Who was the first Indian to win and share an Academy Award Oscar as part of a film production team?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks knowledge about the first Indian who received an Academy Award, commonly known as the Oscar. Knowing landmark achievements of Indians in international cinema is a frequent topic in competitive exams. The phrase win and share refers to a technical or artistic category where more than one person can receive the award for the same film.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award in question is an Academy Award Oscar.
• We are asked about the first Indian to win and share this award.
• The options include scientists, writers and film personalities.

Concept / Approach:
The key is to link the Oscar with Indian cinema and costume design. Bhanu Athaiya, a noted Indian costume designer, won the Oscar for Best Costume Design for the film Gandhi in 1983, sharing it with the British designer John Mollo. She is widely recognised as the first Indian to win an Academy Award. Others in the options are famous but associated with different honours, such as Nobel Prizes or literary achievements, not with the Oscars.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall famous Indians who have received Oscars. Bhanu Athaiya is the earliest name connected with this honour. Step 2: Connect Bhanu Athaiya with the film Gandhi and the category of Best Costume Design. Step 3: Note that she shared the award with John Mollo, which matches the wording of the question. Step 4: Check other options and confirm that they are not associated with Oscars. Step 5: Select Bhanu Athaiya as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by remembering a timeline of Indian Oscar winners. After Bhanu Athaiya, later honours include a Honorary Oscar for Satyajit Ray in the early nineteen nineties and music related Oscars for A R Rahman and Gulzar in two thousand nine. Since Bhanu Athaiya predates them, she holds the distinction of being the first Indian Oscar winner and she indeed shared the award for the film Gandhi.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Har Gobind Khorana: He was a molecular biologist and Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine, not an Oscar recipient.
Rabindranath Tagore: He received the Nobel Prize in Literature, not an Academy Award.
Satyajit Ray: He received an Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement but this was after Bhanu Athaiya and it was not a shared technical award.
None of these: This option is incorrect because there is a clear correct name available, Bhanu Athaiya.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes mix up Nobel Prizes and Oscars or assume that a very famous director like Satyajit Ray must have been the first. Another common error is to overlook technical categories like costume design and focus only on acting or directing. Reading the question phrase share the award carefully helps to narrow the correct choice.

Final Answer:
The first Indian to win and share an Academy Award Oscar as part of a film production team was Bhanu Athaiya.