Laraib Atta, a young visual artist and the daughter of musician Attaullah Esakhelvi, made the nation proud after her team landed Oscar and BAFTA nominations for their work on James Bond film No Time to Die.
Atta announced on her social media that her visual effects team bagged nods in ‘Best Visual Effects’ category at Oscars and BAFTA for the latest Bond film.
In a YouTube video, Laraib thanked everyone for the support she’s been getting since the nominations.
“I would like to say thank you for all the kind messages and support I’ve been receiving for Oscar, BAFTA nomination for visual effects on No Time to Die,” she said.
“It is such a great honor working beside the great minds. All thanks to my brother Sanwal and my mother for always being the guiding force and supporting me throughout,” Laraib added.
Laraib started working in Hollywood at the age of 19 and has been a part of some great projects such as Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
“We have been nominated for #bafta and #oscar for No Time to Die – and here are the vfx breakdowns. Well done everyone at #dneg it was an honour being part of my favourite 007 franchise,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
The official twitter handle of The Academy awards announced the nominations.
Former president of the United States, Donald Trump has bashed the Oscars, calling the ceremony boring and offered advice on how to revive the plummeting ratings.
In a statement emailed to reporters from his office, Trump said: “What used to be called The Academy Awards, and now is called the ‘Oscars’ —a far less important and elegant name—had the lowest Television Ratings in recorded history, even much lower than last year, which set another record low.”
“If they keep with the current ridiculous formula, it will only get worse—if that’s possible,” added the former president.
“Go back 15 years, look at the formula they then used, change the name back to THE ACADEMY AWARDS, don’t be so politically correct and boring, and do it right. ALSO, BRING BACK A GREAT HOST,” continued Trump.
Remarking that the broadcast has become too political, Trump said: “These television people spend all their time thinking about how to promote the Democrat Party, which is destroying our country, and cancel Conservatives and Republicans. That formula certainly hasn’t worked very well for The Academy!”
Last year, when Trump was still president, he had live-tweeted his criticism on the Oscars and bashed voters for giving the best picture to Parasite. At a rally, Trump while talking about the South Korean film had said: “What the hell was that all about? We’ve got enough problems with South Korea with trade. On top of that, they give them best movie of the year. Was it good? I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, this year’s ceremony drew only 10.4 million viewers, a record low, according to final Nielsen numbers released on Tuesday — a staggering if widely expected drop for a ceremony that many viewers found short on humour and star power.
With movie theaters shut for most of the year, many viewers had not seen or even heard of nominees such as Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, which was the night’s big winner with three prizes but which has taken just over $2 million at the domestic box office.
Several blockbuster films whose stars could have drawn interest at this year’s Oscars saw their release dates shunted to next year due to the pandemic, from Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and the mega-budget sci-fi Dune to an array of popular superhero titles.
This year’s unorthodox Oscars ceremony was moved from a Hollywood theater to a glammed-up Los Angeles train station to abide by strict Covid-19 protocols and reunited Hollywood filmmakers and actors en masse for the first time in more than a year.
Reviews of the show were mixed, with several critics complaining about the show’s lack of humor and musical performances.
While many Oscars begin with gag-heavy monologues, producers turned this year to Regina King, who was one of many stars who referred to racism and police violence — specifically last week’s conviction of Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Other political statements made during the Oscars did not focus on Trump, but on topics like gun violence and policing.
“I know that a lot of you people at home want to reach for your remote when you feel like Hollywood is preaching to you,” she predicted.
Regina King
Variety slammed the decision to go without a host for a third straight year, calling the ceremony “lost and guide-less.”
But the decision to strip out musical performances and most clips of nominated movies — and allow winners to speak at length without being “played off” the stage by an orchestra — drew some praise.
The Oscars drew more than 43 million viewers as recently as 2014, but audiences have become increasingly fragmented in the streaming era.
If there’s one thing that can steal the thunder of history’s deadliest pandemic, it is none other than the fashion politics surrounding the 93rd Annual Academy Awards. Stars and their designers can either make it big on the Oscars Red Carpet like Audrey Hepburn did with her every-trendy white gown for the Oscars 1954 edition, or they can go home as Björk did after her ‘Sawn Dress’ for Oscars 2001 edition was classified as the worst outfit of the decade. I mean, what even was that dress?
Given that we’ve mostly seen stars in their pyjamas and lounge wear most of last year, we were expecting some bold style statements. However, turns out we couldn’t agree more with The New York Times definition of Oscars 2021: ‘A lot of Style, Little Substance‘.
Check out The Current’s picks for the Best and Worst Dressed Celebs during the world’s most glamourous award ceremony!
BEST DRESSED
Zendaya
Zendaya tops the list with her yellow dress from Valentino Haute Couture paired with Bulgari jewellery. The actor paired her outfit with nude makeup making her look like a million dollars.
