Bollywood actress Kajol, Tamil actor Suriya and three others from the Indian film industry have been added to the members’ list of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. .

Besides Kajol and Suriya, Writing with Fire directors Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas and writer-filmmaker Reema Kagti are among the 397 new members invited this year by the Academy.

In a statement shared on its website, the Academy late Tuesday night said the list includes artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Membership selection is based on professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity remaining a priority.

“The 2022 class is 44% women, 37% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 50% are from 53 countries and territories outside the United States,” the Academy said in the statement.

Different disciplines in motion pictures are represented by the 17 branches into which the members are divided.

Kajol, the star of Hindi films such as My Name Is Khan and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., and Suriya, popular for his work in Tamil cinema through films Jai Bhim and Soorarai Pottru, have been invited by the actors’ branch.

Sushmit and Rintu, whose Writing with Fire was nominated in the best documentary feature category at this year's Academy Awards, are included in the documentary branch.

Reema, known for Hindi films such as Talaash, Gully Boy and Gold, is set to join the writers’ branch.

From the Indian film industry, Oscar-winner A R Rahman, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ali Afzal as well as producers Aditya Chopra, Guneet Monga, Ekta Kapoor, and Shobha Kapoor, are already Academy members.

Since the 2015 outcry over the lack of representation among the members of the Academy, the organisation has made an effort to be more inclusive. This year seven branches invited more women than men and nine branches invited more non-Americans than Americans.