‘I won it for country’

Noting that in the last 80 years of the Oscar history no Indian has bagged an award in the technical category, Pookutty said, “I won it for the country”.

Fans as well as media persons thronged outside Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to welcome Oscars winner Resul Pookutty of Slumdog Millionaire early Thursday.

When Pookutty, who is the third Indian to win the golden statuette after Satyajit Ray in 1992, stepped out, a cheering crowd offered him a bottle of champagne, which he opened to a huge round of applause.

Pookutty, who won the Oscar for sound mixing, was overwhelmed by his reception. “I never expected something like this. This is history being made,” he said. He was taken to his Goregaon home in an open car.