Brad Pitt
Who else could be rated as the second hottest person and the first hottest man of the evening other than Brad Pitt? The Hollywood heartthrob looked elegant as ever in his classic black and white suit.
Vanessa Kirby
In the era of pastels colors, the Pieces of a Woman actor Vanessa Kirby wore a baby pink Gucci gown that seemed to blend with the background of the Red Carpet. The star paired this look with a bold red lip, shimmery eyes, and Cartier jewellery to bring her A game.
WORST DRESSED
As much as it pains us to make this list, it had to be done.
Questlove
You’ve got to see this! Questlove actually had to the guts to wear golden Crocs at a formal award ceremony. This sure does not look cool and casual if that’s what he tried to portray.
Halle Berry
While Halle Berry got the colour, pixy-like hair and makeup right, the weird oversized draping bow protruding from her waistline ruined the harmony of her entire look landing her straight on the worst-dressed list. Dolce & Gabanna did disappoint us big time with this outfit.
Laura Dern
Last but not least, Laura Dern’s Oscar de la Renta dress with a fluffy lower half that looks more like a wardrobe malfunction was the stuff of nightmare. The dress could have been rescued had the fluffy lower been stitched a little closer to waistline. Designers these days, jeez!
BEST RED CARPET MOMENT
Our resident hero Riz Ahmed may not have taken home an Oscar or made it to the best dressed list but he certainly gave audiences the best red carpet moment when he took a minute to fix his wife’s hair before posing for the cameras. It’s been more than a day since this video came out and we are still swooning.
The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25, (April 26 PST) in Los Angeles at multiple locations: Dolby Theatre, where it has been traditionally hosted since 2001, and Union Station. Only the nominees, their guests and the ceremony’s presenters were allowed inside the hall due to coronavirus restrictions.
The event began with a movie-style opening credits sequence, as Regina King strode into the venue clutching a gold statuette.
“Live TV, here we go. Welcome to the 93rd Oscars!” she said. “And, yes, we are doing it maskless… people have been vaxxed, tested, re-tested, socially distanced.”
This year’s Oscars arrived at their Union Station venue two months late due to the pandemic — organisers have said it would have been “impossible” without the delay.
Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organisers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet.”
Riz Ahmed may have lost the Oscar Award for Best Actor to Anthony Hopkins but he walked away with the best red carpet appearance when he took a moment to fix his wife Fatima Farheen Mirza’s hair. Ahmed had revealed in January that he had tied the knot in secret a few months back.
In a video that went viral on social media, the couple can be seen walking in together and as the photographers clicked their pictures, Riz paused for a moment to make sure his wife’s hair looked perfect. Ahmed’s act won the hearts of audiences across the world and they started hailing the couple as “relationship goals”.
The British-Pakistani actor was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his role of a drummer who loses his hearing in the Sound of Metal.
In addition to winning hearts with his romantic gesture on the red carpet, Ahmed also made history at this year’s Oscars as the first Muslim nominee in the Best Actor category. He was up against Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sir Anthony Hopkins for The Father, Gary Oldman for Mank, and Steven Yeun for Minari. Hopkins eventually took home the award.
Meanwhile, Sound of Metal bagged two awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25, (April 26 PST) in Los Angeles at multiple locations: Dolby Theatre, where it has been traditionally hosted since 2001, and Union Station. Only the nominees, their guests and the ceremony’s presenters were allowed inside the hall due to coronavirus restrictions.
The event began with a movie-style opening credits sequence, as Regina King strode into the venue clutching a gold statuette.
“Live TV, here we go. Welcome to the 93rd Oscars!” she said. “And, yes, we are doing it maskless… people have been vaxxed, tested, re-tested, socially distanced.”
This year’s Oscars arrived at their Union Station venue two months late due to the pandemic — organisers have said it would have been “impossible” without the delay.
Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organisers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet.”
An honourary award for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which has supported struggling actors and crew particularly during the pandemic, was awarded at the Oscars’ traditional Hollywood theater base. Black entertainment mogul Tyler Perry was also honored.
But the bulk of the awards were handed out at the 1930s-built Union Station, chosen for its grand scale and outdoor courtyards, where white tents sheltering everything from Covid testing booths to catering were installed.
“We’re here, isn’t it crazy?” said Ahmed. “Human beings in the flesh!”
While The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences remembered late actors Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput, Chadwick Boseman and other stars in the 93rd Academy Awards.
The late stars were honoured for their services to the cinema industry in the ‘In Memoriam’ sequence during the award show with Stevie Wonder’s song ‘As’ in the background.
British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed’s family reacted to his historic Oscar nod in the most desi fashion ever.
In a social media post Riz revealed that his cousin was unaware of what the Oscars were and was unable to understand why his nomination was such a big deal.
“My cousin Adnan legit didn’t know what the Oscars were,” wrote Riz on social media. “‘Why all the gas? I won [the] Best Client Engagement Award for the financial quarter’.”
