renowned designer, Athaiya, who began her career designing costumes for Guru Dutt's films, starting with C.I.D, worked in over a hundred films in a career spanning five decades. She collaborated with filmmakers such as Yash Chopra, B. R. Chopra, Vijay Anand among others. 

In a career spanning over 50 years, Bhanu Athaiya designed costumes for several films including Pyaasa, Chaudvin Ka Chaand, Sahib, Biwi Aur Ghulam among others. 

The last film for which she designed costumes was Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades (2004).