Oscars 2026: Dharmendra, Manoj Kumar Added To In Memoriam Segment Online, After Being Slighted In Broadcast

The 98th Oscars 'In Memoriam' segment was the longest in the awards show’s history, mentioning late Hollywood legends Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Udo Kier, Rob Reiner, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, and Val Kilmer. But several renowned figures like Brigitte Bardot, Bud Cort, Eric Dane, James Van Der Beek, David Keighley and Malcolm-Jamal Warner were omitted in the segment during the on-air tribute. Legendary Indian stars Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar were also not mentioned in the Memoriam segment at the 98th Academy Awards, leaving the fans disappointed.

Hours after the Oscars 2026 In Memoriam snub, the Academy mentioned several stars, including Dharmendra, Dane and Van Der Beek, on the website's In Memoriam segment.

For the unversed, the In Memoriam pays tribute to actors, directors, technicians, and other renowned members of the film industry from across the world.

Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar added to In Memoriam segment on the Academy website

Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar's photos appeared alongside other industry veterans like B Saroja Devi. They are remembered for their contributions to Indian cinema.

Dharmendra passed away at the age of 89 in November last year, while Manoj Kumar died in April at the age of 87.

B Saroja Devi, who worked in over 200 films, was the first female superstar of Kannada cinema. Fondly known as Abhinaya Saraswati, she breathed her last in July last year at age 87.

Fans' reactions to Dharmendra's snub at Oscars In Memoriam

Fans have expressed their displeasure after the Oscars failed to pay tribute to Dharmendra, who left an enduring legacy spanning more than six decades in cinema. “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.#Oscars,” wrote a fan.

“#Oscars or just a Hollywood PR show? Disgraceful to snub Bollywood legend Dharmendra in the 'In Memoriam' tribute after 60 years of cinema. Stop using Priyanka for clout if you can’t respect our icons. Not truly international!,” wrote another.

Earlier, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Katy Mullan said, “It’s been an unimaginably hard year where we’ve lost a lot of icons and titans of the film industry. So yes, we are going to expand the In Memoriam because it feels so important that we do a tribute that is worthy of the people that we’ve lost this year.”