India, June 27 -- Indian costume designer and celebrity stylist Eka Lakhani has added another major achievement to her career after receiving an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organisation behind the Oscars. For Indian cinema, it is another proud moment as more homegrown talent continues to gain recognition on one of the biggest international platforms. Eka Lakhani's invitation comes more than four decades after legendary costume designer Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian to win an Academy Award for Gandhi in 1983.

She also joins a steadily expanding group of Indian film professionals who are now Academy members. The list includes Vishal Bhardwaj, Deepa Bhatia, Dilip Shankar, A. Sreeka...