Who was Bhanu Athaiya, costume designer who won India's first Oscar?

Bhanu Rajopadhye Athaiya, a costume designer who became India’s first Oscar winner for her work in Richard Attenborough’s, Gandhi (1982), and whose chic couture in blockbusters like Waqt (1965) blazed fashion trends, passed away in Mumbai on Thursday

She was bedridden in recent years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2012, her family said.  Athaiya was renowned for designing costumes for top filmmakers in a career that spanned nearly five decades.

As reported by BBC, She was born in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.  Athaiya was one of seven children. Her father was a self-taught artist and photographer who worked in the productions of Indian filmmaker Baburao Painter.

As a teenager, she travelled to Mumbai, where she started her career as a freelance fashion illustrator for women’s magazines while learning to paint at art schools.  She began designing costumes for films in the 1950s.

Bhanu Athaiya made her debut in 1953, designing costumes for Kamini Kaushal in Shahenshah and Aas.

She followed it up with Guru Dutt’s CID (1956), and went on to become a part of his core team, doing Pyaasa in 1957, Chaudhvin Ka Chand in 1960, and Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam in 1962. Her other popular projects include Brahmachari (1968), Guide (1965), Agneepath (1990), Lagaan (2001) and Swades (2004).