The Academy Awards candidates for 2023 gathered to celebrate each other's works at the Oscar nominees' luncheon, which was held on February 13 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. The Indian nominees who attended the event, included Shaunak Sen, Guneet Monga, Kartiki Gonsalves, MM Keeravaani, and Chandrabose.
With celebrities like Tom Cruise, Cate Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Steven Spielberg, Angela Bassett, Colin Farrell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Paul Mescal, and Hong Chau in attendance, the Academy Award nominees luncheon also had the highest attendance this year. They all also posed together for the annual class photo.
There were several well-known Indian faces present in the image. In the front row, Shaunak Sen was spotted, whose movie All That Breathes is up for Best Documentary Feature Film. In the first and second standing rows, respectively, Guneet Monga and Kartiki Gonsalves, whose movie The Elephant Whisperers is up for Best Documentary Short, were seen.
In the second standing row, one could also see MM Keeravaani and Chandrabose, whose song Naatu Naatu from the movie RRR has been nominated in the Best Original Song category.
Guneet Monga shared a photo of her luncheon outfit on Instagram. She wore a white sari with elephant theme patterns as a nod to her movie The Elephant Whisperers. In the caption, she wrote, “LA at The Academy Nominee Luncheon! Representing the gentle giants that brought us here!" Director Kartiki Gonsalves also posted a picture from the luncheon, where she was seen with Tom Cruise. She wrote in the caption: "You might just recognise him ….. He loves elephants, Indian food ……. And ….. INDIA !!”
A photo of MM Keeravaani and Chandrabose at the Oscars luncheon was shared on Instagram Stories by the RRR official Instagram page. The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood will host the 95th Oscars on March 12.