1. R K Laxman and R K NarayanWhile in school, Laxman loved to draw and used the floors, walls and doors of his house as his canvas.
He later rose to fame for his sketches of the television adaptation of ‘Malgudi Days’ written by R K Narayan.
2. Debalina Mazumder and Manobina RoyThe two sisters are credited with introducing the world to candid photography before it became such a viral phenomenon.
They would capture their daily lives as wives and mothers in their new houses in Kolkata and Mumbai.
3. Major Dhyan Chand, Milkha Singh and Dara SinghMajor Dhyan Chand — one of the greatest field hockey players in history; Milkha Singh — the field sprinter who came to be known as ‘The Flying Sikh’ due to his speed; and Dara Singh — the Indian wrestler, can be seen in the picture.
The three legends’ contributions to history in sports are unparalleled.
4. Mohammed Rafi, Shankar-Jaikishan and Shammi KapoorSongs like ‘Yahoo!’ by Mohammed Rafi were matched by fast-paced compositions by duo Shankar-Jaikishan and electrifying dance steps by late actor Shammi Kapoor.
This brilliance of Shankar-Jaikishan coupled with Shammi and Rafi created magic onscreen with Brahmachari (1968), which landed the best performance Filmfare award.
5. Philomena ThumboochettyThe daughter of the ‘Huzur’ secretary of the Maharaja of Mysuru was just a teenager when she scored 98 percent in the fellowship examination offered by Trinity College, London.
The Indian violinist went on to be chosen for admission to the famed Paris Conservatoire and was the youngest and the first from India for the role.
6. An epic film crewThe masterpiece ‘Sadgati’ (1981) based on a story written by Munshi Premchand was adapted for the screen by Satyajit Ray. It featured Om Puri and Smita Patil in the lead roles.
The film portrays the evils of untouchability and the caste system that were prevalent.
7. The first Indian soap operaIndia’s first soap opera show, ‘Hum Log’ was aimed at the middle class of society and the struggles they endured.
Seema Pahwa, who played one of the lead characters of Badki, was quoted saying, “The honesty portrayed in these stories successfully reached people.
8. The first women doctorsAnandi Gopal Joshi, Kei Okami and Sabat Islambooly were the first women doctors in India, Japan and Syria, respectively.
The three were alumni of the first women’s medical college in the world — the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP) — and became licensed doctors in the late 1800s.
9. Meena KumariThis ‘historically incomparable actress’ of Hindi cinema was put into films at a very young age, while other children were sent to school.
However, she later revealed that she was pushed into this life. “I wanted to go to school and study, become a doctor, lawyer, or something. But circumstances made me a film actress,” she said.
10. Johnny LeverJohnny had to leave school when he was in Class 7, and he began selling pens and dancing on the streets to earn money.
One day, at his father’s Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL)’s annual function, he mimicked some senior officials. This show earned him the nickname Johnny ‘Lever’.