1. Ardeshir Irani Widely regarded as the ‘Father of Indian Talkies,’ Irani is credited with several notable works including Alam Ara (1931) — India’s first talkie, Lor Girl — the first-ever sound film in Persian, and Kisan Kanya (1937) — India’s first indigenously made colour movie.

He made movies until 1945, with some sources saying that the number in his repository touched 200 films.

2. Gitanjali Aiyar As one of the first English news anchors on Indian television, Gitanjali left an indelible mark on the nation’s news-watching experiences.

Not only did she win the Best Anchor Award four times in a row, but was also awarded the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women in 1989.

3. Sulochna Latkar When Sulochna started work in the film industry, she was paid a salary of Rs 150 to help with the make-up of the actors. In time, she made her way to the top of the ladder.

The veteran acted in more than 300 films in both Hindi and Marathi over almost 50 years. She was honoured with several top state and national awards, including the prestigious Padma Shri in 1999.

4. Radha Gobinda Chandra Born to a humble family in undivided India, Chandra, a coin tester, grew up with a love for astronomy.

In 1918, he was credited for finding the Nova Aquila-3, a bright star that hadn’t yet found its way to the Star Map. Chandra made a total of 49,700 stellar observations up to 1954, when he finally retired.

5. Mrinalini Sarabhai Anyone who observed Mrinalini dancing would say there wasn’t any separation between dance and her entire being. Often known as the goddess of dance, she trained thousands in Bharatanatyam and Kathakali.

She was also one of the first women to perform this dance form and founded the Darpana Academy in 1949.

6. Sarada Menon As India’s first woman psychiatrist and the longest-serving head of the Institute of Mental Health, Dr Menon helped set up several social organisations to help rehabilitate those suffering from mental illnesses.

In 1984, she set up the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF India) along with psychiatrist R Thara.

7. Jamsetji Tata “Whilst American and European philanthropists may have dominated the thinking of philanthropy over the last century, Jamsetji Tata, founder of India’s Tata Group, is the world’s biggest philanthropist,” Rupert Hoogewerf, the chairman and chief researcher at Hurun said in a statement.

It is reported that most of the donations given by Jamsetji Tata were in the education and healthcare sectors as early as 1892.

8. Rita Davar In 1952, 17-year-old Rita Davar made history as she became the first Indian to make it to the finals of a Grand Slam in the singles category.

Throughout her career, she became India’s No 1 female tennis player. And during the years 1953 and 1954, she won the Indian Nationals and the All India Hard Court Championships.

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