Somnath Chatterjee congratulates Indian Oscar winners

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Monday congratulated Gulzar, A.R. Rahman, Resul Pookutty of the 'Slumdog Millionaire' and the team of 'Smile Pinky' for having brought laurels to the nation by winning Oscars.

'The conferment of these prestigious Academy Awards is a resounding statement of India's ascendance in the world of quality entertainment,' Chatterjee said in a statement.

'My congratulations to all those artistes, both visible and invisible, who made the 'Slumdog Millionaire' and the 'Smile Pinky' emerge as the best film and the best short film, respectively, at the awards function,' the speaker said.

Composer A.R. Rahman, lyricist Gulzar and sound designer Resul Pookutty made history with three Oscars for the Mumbai-based 'Slumdog Millionaire' that won eight of its 10 nominations.