Oscars 2018 Paid Tribute To Sridevi, Shashi Kapoor And It Was A Touching Surprise For All Fans

I can’t remember for how many years I’ve woken up at 5 am and managed to pull through the annual spectacle that is the Academy Awards, The Oscars. Be it college, be it work, I’d somehow manage to squeeze in a little bit of that Oscar magic into my morning, thanks to the time difference. When I couldn’t, I’d remain glued to Twitter for updates on every single thing that happened, on stage and BTS.

Because Oscars always spelled magic to me. The red carpet fun, a new host monologue that unabashedly poked fun at all and sundry, the musical performances, and the magnificent set! And of course, Meryl Streep in the front row, as always. It’s all quite worth waking up early for.

And then, the Oscars went ahead and did something that made me, their loyal lifelong viewer, love them even more.

This year, the Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment paid tribute to our very own legends who left us this year, Shashi Kapoor and Sridevi.

Wow! The #InMemoriam section of the #Oscars both had Sridevi and Shashi Kapoor! Two of India’s finest actors 🙁 both gone within a year.. glad that they were featured in this esteemed list pic.twitter.com/ojRoF5U3YV

— Aadit Kapadia આદિત કાપડિયા (@ask0704) March 5, 2018

Each year, Oscars include an In Memoriam section, where they pay homage to members of the industry who passed away in the preceding year. A musical performance as the screen on stage showcases a montage of those who were lost but will always be remembered.

As Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder paid a touching tribute to industry members that were lost, Indians all over the world felt their heart skip a beat when they saw Shashi Kapoor and Sridevi’s faces on the screen.

Set to Vedder’s rendition of Tom Petty’s ‘Room At The Top‘, the beautiful unexpected tribute made every Bollywood fan emotional.

You can watch the tribute here.

Celebrities and fans alike took to Twitter to express their heartfelt appreciation of this gesture by the Academy Awards.

Last year, actor Om Puri was included in the montage.

1. Amazing indeed.

So amazing to see the #oscars pay respect to #shashikapoor and #sridevi #Oscar90

— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 5, 2018

2. The loss feels even more real now…

Sridevi and Shashi Kapoor in Oscars Memoriam. What true great stars we have lost. #oscars90

— arjun rampal (@rampalarjun) March 5, 2018

3. They must be watching us!

The Oscars honor our very own Sridevi ji and Shashi Kapoor ji in their In memorium section! They must be smiling from the heavens ❤️

— Milap (@zmilap) March 5, 2018

4. I’m not crying! You’re crying!

https://twitter.com/runwithskizzers/status/970511444507754496

5. Tears won’t stop.

Teary eyed to see #Sridevi being featured in the Oscars IN MEMORIUM.. ♥️

— Farah Khan (@TheFarahKhan) March 5, 2018

6. The touching gift to us fans who still are in shock!

Sridevi on #Oscars In Memoriam might have been the best gift that The Academy could’ve given all of us. Thank you @TheAcademy #sridevi forever

— Prabal Gurung (@prabalgurung) March 5, 2018

7. So thoughtful!

Was very thoughtful of the #Oscars to have payed respects to Sridevi and Shashi Kapoor sahab .. https://t.co/fNrtbuNbso

— Karan Tacker (@karantacker) March 5, 2018

8. Thank you, Oscars!

Thank you #Oscars for paying tribute to #Sridevi & #ShashiKapoor tonight amongst the many incredible global artists we lost this last year🙏🏼💔#Oscars2018 @TheAcademy

— Sophie C (@Sophie_Choudry) March 5, 2018

9. Not a single dry eye as we watch this!

Proud and teary eyed moment for us all to see a tribute being paid to #Sridevi & #ShashiKapoor at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/p2uB7PZJyn

— kunal kohli (@kunalkohli) March 5, 2018

10. Their legacy lives on!

The Oscars paid tribute to our beloved Sridevi…#YourLegacyLivesOn

— vidya balan (@vidya_balan) March 5, 2018

11. An emotional surprise!

People were expecting Shashi Kapoor to be honoured, as just like Om Puri, the late actor too had an impressive affair with Hollywood. He had worked in several films under the Merchant-Ivory banner, notable being Jinnah, Bombay Talkie and Shakespeare-Wallah.

However, the fact that they included our beloved Chandni as well, makes for an even more touching gesture. Sridevi shone bright, no matter what film industry!

Call me a sentimental fool if you will, but I always wait for the #Oscars In Memoriam section. I knew #ShashiKapoor would be remembered at today's ceremony because he has worked abroad, but they also honoured #Sridevi today and that meant a lot. A big hug to @TheAcademy.

— Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) March 5, 2018

12. A bittersweet moment!

https://twitter.com/MyNameIsVitani/status/970512075243098112

13. A hope for others to dream big!

Sridevi in the In Memorandum is having as powerful an effect on me as AR Rahman's & more so Carnatic powerhouse Bombay Jayashri's past oscar noms. Makes me feel like a lil Tamil girl who sings alternative classical music has a shot at being part of the #oscars crowd one day.

— Shami Sivasubramanian (@Shami_Siva) March 5, 2018

Gone but never forgotten. The stars that will continue to burn bright and cast their light!