The 98th Academy Awards took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night, celebrating the finest achievements in cinema from Hollywood’s 2025 slate. Alongside the awards, the ceremony also featured its traditional In Memoriam tribute honouring artists and technicians who passed away over the past year.
However, the segment sparked strong reactions among Indian audiences after veteran Bollywood icon Dharmendra was not included in the tribute, leaving many fans questioning the Academy’s global representation.
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Oscars Expands Its In Memoriam Tribute
Billy Crystal full tribute to Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner 💔😢#Oscars pic.twitter.com/GDSL9QTmwg
— Lunar Surfer (@TheLunarSurfer) March 16, 2026
This year’s memorial tribute was notably longer than usual and included a few creative elements beyond the traditional video montage. Organisers had earlier hinted that the segment would feature a different format.
The ceremony paid special tribute to prominent figures from the film industry. Director Rob Reiner received recognition from actor Billy Crystal, known for starring in Reiner’s beloved romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. Meanwhile, Robert Redford was honoured by his longtime co-star Barbra Streisand, who described him as a “brilliant, subtle actor” and an “intellectual cowboy.”
Streisand also performed a short portion of the title song from The Way We Were, the classic film she shared with Redford. Actress Rachel McAdams also appeared on stage to honour Canadian screen legend Diane Keaton.
Dharmendra’s Omission Raises Questions
In recent years, the Academy Awards have made visible efforts to highlight international cinema and artists. Past In Memoriam segments have included Indian film personalities such as Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor.
Given that background, many viewers were surprised when Dharmendra, one of Bollywood’s most celebrated actors, who passed away in November 2025 at the age of 89, was absent from the tribute.
The omission quickly sparked debate online, with fans expressing disappointment over what they saw as a lack of recognition for the legendary actor’s contributions to cinema.
One social media user wrote:
“The Oscars showed a list of people who passed away last year, yet didn’t mention Dharmendra—a legendary Indian actor who gave his entire life to cinema. Why so much hype when our icons get no recognition? After all, it’s mainly a Hollywood show, not truly international.”
Other Names Reportedly Missing
Dharmendra was not the only figure absent from the tribute. Reports suggested that several other actors and television personalities were also missing from the segment, including James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Robert Carradine, June Lockhart and Brigitte Bardot.
Even so, for many viewers in India, Dharmendra’s omission remained the most surprising moment of the tribute, reigniting conversations about how global the Oscars truly are when recognising cinema’s legacy.
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