Raavan intern to Academy invite: Costume designer Eka Lakhani reflects on her journey

Fresh off her Academy invitation, costume designer Eka Lakhani speaks to India Today about the surprise honour, her journey in cinema, Bhanu Athaiya's legacy, and why Indian craftsmanship is finally earning global recognition.

In Short

• Guneet Monga’s message prompted her to check the invitee list late
• She said she still does not know how invitees are selected
• Bhanu Athaiya’s Oscar-winning journey remained a long-standing source of inspiration

Fresh off her invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, costume designer Eka Lakhani spoke to India Today about waking up to the unexpected honour, her journey in cinema, and why Indian craftsmanship is finally getting the global recognition it deserves.

She said she is still trying to process the list of invitees unveiled recently. It took congratulatory messages, a late-night search for the official list, and finally spotting her own name before the enormity of the moment truly sank in.

"I got a message saying, 'Welcome to the Academy' from Guneet Monga, and honestly, I had no idea what that meant. I Googled it and thought, 'Oh okay, that's cool.' It really didn't hit me at that time. Only after more people started messaging me did I realise what it meant," she said with a laugh.

Lakhani added that, like many others, she is still unaware of how artists and technicians are selected for these invitations.

"I actually started asking people because I was curious myself. I have no idea how this happens. I never applied, so I don't know what the process is or how the connection happened. I am sure it has something to do with members who are already a part of the Academy. I believe that maybe my body of work ticked some boxes, which eventually got me a seat at the table. I am extremely grateful and extremely excited."

Bhanu Athaiya's legacy and the journey into films

For Lakhani, the invitation also carries an emotional connection to the woman who paved the way for Indian costume designers on the world stage. Long before she imagined receiving recognition from the Academy, she had looked up to Bhanu Athaiya, the legendary costume designer who became the first Indian to win an Oscar for Gandhi.

"I never dreamt that one day the Academy would recognise me, but I have always looked up to Bhanu Athaiya's journey. She has always been such a big inspiration for me. I am just so glad that I now get to follow that path for India in my own way," she said, adding that it also felt surreal to see herself alongside names such as Vishal Bhardwaj, Deepa Bhatia, Farah Khan and Shikhar Prasad.

Reflecting on her own journey, Lakhani said she has always been driven by cinema rather than accolades. Looking back on the phone call that changed everything, she recalled landing an opportunity to work with Mani Ratnam shortly after graduating from fashion school.

"I had completed five years of studying fashion and thought I would join a magazine or work in high fashion. Then I got a call from Mani Ratnam sir's office saying their costume designer was looking for interns for Raavan. I spoke to my father, and he immediately said, 'Forget the high-fashion job. Go and start from scratch. Be an intern. Be on the ground and see how films work.' I am so glad I followed that advice because everything I learnt from Sabyasachi Mukherjee and everything I learnt from Mani sir led me to where I am today," she said.

Lakhani also credited her parents, particularly her father, for encouraging her to pursue art when she herself was convinced she belonged in science.

"I actually wanted to study science and did that for the first two years. But my father always felt I was more inclined towards art. He encouraged me to study fashion or fine arts because he believed I would do better there. At that time, I was taken aback. I wondered if he thought I wasn't good enough academically. Two years later, I went back to him and said, 'I think you were right.' Since then, I have had constant support from my family in everything I have done. They even took me out for dinner to celebrate this feat."

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