“Other cousin steps in ‘Na it’s not as big as that, cos he didn’t win anything. It’s more like getting an email from your boss.’ Thanks, boss,” added the actor.
My cousin Adnan legit didn’t know what the Oscars were. “Why all the gas? I won best client engagement award for the financial quarter”. Other cousin steps in “Na it’s not as big as that, cos he didn’t win anything. It’s more like getting an email from your boss.” Thanks, boss.
For the unacquainted, Ahmed bagged the nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Sound of Metal, making him the first Muslim and Pakistani actor to get the nod in the category.
Riz Ahmed, who played the role of a drummer who begins to lose his hearing in Amazon Studio’s Sound of Metalcharted history by becoming the first Muslim to be nominated in the leading actor category at the Academy Awards.
The actor, while responding to the nomination said that he was “honoured to be nominated by my fellow actors alongside such inspiring performances”.
“I am grateful to the Academy for their support and encouragement,” the actor added.
Wow! I’m honoured to be nominated by my fellow actors alongside such inspiring performances, and am grateful to the Academy for their support and encouragement. I’m equally thrilled for our visionary writer-director Darius Marder and the brilliant Paul Raci… pic.twitter.com/Z6ScOq08tf
Mehwish Hayat, Adnan Siddiqui and Sanam Saeed celebrated Riz’s big achievement and congratulated the actor on social media.
“Congratulations Riz. You have created history with your nomination as the first Muslim for lead actor at the distinguished Academy Awards,” said Siddiqui. “Hard work and talent always get recognised.”
“Pakistan is proud of you,” added the actor.
Congratulations @rizwanahmed! You have created history with your nomination as the first Muslim for lead actor at the distinguished #AcademyAwards. Hard work and talent always get recognised. Pakistan is proud of you! pic.twitter.com/U6du80ZGM6
Mehwish Hayat also expressed her delight over the nomination, saying: “In a world where we’re fighting for fairer representation in mainstream media, a Muslim nominated for Best Actor for the first time since 1929 is one hell of a big deal.”
The 2021 Oscar nominations were announced from London by presenters Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The Academy Awards would typically have happened by now but this year will be telecast on April 25. The film academy said Monday that the show will be held at both its usual home, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and the city’s railway hub, Union Station.
Riz Ahmed, who played the role of a drummer who begins to lose his hearing in the Sound of Metal charted history by becoming the first Muslim to be nominated in the leading actor category at the Academy Awards.
This is also for the first time that two Asian actors have been nominated in the Best Actor category. Nine of the 20 acting nods went to non-white performers, including Riz and a South Korean Yuh-Jung Youn of Minari, in what Variety Magazine described as the most diverse acting Oscars slate ever.
Sharing his excitement on social media, Riza said: “Wow! I’m honoured to be nominated by my fellow actors alongside such inspiring performances, and am grateful to the Academy for their support and encouragement.”
“I’m equally thrilled for our visionary writer-director Darius Marder and the brilliant Paul Raci As well as our editor Mikkel, sound designer Nicolas, and co-writer Abe Marder,” he added.
Wow! I’m honoured to be nominated by my fellow actors alongside such inspiring performances, and am grateful to the Academy for their support and encouragement. I’m equally thrilled for our visionary writer-director Darius Marder and the brilliant Paul Raci… pic.twitter.com/Z6ScOq08tf
“These nominations represent the time, generosity and talents of so many — all of our incredible cast, crew, producers,” said the actor further. “Sound of Metal is about how a health crisis can cut you off from your life and loved ones, and force you to grow in unexpected ways. In a challenging year for so many, I hope this story can inspire us to forge new and deeper connections with ourselves and others.”
“And in particular I’d like to thank my mentors in the drumming, addiction recovery, and D/dead communities” Riz concluded.
Sound of Metal is about how a health crisis can cut you off from your life and loved ones, and force you to grow in unexpected ways. In a challenging year for so many, I hope this story can inspire us to forge new and deeper connections with ourselves and others. pic.twitter.com/Yl2eLuvmwf
Meanwhile, six nods each were earned by the other best picture contenders The Father, Black Panther story Judas and the Black Messiah, Korean-language drama Minari, Nomadland, #MeToo revenge tale Promising Young Woman, 1960s Vietnam War courtroom drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Amazon Studio’s deaf drama Sound of Metal.
The late Chadwick Boseman also got a first Oscar nod for his final film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
The nominations were announced from London by presenters Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The Academy Awards would typically have happened by now but this year will be telecast on April 25. The film academy said Monday that the show will be held at both its usual home, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and the city’s railway hub, Union Station.
This year’s awards season — typically a month-long circuit of screenings, cocktail parties and schmoozing — has been entirely virtual, taking much of the buzz and predictability out of the Oscars. Eligibility was extended to early 2021 releases and to movies that bypassed theatres.
