Most empowering Indian women who deserve a Bollywood biopic
Last updated on - Mar 8, 2018, 12:26 ISTShare fbsharetwsharepinshare
01/11These Indian women achieved the extraordinary
Bollywood films have been entertaining us for decades now. But the film industry is more than just that. Now is the time of biopics in Bollywood. With biopics on empowering women like Neerja Bhanot, the industry has taken a step forward. There are thousands of such women in our country who have inspired us all. While every individual is special in their own way, there are some who have achieved the extraordinary. On this Women's Day, we bring you 10 amazing Indian women who deserve a Bollywood biopic.
02/11Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla was an American astronaut and the first woman of Indian origin in space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. In 2003, Kalpana was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the craft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Kalpana was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities, and institutions have been named in her honor.
03/11Mother Teresa
It's surprising that no one in Bollywood has made a biopic on Mother Teresa yet. Known as the kindest woman on Earth, Mother Teresa chose to become a nun at the age of 18. She is renowned all over the world for her charitable work. Teresa was first recognised by the Indian government more than a third of a century earlier, receiving the Padma Shri in 1962 and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1969. She later received other Indian awards, including the Bharat Ratna (India's highest civilian award) in 1980.
04/11Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi is a retired Indian Police Service officer, social activist, former tennis player and politician who is the current Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She is the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). She remained in service for 35 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2007 as Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development. She also worked with the United Nations in New York as the Police Advisor to the Secretary General, in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations. She also represented the country in forums on crime prevention, drug abuse, police and prison reforms and women's issues.
05/11Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza is an Indian professional tennis player who was formerly ranked No. 1 in the women's doubles rankings. From 2003 until her retirement from singles in 2013, she was ranked by the WTA as India's No. 1 doubles player. Throughout her career, Sania Mirza has established herself as the most successful female Indian tennis player ever and one of the highest-paid and high-profile athletes in the country. In addition, she is the third Indian woman in the Open Era to feature and win a round at a Grand Slam tournament, and the first to reach the second week. She has also won a total of 14 medals (including 6 Gold) at three major multi-sport events.
06/11Shakuntala Devi
Shakuntala Devi was an Indian writer and mental calculator, popularly known as the "human computer". A child prodigy, her talent earned her a place in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. At the mere age of three, she could memorize math numbers without any former education. As a writer, Shakuntala Devi wrote a number of books, including novels as well as texts about mathematics, puzzles, and astrology. She wrote the book, 'The World of Homosexuals', which is considered the first study of homosexuality in India. She treated homosexuality in an understanding light and is considered a pioneer in the field.
07/11Arunima Sinha
Arunima Sinha is the first Indian amputee to climb Mount Everest. She was a national level volleyball player who was pushed from a running train by some robbers in 2011 while she was resisting them. As a result, one of her legs had to be amputated below the knee. Her aim was to climb all the continents' highest peaks and hoist the national flag of India. She has already done six peaks: Everest in Asia, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Kosciuszko in Australia, Aconcagua in Argentina and Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) in Indonesia. Uttar Pradesh's then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had honored Arunima and handed over two cheques for an amount of Rs. 25 lakh in a function organised at her residence in Lucknow.
08/11Madhubala
Madhubala was an Indian film actress who appeared in classic films of Hindi cinema. She was active between 1942-62. She is also considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses to have worked in the industry, and is highly regarded as "The Venus of Indian Cinema" and "The Beauty with Tragedy". In its feature of her, a magazine called her "the biggest star" in the international film industry. She was photographed extensively for this feature. Madhubala received wide recognition for her performances in films such as 'Mahal' (1949), 'Amar' (1954), 'Mr. & Mrs. '55' (1955), 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' (1958), 'Mughal-e-Azam' (1960) and 'Barsaat Ki Raat' (1960). Madhubala's performance in 'Mughal-e-Azam' established her as an iconic actress of Hindi Cinema.
09/11Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was an Indian stateswoman and central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was the first and, to date, the only female Prime Minister of India. Indira Gandhi belonged to the Nehru–Gandhi family and was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian prime minister. She served as Prime Minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father. She was also the only Prime Minister to declare a state of emergency to “rule by decree”.
10/11Sridevi
Sridevi was an Indian actress and film producer who starred in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada films. Often referred to by media houses as Indian cinema's "first female superstar", she was the recipient of two Filmfare Awards and three Filmfare Awards South. Sridevi ranked among the highest-paid actors in the 1980s and 1990s and is considered to be one of the most popular actresses of Indian cinema. Sridevi made her debut as a child artiste with the 1967 Tamil film ‘Kandan Karunai’ at the age of 4. Since then the actress gained immense popularity and had gone on to act in over 300 films.
