5 min readNew DelhiMar 30, 2022 07:40 AM IST
First published on: Mar 29, 2022 at 10:15 PM IST
The absence of two Indians — Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar — at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles during the Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment, which is The Academy’s tribute to those who passed away in the last 12 months, angered some fans this year. The British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) honoured both legends recently.
The ‘In Memoriam’ montage at the Oscars is one of the most-watched, popular, and examined sections in the ceremony that features images and videos of those who have left an indelible mark in the world of cinema. This year, to the odd choice of Norman Greenbaum’s upbeat ‘Spirit in the Sky’ playing, Sidney Poitier, William Hurt, Olympia Dukakis, Dean Stockwell, and Betty White among others, appeared in the montage.
While about 40-45 names make it to the segment, a slightly longer list is made available on the Academy’s website. While Lata found mention on the 2022 long list that was posted on the website, Dilip Kumar did not. Last year, actors Rishi Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput made it to the list on the website. In 2021, actor Irrfan Khan and costume designer Bhanu Athaiya were honoured in the main montage.
Other significant names that were dropped from the montage this year include the Full House star and comedian Bob Saget, author and screenwriter Anna Rice, actor Ed Asner who was also the former President of the Screen Actors Guild, and Norm McDonald, who had roles in films such as Dr Dolittle, Grown Ups, and Billy Madison among others.
Other significant names that did not make the cut include Willie Garson who starred in Sex and the City and Robert Downey Jr.’s actor-director father Robert Downey Sr.
What is the history of the ‘In Memoriam’ segment?
In 1978, the Golden Jubilee of The Academy presented a special segment that had American singer Sammy Davis Jr crooning ‘Come light the candles’ by composer Marvin Hamlisch along with the memorial montage. In 1994, the ceremony became an annual feature that would honour actors, film crew members, and mostly Hollywood movie executives.
Following The Academy’s decision, the Grammys, the Emmys, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards also began to have their own ‘In Memoriam’ segment.
How does the Academy choose names for the montage?
The process of creating the montage is complex. The producer of the show, Will Packer this year, is not responsible for the ‘In Memoriam’ section and neither for the tickets to the show. This is by design to protect the producer from the deluge of calls and requests for both.
The decision about who makes it to the ‘In Memoriam’ montage is with an executive committee representing every branch of cinema and is created by the Academy. On average, the committee looks at about 500-600 profiles before deciding who makes the cut. In 2018, this list comprised 800 luminaries.
The members of the Committee then pare it down to a more practical number (about 200) which is put out on the website. Then it further whittles it down to about 45 names that can be included in the four-minute segment. Mostly, if the actor was better known for her work in television or on Broadway, the Academy is likely to cut her out.
That said, not all those who have been on the list in the past have been members of the Academy.
Has the Academy missed out on significant names in the past?
Yes, it has. In 2011, at the 83rd Academy Awards, the In Memoriam segment did not include Canadian actor Corey Haim, who was known for popular teen movies of the 80s. In 2014, filmmaker Harold Ramis, 69, and camera assistant Sarah Jones, 27, who was struck by a train in Georgia while working on a biopic of rock musician Gregg Allman, were ignored. In 2020, actor Luke Perry, Michael J Pollard and famed actor and comedian Tim Conway didn’t make it to the montage either.
While most controversies have been about people who are dead, in 2017, the 89th Academy awards included Australian actor Jan Chapman’s photograph next to costume and production designer Janet Patterson’s name in the montage. Chapman was alive. Shortly after the slip-up, Chapman announced that she was “alive and well”. The Academy issued an apology.
In 2020, a statement issued by the Academy tried to address the issue in a limited manner. “The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment. An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time,” it said.
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The British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) honoured both legends recently. (File Photos) 
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