The first 15-minute ceremony and the plaster trophy… 20 interesting facts related to the Oscar Award that few people know.

New Delhi Every year, film lovers eagerly wait for the Academy Awards i.e. Oscars, which are among the world’s most prestigious film awards. It is not just an award ceremony but is considered to be the biggest celebration in the world of cinema. Every year when this grand ceremony is organized, the eyes of the whole world are fixed on it. But behind the shining stage of Oscar, there are many interesting stories and facts hidden about which very few people know.

The history of Oscar is almost a century old. Its first ceremony was held on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Interestingly, at that time it was not a big TV show but a small program like a private dinner party which was over in just 15 minutes. The film Wings received the Best Film award at that ceremony.

Many records have also been made in the history of Oscar. Famous producer and great artist of animation Walt Disney has made the record of winning the maximum number of 26 Oscars. The record for winning an Oscar at the youngest age is in the name of actress Tatum O’Neal, who won this honor for the film Paper Moon at the age of just 10.

Another unique record in terms of age is in the name of actor Christopher Plummer who created history by winning an Oscar at the age of 82. In the field of film direction, Kathryn Bigelow became the first female director to be awarded an Oscar for the film The Hurt Locker.

Some facts related to Oscar are also very surprising. For example, sound mixer Kevin O’Connell did not receive an Oscar for a long time despite receiving 20 nominations. Actor Jack Nicholson is among the artists who have been nominated the most number of times.

The Oscar trophy is also special in itself. It is usually seen as a shining statue of gold but there came a time when this trophy was not made of gold but of plaster. In fact, there was a huge shortage of metal during World War II. For this reason, plaster statues were given to winners for three years, which were later replaced with real metal trophies.

In the history of Oscar, some artists had even refused to accept this award. These include Marlon Brando, George C. Scott and Dudley Nichols who took this decision due to personal reasons and political opposition.

Another interesting thing is that during the ceremony, if a celebrity leaves his seat and goes somewhere, seat fillers are installed to prevent his place from appearing vacant so that the hall always appears full during the TV broadcast.

Talking about films, the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy is the only X-rated film in Oscar history to win the Best Film award.

Talking about Indian cinema, till now only a few Indian films have received nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars. These include Mother India, Salaam Bombay!, Lagaan and Marathi film Shwaas. However, till now no Indian film has been able to win in this category.

In its long journey of almost a century, the Oscar Award has seen countless memorable moments in the history of cinema. This is the reason why every year this ceremony becomes a celebration not only of the awards but also of the achievements and inspirational stories of the film industry.