/> Now that the winners of the 82nd Annual Oscar Award have been announced, it is analyzing time. Some won- predictably, and some, slightly off the expectations.

The biggest news is, of course, the Best Director award for Kathryn Bigelow, the first time in Oscar history for female director to do so, for her small-budget "The Hurt Locker" a live-action film on American soldiers in the Iraq War.

She was only the fourth woman director to be nominated for the prestigious award in Oscar history. For many, it was a toss between this and sci-fi film with a message "Avatar", the biggest grosser in Hollywood history, made by her ex-husband James Cameron (of "Titanic' fame).

The cheers went up as presenter Barbara Streisand said "the time has come" for history to be made as she was about to open the coveted envelope. For "The Hurt Locker", however, it was a double-triumph putting behind "Avatar", widely expected to win the "Best Picture" award (despite the Golden Globe win, a precursor to the Oscar).

Bigelow's generosity in acknowledging the work of her co-workers saying, "The secret of direction is collaborating" and that she had "extraordinary collaborators", and dedicating the top awards to the military men and their families - not only American soldiers in Afghanistan but those fighting in conflict regions all over " the world" reflected a genuine gesture of understanding and compassion.

This year's Oscar also had some other firsts, or come-backs, so to say. Perhaps to boost up viewership, reportedly dipping in the last couple of years, ‘the greatest show on earth' began with a Broadway-style musical performance before hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin started their wise-cracking introduction to the stars in the audience.

This was the first time since 1943 (when "Casablanca" won) to have 10 pictures nominated for the best picture, instead of five.

The presenters for the Best Actor (won of Jeff Bridges as downhill country singer Bad Blake in "Crazy Heart"), and Best Actress (Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side" as a feisty white woman adopting an African American football player) had five presenters each unfolding the experience of acting with the nominated actors in respective films.

For Sandra Bullock, first time nominated and winner, it has surely been a coming –of age film, as she has long associated with fluffy comedies, even acting in forgettable films like "Miss Congeniality."

That she was in company with formidable Meryl Streep, the most-nominated actress in Oscar history, and redoubtable Dame Helen Mirren, itself spoke volumes of her newly-acquired maturity as a performer.

Then there was Mo'nique, winner of the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the film "Precious": Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire (she had also won the golden Globe for the same role).

On both the occasions hers was one of the best acceptance speeches heard, talking about artistic excellence, and creative aspirations rising above circumstances.