Kangana Ranaut calls for Oscars, Grammys boycott after Lata Mangeshkar snub

A week after the Oscars, the 64th Annual Grammy Awards also omitted legendary Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar in the ‘In Memoriam’ section during the ceremony held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The said ‘omission’ upset fans, to say the least. 

The Grammys’ 2022 In Memoriam section paid their heartfelt tribute to songs by the late Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, performed by Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr, Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler. Taylor Hawkins and Tom Parker were also honoured.

Mangeshkar, lovingly known as the ‘Nightingale of India’, passed away on January 6 due to multiple organ failure aged 92. Like many fans, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut also shared her two cents on the matter. Ranaut recently took to Instagram and shared how Bollywood should boycott the Oscars and Grammys.

“We must take strong stands against any local awards who claim to be international and yet ignore and intentionally sideline legendary artists because of their race or ideologies… both Oscar and Grammy failed to give tribute to Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar Ji.”

She went on to add, “Our media should totally boycott these biased local events who claim to be global awards.” The actor then wrote on her Instagram Stories. She also wrote, “We should boycott these snooty western awards.”

Earlier, fans took to Twitter to criticise the Recording Academy, the institution that conducts Hollywood’s biggest musical awards night. Mangeshkar was born in 1929 and started her musical training early under the tutelage of her father Deenanath, singing in his theatrical productions when she was just five.

Her father’s death when she was only 13 forced her to take on the role of breadwinner to support four younger siblings, and the family eventually moved to Mumbai in 1945. There she pursued a career as a playback singer, recording tracks to be mimed by actors, and her high-pitched voice soon became a staple of Bollywood blockbusters.