Oscars executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor said he felt exhausted but pleased after Sunday's ceremony. Speaking to the Associated Press on Monday, Kapoor described the experience as surreal after months of preparation for Hollywood's biggest night.
The most unexpected moment came when Kumail Nanjiani announced a tie for best live-action short. Kapoor revealed that Nanjiani was informed by Oscar accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers just before walking on stage, and handled the situation calmly without any coaching. 'He was kind of like the perfect person to do that at that time,' Kapoor said.
Regarding host Conan O'Brien, Kapoor was unsure whether some of his off-camera reactions were genuine or planned. 'Conan is the master of improv and he's the master of reaction. Sometimes you really don't know what he has planned,' Kapoor said.
The producers made the tough decision to cut off the acceptance speech for best original song winner 'Golden' at the designated time. Kapoor explained that nominees are given guidelines on speech length, and when time runs out, the orchestra plays to move the show along.
Kapoor noted that the 'Sinners' performance continued after the broadcast cut to commercial, as the energy in the room felt electric. However, stage changeover requirements meant they could not let it go on longer. The producers aim to keep the show at three and a half hours or under, making crucial timing decisions in the second half.
