Bhanu Athaiya née Rajopadhye (Marathi: भानु अथैय्या) (April 28, 1926) is Indian cinema's most well-regarded costume designer, having worked in over 100 films, since 1950s, with noted filmmakers like Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Ashutosh Gowariker, and international directors like Conrad Rooks and Richard Attenborough.

She made her debut as a film costume designer with the film C.I.D. in 1956 , and followed it up with other Guru Dutt classics like Pyaasa (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1964). In her career spanning 50 year she has received numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Costume Design (The Oscar), for her work in 1982 film, Gandhi, which made her the first Indian to win an Oscar , and also two National Film Awards, in 1991 and 2002.

She currently resides in Mumbai.

Biography

Bhanu Athaiya was born Bhanumati Annasaheb Rajopadhye in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India on the 28th of April. She was the third of seven children born to Annasaheb and Shantabai Rajopadhye. Annasaheb died when Bhanumati was still nine years old .

Her education in art began early as an art teacher used to come home to teach her drawing. Later after finishing her schooling, she enrolled at Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, where she graduated in fine arts, with top honours, winning the gold medal, a fellowship and was nominated a member of the Progressive Artists' Group, founded by Francis Newton Souza, and which included artists by M. F. Husain and S. H. Raza .

Career

She started her career as a freelance fashion illustrator with various women's magazines in Bombay, including the 'Eve's Weekly' ; later when its editor opened a boutique, she asked Bhanu to try designing dresses, hereupon she discovered her flair for designing clothes, her success as a designer soon led to her switching career paths [6], where Guru Dutt asked her design clothes for his films, start with C.I.D. in 1956, there was no turning back for her from then on, she was soon part of the Guru Dutt team .

A tribute was paid to her body of work at the opening of the South Asian International Film Festival, New York in November 2005 .

Personal life

Bhanu was married to Satyendra Athaiya, a poet and occasional lyricist for Hindi films. The marriage ended in separation, and she never remarried. The couple had one daughter, who currently resides with her family in Kolkata.her family in law belong from aligarh.

Awards 7 nominations

Academy Award

* 1982: Best Costume Design: Gandhi (with John Mollo)

BAFTA Awards

* 1982: Best Costume Design: Gandhi Nominated (with John Mollo)[9]

National Film Award

Best Costume Design:

* 1991: Lekin...
* 2002: Lagaan

Filmfare Awards

* 2009: Lifetime Achievement Award